Gates of Fire
An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae
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Narrated by:
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Derek Jacobi
About this listen
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • “Steven Pressfield brings the battle of Thermopylae to brilliant life.”—Pat Conroy
At Thermopylae, a rocky mountain pass in northern Greece, the feared and admired Spartan soldiers stood three hundred strong. Theirs was a suicide mission, to hold the pass against the invading millions of the mighty Persian army.
Day after bloody day they withstood the terrible onslaught, buying time for the Greeks to rally their forces. Born into a cult of spiritual courage, physical endurance, and unmatched battle skill, the Spartans would be remembered for the greatest military stand in history—one that would not end until the rocks were awash with blood, leaving only one gravely injured Spartan squire to tell the tale....
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- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 16 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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865 A.D. Warring kings rule over the British Isles, but the Church rules over the kings, threatening all who oppose them with damnation. Only the dreaded Vikings of Scandinavia do not fear the priests. Shef, the bastard son of a Norse raider and a captive English lady, is torn by divided loyalties and driven by strange visions that seem to come from Odin himself. A smith and warrior, he alone dares to imagine new weapons and tactics with which to carve out a kingdom.
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Couldn't finish it
- By Susan on 07-22-16
By: Harry Harrison
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I, the Sun
- By: Janet Morris
- Narrated by: Chistopher Crosby Morris
- Length: 24 hrs and 33 mins
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This is the saga of the Hittite King Suppiluliumas, and rings with authenticity and the passion of a world that existed 1400 years before the birth of Christ. They called him Great King, Favorite of the Storm God, the Valiant. He conquered more than forty nations and brought fear and war to the very doorstep of 18th Dynasty Egypt, but he could not conquer the one woman he truly loved.
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Wonderfully Researched and Fantastic Performance.
- By Rev. Zombie on 07-08-15
By: Janet Morris
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The Darkness That Comes Before
- The Prince of Nothing, Book One
- By: R. Scott Bakker
- Narrated by: David DeVries
- Length: 20 hrs and 44 mins
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In a world scarred by an apocalyptic past, evoking a time both 2,000 years past and 2,000 years into the future, untold thousands gather for a crusade. Among them, two men and two women are ensnared by a mysterious traveler, Anasûrimbor Kellhus - part warrior, part philosopher, part sorcerous, charismatic presence - from lands long thought dead. The Darkness That Comes Before is a history of this great holy war, and like all histories, the survivors write its conclusion.
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Finally in audiobook!
- By Andy on 06-28-12
By: R. Scott Bakker
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Macbeth: A Novel
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- Narrated by: Alan Cumming
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Macbeth: A Novel brings the intricacy and grit of the historical thriller to Shakespeare’s tale of political intrigue, treachery, and murder. In this full-length novel written exclusively for audio, authors A. J. Hartley and David Hewson rethink literature’s most infamous married couple, grounding them in a medieval Scotland whose military and political upheavals are as stark and dramatic as the landscape in which they are played.
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Narrator choice inspired
- By Beverly on 07-10-11
By: A. J. Hartley, and others
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Child of Vengeance
- A Novel
- By: David Kirk
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
- Length: 15 hrs
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Japan in the late 16th century was a land in turmoil. Lords of the great clans schemed against one another, served by aristocratic samurai bound to them by a rigid code of honor. Bennosuke is a high-born but lonely teenager living in his ancestral village. His mother died when he was a young boy, and his powerful warrior father Munisai has abandoned him for a life of service to his Lord, Shinmei. Bennosuke has been raised by his uncle Dorinbo, a Buddhist monk who urges the boy to forgo the violence of the samurai and embrace the contemplative life.
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Clever weaving of history and fiction.
- By JW Crummett on 02-25-16
By: David Kirk
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Forge of Darkness
- Kharkanas Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Steven Erikson
- Narrated by: Daniel Philpott
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Forge of Darkness takes listeners to Kurald Galain, the warren of Darkness, and tells of a realm whose fate plays a crucial role in the fall of the Malazan Empire and surrounds one of the Malazan world’s most fascinating and powerful characters, Anomander Rake. It’s a conflicted time in Kurald Galain, where Mother Dark reigns above the Tiste people. But this ancient land was once home to many a power...and even death is not quite eternal. The commoners’ great hero, Vatha Urusander, longs for ascendency and Mother Dark’s hand in marriage, but she has taken another Consort, Lord Draconus.
