100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

Overnight NZ-wide delivery 🚀 Thank you for supporting our 100% NZ-owned bookstore ❤️

Gates of Fire

An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Gates of Fire recounts the brutal and heroic Battle of Thermopylae through the eyes of its sole Spartan survivor. Against overwhelming odds, three hundred Spartans hold a narrow mountain pass to delay the invading Persian army. The novel vividly portrays their courage, endurance, and martial skill in a story of sacrifice and legend.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$5500

International Supplier

This title is in-stock with overseas suppliers. While it is not available locally, we fly books in weekly from the US and UK to our Auckland warehouse for immediate dispatch.

AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 2-3 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is ideal for readers interested in historical fiction with intense battle narratives and an immersive soldier's perspective on ancient warfare.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • In this “powerful, historically accurate novel” (The New Yorker), the sole Spartan survivor recounts the bloody and epic battle of Thermopylae that decimated his fearsome society.

“Vivid and exciting . . . Pressfield gives the reader a perspective no ancient historian offers: a soldier’s-eye view.”—The New York Times Book Review

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. . . .

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780553383683

Publisher: Random House USA Inc

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 27 September 2005

Country: United States

Imprint: Random House Inc

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 22.0mm

Width: 131.0mm

Height: 209.0mm

Weight: 289g

Pages: 400

About the Author

Steven Pressfield is the author of the hugely successful historical novels Gates of FireTides of War, and Last of the Amazons. His debut novel, The Legend of Bagger Vance, was made into a movie starring Matt Damon and Will Smith in 2000. He lives in California.

Also by Steven Pressfield

View all
  • 36 Righteous Men
    New York homicide detectives James Manning and Covina "Dewey" Duwai have been called in to investigate a string of bizarre deaths with scant leads. But when they apprehend a rabbinical scholar fleeing one of the crime scenes, they're brought face-to-face with the shocking truth: the Jewish legend of the hidden Righteous Men, the 36 who protect the world from destruction,...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • A Man at Arms
    Jerusalem and the Sinai desert, first century AD. In the turbulent aftermath of the crucifixion of Jesus, officers of the Roman Empire acquire intelligence of a pilgrim bearing an incendiary letter from a religious fanatic to insurrectionists in Corinth. The content of this letter could bring down the empire. The Romans hire a former legionary, the solitary man-at-arms, Telamon of...
    Paperback
    $3399
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • A Man at Arms
    Jerusalem and the Sinai desert, AD 55. In the turbulent aftermath of the crucifixion of Jesus, agents of the Roman Empire receive information about a pilgrim bearing an incendiary letter from a religious fanatic calling himself Paul the Apostle to insurrectionists in Corinth. What's in the letter could bring down an empire. The Romans hire a former legionary, a solitary...
    Hardback
    $5299
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • The Arcadian
    Spain in the 1500s. The Iberian Peninsula is fractured, faiths collide and war brews. Into this world rides Telamon—soldier, killer, eternal outcast—drawn into a brutal conflict between Portuguese invaders and desperate Andalusian defenders. But he is not alone. Travelling with him through time and lifetimes are others—comrades, lovers, enemies—each reborn in a new guise, all of them entangled in a...
    Hardback
    $7000
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • Gates of Fire
    Thousands of years ago, Herodotus and Plutarch immortalised Spartan society in their histories; but today, little is left of the ancient city or the social structure of this momentous culture. One of the few antiquarian marks of the civilisation that has survived lies scores of miles away from Sparta, at a narrow Greek mountain pass called Thermopylae. It was there...
    Hardback
    $8900
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • The War of Art
    The War of Art by Steven Pressfield is an inspiring and transformative guide that addresses the inner battles faced by artists, writers, and entrepreneurs. At its core, the book is a rallying cry for anyone who struggles with procrastination, self-doubt, or the persistent fear that prevents individuals from achieving their true potential. It’s a manual for overcoming the hidden forces...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Gates Of Fire
    Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield is acknowledged as a classic historical novel, retelling the epic story of the Battle of Thermopylae. This Sunday Times bestseller captures the breathtaking tale of the legendary Spartans—men and women who shaped our history and have become as immortal as their gods. "Breathtakingly brilliant... this is a work of rare genius. Savour it!" —David...
    Paperback
    Sold Out

