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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
Although one of my favourite authors and subject matters (Ancient Greece) this just did not hit it for me 🥲
adventurous
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Historical fiction is definitely my favourite genre, and I’ve really enjoyed other series by Conn Iggulden. Needless to say I was excited to see a new series of his come out!
I found it took me a bit longer to get into the book compared to other series of his. The book begins with battle of Marathon, and I found it went on a bit too long for my liking, and then it wasn’t until further into the book that I really got invested in the characters.
All that said, once I did get further into the story, I loved it. I found it captivating, the individuals we follow to be complex but also true to their defining characteristics. The second battle and the build up to it, contrary to the first battle covered, was definitely when I found myself most engaged. You feel the tension, the camaraderie, the heartbreak, and the strength of sheer will. It leaves you immediately wanting to pick up the next book im the series which I’m thankful to find is already out!
One minor thing though which drove me mad is the mention of Aeschylus on the back of the book, which is a name I recognize so I kept waiting to see where he enters and fits into the story…only to get to the end and find his name in one sentence of the historical notes.
All in all I’m excited to continue reading this series to see how it all plays out and follow the lives of these individuals through it all.
I found it took me a bit longer to get into the book compared to other series of his. The book begins with battle of Marathon, and I found it went on a bit too long for my liking, and then it wasn’t until further into the book that I really got invested in the characters.
All that said, once I did get further into the story, I loved it. I found it captivating, the individuals we follow to be complex but also true to their defining characteristics. The second battle and the build up to it, contrary to the first battle covered, was definitely when I found myself most engaged. You feel the tension, the camaraderie, the heartbreak, and the strength of sheer will. It leaves you immediately wanting to pick up the next book im the series which I’m thankful to find is already out!
One minor thing though which drove me mad is the mention of Aeschylus on the back of the book, which is a name I recognize so I kept waiting to see where he enters and fits into the story…only to get to the end and find his name in one sentence of the historical notes.
All in all I’m excited to continue reading this series to see how it all plays out and follow the lives of these individuals through it all.
I now have a YouTube channel that I run with my brother, called 'The Brothers Gwynne'. Check it out - The Brothers Gwynne
A magnificent historical sequence of events told through the mind of one of the greatest historical writers out there, and this numbers amongst his best works.
Conn Iggulden is one of my favourite authors because over the course of the many books I have read by him, I have never been disappointed. His first escapade into Ancient Greek history was The Falcon of Sparta, which was in my opinion a great, tense and engaging story, however overall did not hit the peak of his skill as a writer, in my opinion.
But wow, how amazing The Gates of Athens was. One of my favourite historical fiction books of all time. Actually, one of my favourite books of all time, regardless of genre. In this we experience the battle of Marathon, as well as Thermopalae, and much more, with Conn Iggulden somehow crafting magnificent characters in a subtle and understated manner that paid off so, so well.
“I send this shaft as my vow,” Xerxes heard his father murmur. “God, let me punish the Athenians as they deserve.”
Conn Iggulden works in a subtle, understated and patient way with simple and effective prose, which builds up to amazing moments, both small and large scale, wherein Conn Iggulden shocks you by showing how much you care about these characters, when before you did not realise the extent to which you are engaged in this tale, to my mind anyway. Themistocles, Xanthippus and Aristides are the three key perspectives, with the odd section with someone else, and these three central figures are very different, but all interact with each other, with these moments forming some of the best moments of the book. Fantastic characterisation that exceeds in my opinion what Iggulden accomplished even in his Conqueror series.
This is a period of history that I have always been interested in and fascinated by. It is a tale that has heroic acts, almost inconceivable victories and a story that allows for the exploration Hellenic culture. The Gates of Athens delivers on all accounts, stripping away the romanticism of battle, whilst still sharing the bravery and courage of individuals and showing how an idea or concept of something larger than yourself can motivate people to incredible acts.
“They will not let one man rise to rule, not without tearing him down. How long will you last, without me to stand on the other side of the scales? How long before they see you stand alone?”
Also, this is one of those rare books that made me cry. I made it to the very final page, and then Conn Iggulden delivered a low-blow. I was prepared for tragedy throughout, as I needed to be, but let my guard down. Anyone who has read this, I imagine you know what I mean! A low-blow, but a genius one at that. The last image is so beautifully tragic and moving.
Amazing plot progression and alteration of pace throughout, with a variety of historical figures, all whilst drip feeding historical information that was so interesting and educational whilst not detracting from the main focuses. Masterful.
5/5 STARS
A magnificent historical sequence of events told through the mind of one of the greatest historical writers out there, and this numbers amongst his best works.
Conn Iggulden is one of my favourite authors because over the course of the many books I have read by him, I have never been disappointed. His first escapade into Ancient Greek history was The Falcon of Sparta, which was in my opinion a great, tense and engaging story, however overall did not hit the peak of his skill as a writer, in my opinion.
But wow, how amazing The Gates of Athens was. One of my favourite historical fiction books of all time. Actually, one of my favourite books of all time, regardless of genre. In this we experience the battle of Marathon, as well as Thermopalae, and much more, with Conn Iggulden somehow crafting magnificent characters in a subtle and understated manner that paid off so, so well.