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A Precursor Epic Fantasy - A Rewarding Beginning!
- By Michael on 11-08-12
By: Steven Erikson
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The Dark Angel
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- Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
- Length: 13 hrs and 53 mins
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Ancient Constantinople, the glorious capital of the Eastern Roman Empire for over 1,000 years, and the jewel of Christendom, is the setting for this incredible historical novel. No other city in the world could compare with it in grandeur, splendor, and wealth. And when it fell to the Turks in 1453, it must have seemed like the end of the world to Christians. Famed author Mika Waltari takes us into the last months of this dying city as revealed in the diary of John Angelos, a strange man hopelessly in love with the daughter of an eminent Byzantine official.
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Great until the end
- By Barton on 07-12-19
By: Mika Waltari
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Fire from Heaven
- A Novel of Alexander the Great
- By: Mary Renault
- Narrated by: Roger May
- Length: 18 hrs and 33 mins
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Alexander's beauty, strength and defiance were apparent from birth, but his boyhood honed those gifts into the makings of a king. His mother, Olympias, and his father, King Philip of Macedon, fought each other for their son's loyalty, teaching Alexander politics and vengeance from the cradle. His love for the youth Hephaistion taught him trust, while Aristotle's tutoring provoked his mind and Homer's Iliad fuelled his aspirations.
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Renewed Pleasure
- By James on 01-28-15
By: Mary Renault
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What listeners say about Gates of Fire
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Alan
- 06-19-09
Great story, wonderful reading!
I had read this in book form and loved the story. Characters that you care about, not just battle narration. Derek Jacobi gives the finest reading I have yet heard in an audio book! Highly recommended.
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- RCC
- 10-14-19
amazing story
tremendous tale from start to finish. true, it doesnt get to the actual battle at themopylae until the back half at least, but its amazing throughout
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Overall
- H.G.E.
- 04-01-07
Awesome
Liked it so much I listened to it twice.The narrator was beyond excellent and the story of the epic battle at the "hot gates" is incredible.Historical fiction at it's best.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Lee
- 07-27-15
A truly great book
Emotional and inspiring, I feel truly touched by the story and I've been left wanting to study the book more. Dienekes takes his place alongside Atticus Finch as an unassuming hero.
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- James L. Aragon
- 04-06-15
Engaging
Amazing !!! Loved every word. Go tell the Spartans never meant more than a movie title before now. Gripping tales and a depth of writing that makes this a classic in my library.
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- Richard DeCouc
- 05-30-21
Lover of Democracy purchasef.
Extraordinary! yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes and yes again in every way possible.
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- Erman
- 01-18-23
Warrior
This book lays the entire methods and training to produce warriors in the Spartan culture.
The best part is that it’s hidden by a love story and a war story. Such a great book.
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Overall
- Spencer
- 10-19-07
Better than 300
This book shares many similarities to the recent movie "300"; however, it is better. Covering the same battle at the hot gates of Thermopylae, this version is told by the sole surviving Spartan, Xeo. When Xerxes presses him to tell the story of how 300 Spartans and their allies could hold off his troop numbering over 100,000, Xeo starts at his beginning. He was not originally a Spartan, yet he came to love it and join its army, ultimately getting to fight in this final stand of his comrads. This version explains a great deal of how Sparta was so strong as a nation, as well as why the suicide force was sent to buy time at the gates of Thermopylae. Great battle scenes, terrific suspense, and wonderful storytelling bring this legendary battle to life! Great Job Steven Pressfield!
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7 people found this helpful
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- Bryan
- 08-12-16
Highly Recommended. Don't need to see movie first!
Struggled at first with the narrator's accent. Once I got it together, the story flowed much easier. Because I saw the movie, I had to try to disassociate it from the story. I read this because it's on the Commandant's Reading List for my pay grade, but you do not need to be military to appreciate this book. True overall leadership lessons are given, albeit, more profoundly in the latter half. Definitely recommend this book.
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- ivan
- 02-27-23
Excellent story! Well told
Love this book - have listened to it several times. Very inspiring !
Great reader as well
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