Thermopylae

By: Paul Cartledge

Narrated by: John Lee

In 480 B.C., a huge Persian army, led by the inimitable King Xerxes, entered the mountain pass of Thermopylae to march on Greece, intending to conquer the land with little difficulty. But the Greeks, led by King Leonidas and a small army of Spartans, took the battle to the Persians at Thermopylae and halted their advance - almost. It is one of history's most acclaimed battles, one of civilization's greatest last stands.

Renowned classical historian Paul Cartledge looks anew at this history-altering moment and shows how its repercussions affect us even today. The invasion of Europe by Xerxes and his army redefined culture, kingdom, and class. The valiant efforts of the Greek warriors, facing a huge onrushing Persian army at the narrow pass at Thermopylae, changed the way future generations would think about combat, courage, and death.

©2006 Paul Cartledge (P)2007 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

"An outstanding retelling of one of the seminal events in world history." ( Booklist)

I really liked it

Good read, really liked it, recommend. 15 word minimum, don’t know why it matters but here it is.

GO SPARTANS

Not what I expected, but an interesting "read" that provides insight into the broader issues surrounding this infamous battle.

Paul Cartledge excels with another illuminating commentary

Yes, I am a fan of Paul Cartledge as he provides another excellent commentary, on the events leading up to Thermopylae, the battle, the Hellenic cultural and political aftermath, and the Spartan mores specifically. This is an engaging and illuminating Spartan-centric book, clearly written, and very useful in studying them and their heroic battle. John Lee even does an admirable job (I have to admit since I am not a fan) narrating.

That was it?

I would have liked more detail about the Spartans and the battle. What was with that petty shot at Bush at the end. unworthy.

very professorial presentation

great read for history buffs. upsets a few long-held assumptions about ancient greeks and Sparta.

Excellent Reading!

This is interesting to learn about if you enjoyed the movie "300". The voice artist used is brilliant, sounds like Sean Connery, so even though this is a long listen, the voice makes it a pleasure

Requires full attention

I really enjoyed this book, as well as the companion "The Spartans" by the same author. The narration was great and I was fascinated by the subject matter. However, this is history, and not the 'play in your car on the way to the grocery store' kind of history, either. It's far too dense for that. This is more of the 'listen with headphones and no distractions' variety of audiobook.

Thermopylae

I agree with Paul. This six hour audio book had about three minutes dedicated to Thermopylae. Good book, great history, but Thermopylae?

poorly named

I tried being patient with the book because I am really interested in the story of Thermopylae. But, after painfully listening to this pompous author drone on and on about everything but, I surrendered and quit listening at about the mid point.

A great battle not well retold

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

I would have liked more detail of this battle as the great heroic event that it was rather than the description of various incidental Greek figures who were not key to the battle itself. It was more of a recitation of political events rather than a tale of perhaps the greatest heroic triumph and self-sacrifice. In short, it was disappointing.

Has Thermopylae turned you off from other books in this genre?

No it has not.

What three words best describe John Lee’s voice?

Authoritative

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

There was some discussion of the battle and the heroic nature of the battle but not not nearly enough.