More from Horror & Supernatural

View all
  • The Buffalo Hunter Hunter
    The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Etsy Beaucarne follows the journey of an academic striving to achieve professional success by uncovering hidden family history. When a journal written in 1912 by her grandfather, Arthur Beaucarne, a Lutheran pastor, is discovered within a wall during renovations, Etsy sees it as her opportunity to publish and secure tenure. As she delves into the...
    Paperback
    $2299
    Elsewhere:
    $2899
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Shirl's Picks
    Strange Houses
    A sinister hidden room. A dead space between two walls. A sealed cellar. A child's face glimpsed at a window. Every house hides secrets. But some secrets are far darker than others. More than a million readers have discovered the terrible truth behind these strange houses. Now it's your turn.
    By Uketsu
    Paperback
    $3000
    Elsewhere:
    $3699
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    Molka
    'Brutal and unflinching...You won't be able to look away as this book cuts you to pieces.' — Kylie Lee Baker, author of Bat Eater 'Combining feminist fury with creeping horror... Fans of Bunny will love this.' — Eve Kellman, author of How to Kill a Guy in Ten Ways The new novel by the Sunday Times bestselling author of The...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • There Is No Antimemetics Division
    Mind-bending science fiction about antimemes: ideas that attack memory, identity, and the fabric of reality itself. An antimeme is an entity with self-censoring properties. Some are benign, but others, less so... These entities can feed on your most cherished memories, the things that make you you—and you'll never even know anything changed. And they aren't just feeding on us. They're...
    By qntm
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The End of the World as We Know It
    Since its initial publication in 1978, The Stand has been considered No. 1 bestselling author and master storyteller Stephen King's seminal masterpiece of apocalyptic fiction, with millions of copies sold and adapted twice for television. Although there are other extraordinary works exploring the unravelling of human society, none have been as influential as this iconic novel - with generations of...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Home Before Dark
    Clever, twisty, and altogether spine-chilling... A deliciously terrifying story. You'll want to read this one after dark, ideally with the wind whistling in the eaves and a window banging somewhere just out of reach. But keep the light switch handy. You just might need it. - Ruth Ware, Book of the Month What was it like? Living in that house....
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    Trad Wife
    Your favourite influencer is about to be exposed . . . A deliciously sinister novel from three-time Bram Stoker award-winner Sarah Langan. Every day, millions watch Mia Wright, the "trad wife" queen, on her idyllic 300-acre farm. With her handsome husband, seven perfect children, and a life of from-scratch meals and pastoral bliss, she's an icon of modern femininity. But...
    Paperback
    $3000
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Horrorstor
    It's a classic old-fashioned haunted house story - set in a big box Swedish furniture superstore. Designed like a retail catalog, Horrorstor offers a creepy read with mass appeal—perfect for Halloween tables! From the New York Times best-selling author of The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires comes a hilarious and terrifying haunted house story in a thoroughly contemporary...
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $2999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Frankenstein
    One of the BBC's '100 Novels That Shaped Our World' HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics. Frankenstein ‘The rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open…’ Victor Frankenstein’s monster is stitched...
    Paperback
    $1299
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Thinner
    Thinner, by Stephen King writing as Richard Bachman, is a chilling tale of one man's descent into a nightmarish curse. Billy Halleck is a successful attorney living in Connecticut with his loving wife and daughter. Overweight but content, Billy's life takes a horrifying turn after a chance encounter with an old Romani woman. Driving through town, Billy accidentally hits her...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Shining
    The Shining by Stephen King is a spine-chilling masterpiece that delves into the horrifying and supernatural. The story revolves around the Torrance family: Jack, Wendy, and their five-year-old son, Danny, who possesses an extraordinary psychic ability, referred to by the hotel's cook, Mr Hallorann, as "shining". This gift allows Danny to see the horrific past and foreboding future of the...
    Paperback
    $2999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    11% off
    The Arachnid (The Poisoner #2)
    Paperback
    $3400
    Elsewhere:
    $4500
    In Stock
    Ships today

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.