About the book
Set at Thermopylae, the mountain pass in northern Greece where three hundred Spartans faced the invading Persian army, Steven Pressfield's novel is narrated by Xeones, a squire who survives the battle gravely wounded. Held captive, he dictates his story to the Persian king Xerxes, whose court historian writes it down. Through Xeones the novel explores Spartan society and the agoge, the training every Spartan boy must complete, and follows figures such as King Leonidas and the officer Dienekes. Pressfield's battle scenes center on the phalanx and Spartan discipline. Published in 1998, the novel has appeared on reading lists of the U.S. Army Chief of Staff and the Commandant of the Marine Corps.
Andrew Huberman, after saying he loves The War of Art and Do the Work, added it as one more Pressfield book and called them all awesome. James Mattis included it on his list in an appendix to Call Sign Chaos.
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This book has 3 recommendations
Xi-Wei Yeo (Director/Living Theories)
I wasn’t the most confident of youths, I think. I was never bold enough to be a trend-setter, but always too concerned about what others thought of me to be comfortable in my own skin. Because of this I was lost, drifting from path to path. Then I read Gates of Fire, by Steven Pressfield, which was a historical fiction about the Battle of Thermopylae. I know it sounds a little silly now, but reading about the Spartan code changed me. It wasn’t about how brave you looked or seemed, but truly about knowing yourself and being proud of who you are. I learned to believe in myself more since then, and seize opportunities that I believed in, and not just what others wanted for me.
I don't know which book to recommend most, but I love "The War of Art." I love "Do the Work." I mean, there are so many, so I won't ask you... To add just one other, "Gates of Fire." They're all awesome.
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Xi-Wei Yeo, Andrew Huberman, James Mattis