“I send this shaft as my vow,” Xerxes heard his father murmur. “God, let me punish the Athenians as they deserve.”
Conn Iggulden works in a subtle, understated and patient way with simple and effective prose, which builds up to amazing moments, both small and large scale, wherein Conn Iggulden shocks you by showing how much you care about these characters, when before you did not realise the extent to which you are engaged in this tale, to my mind anyway. Themistocles, Xanthippus and Aristides are the three key perspectives, with the odd section with someone else, and these three central figures are very different, but all interact with each other, with these moments forming some of the best moments of the book. Fantastic characterisation that exceeds in my opinion what Iggulden accomplished even in his Conqueror series.
This is a period of history that I have always been interested in and fascinated by. It is a tale that has heroic acts, almost inconceivable victories and a story that allows for the exploration Hellenic culture. The Gates of Athens delivers on all accounts, stripping away the romanticism of battle, whilst still sharing the bravery and courage of individuals and showing how an idea or concept of something larger than yourself can motivate people to incredible acts.
“They will not let one man rise to rule, not without tearing him down. How long will you last, without me to stand on the other side of the scales? How long before they see you stand alone?”
Also, this is one of those rare books that made me cry. I made it to the very final page, and then Conn Iggulden delivered a low-blow. I was prepared for tragedy throughout, as I needed to be, but let my guard down. Anyone who has read this, I imagine you know what I mean! A low-blow, but a genius one at that. The last image is so beautifully tragic and moving.
Amazing plot progression and alteration of pace throughout, with a variety of historical figures, all whilst drip feeding historical information that was so interesting and educational whilst not detracting from the main focuses. Masterful.
5/5 STARS
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Really liked this one, understated but exciting!
“Darius had come prepared for war, but found only ashes.”
“Male pride was a powerful thing to harness. The Spartans went even further, with each rank representing a year graduating from their training, so that young men stood behind the year ahead - and in front of those who looked up to them. They could not run. Shame was the other side of the same coin - and at least as powerful as pride.”
“The world changes. If you merely repaint and rebuild, the cracks will show eventually. You have seen ruins, my friend, of temples and gates. There are peoples gone before us, who would not change. Who did not have the ambition to stand up and say, "We will make a mark that will never be forgotten."”
“How much can any of us understand of other lives?”
“Bad tyrants always follow good ones. That much power over other men ... it does not bring out the best in us.”
“There was no going back. As the philosophers said, each choice led to another and another, but no one could ever see what might have been.”
“Time hung heavy on a man with no purpose. He had never understood before what a punishment too much time could be.”
“It is because the twenties are the most perilous years of a man's life. He is no longer a boy. He feels he is fully grown, that he can be a father and a husband, that he can argue with wit and wisdom and clarity. And he is both right and wrong. If he works hard and well, he will have all the qualities he wins for himself, all coming into glorious season. Yet he lacks the wisdom and experience to temper them.”
“Heroes were brought down by their own exhaustion.”
“Darius had come prepared for war, but found only ashes.”
“Male pride was a powerful thing to harness. The Spartans went even further, with each rank representing a year graduating from their training, so that young men stood behind the year ahead - and in front of those who looked up to them. They could not run. Shame was the other side of the same coin - and at least as powerful as pride.”
“The world changes. If you merely repaint and rebuild, the cracks will show eventually. You have seen ruins, my friend, of temples and gates. There are peoples gone before us, who would not change. Who did not have the ambition to stand up and say, "We will make a mark that will never be forgotten."”
“How much can any of us understand of other lives?”
“Bad tyrants always follow good ones. That much power over other men ... it does not bring out the best in us.”
“There was no going back. As the philosophers said, each choice led to another and another, but no one could ever see what might have been.”
“Time hung heavy on a man with no purpose. He had never understood before what a punishment too much time could be.”
“It is because the twenties are the most perilous years of a man's life. He is no longer a boy. He feels he is fully grown, that he can be a father and a husband, that he can argue with wit and wisdom and clarity. And he is both right and wrong. If he works hard and well, he will have all the qualities he wins for himself, all coming into glorious season. Yet he lacks the wisdom and experience to temper them.”
“Heroes were brought down by their own exhaustion.”
adventurous
medium-paced
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Conn Iggulden introduced me to the historical drama genre with series on Julius Caesar and Genghis Khan, names even every day person nowadays would recognize. This time he tackles the story of primarily Xanthippus and Themistocles.
Their names are not as legendary. Their battles are of some note. Battle of Thermopylae and Artemisium. They were memorialized with the 300 movies by Zach Snyder. When made I loved the moves dripping with heroes, blood and honor.
This book is more about honor of heroes. Not as much attention given to the battles ... rather it's more an ode to Athens and democracy. Fascinating stories by a fascinating author. I do look forward to reading the sequel.
Their names are not as legendary. Their battles are of some note. Battle of Thermopylae and Artemisium. They were memorialized with the 300 movies by Zach Snyder. When made I loved the moves dripping with heroes, blood and honor.
This book is more about honor of heroes. Not as much attention given to the battles ... rather it's more an ode to Athens and democracy. Fascinating stories by a fascinating author. I do look forward to reading the sequel.