'Gates of Fire' - paperback version

Of all the covers of the Steven Pressfield book 'Gates of Fire' that I own, this one is my favorite. The Spartan warrior seen looking over his shield as depicted on this paperback's cover would have been almost completely enveloped in armor during the Battle of Thermopylae. Together with his fellow hoplite's shield covering his right side and his own shield covering his left side, the seemingly impenetrable phalanx formation that the Spartans were part of would have presented a fearsome sight to the advancing Persian army.

One of the reasons that I admire this book is because not only was S.P. able to present what the battle of Thermopylae must have been like, he was able to convey the myriad of emotions on the part of the combatants such as courage, desperation, fear, futility, etc. This book in my opinion is the standard which other books about the battle of the Thermopylae will be measured against.