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Thermopylae 480 BC: Last stand of the 300 (Campaign, 188) Paperback – November 20, 2007

by Nic Fields (Author), Steve Noon (Illustrator)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 58 ratings
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Osprey's study of the most epic battles of the Greco-Persian Wars (502-449 BC). Thermopylae resonates throughout history as a battle involving extreme courage and sacrifice. It was in this rocky pass in northern Greece that Leonidas, king of the Spartans and commander-in-chief of the Greek force, delayed the Persian hordes for three days against overwhelming odds. Finally overcome by treachery, the remaining Spartans refused to retreat in the face of inevitable defeat, being slaughtered by the elite Persian 'Immortals' down to the last man. Nic Fields vividly describes the battle for the narrow gateway to southern Greece as the combined Greek forces held off the army of Xerxes and Leonidas's sacrifice bought time for the retreat and tactical and political regrouping that would save Greece. Full color artwork, detailed maps and dramatic battle scenes complement clear and authoritative text to provide an in-depth analysis of one of the most famous acts of sheer courage and defiance in the face of overwhelming odds in history.

Related Titles
978 1 84176 000 1 CAM 108 Marathon 490 BC
978 1 85532 659 0 ELI 66 The Spartan Army
978 1 84176 358 3 ESS 36 The Greek and Persian Wars 499-386 BC

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Previous page
  1. Part of series
    Campaign
  2. Print length
    96 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Osprey Publishing
  5. Publication date
    November 20, 2007
  6. Dimensions
    7.22 x 0.22 x 9.66 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    184176180X
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1841761800
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“As usual, there are superb images of artifacts from the time, the battlefield as it is today, and the excellent illustrations of artist Steve Noon. Overall, a truly exemplary book on what has to be one of the turning events of history. It is a book that is a must read for anyone who has an interest in history.” ―Scott Van Aken, modelingmadness.com (November 2007)

About the Author

Dr Nic Fields started his career as a biochemist before joining the Royal Marines. Having left the military, he went back to university and completed a BA and PhD in Ancient History at the University of Newcastle. He was Assistant Director at the British School in Athens, Greece, and then a lecturer in Ancient History at the University of Edinburgh. Nic is now a freelance author and researcher based in south-west France.

Steve Noon was born in Kent, UK, and attended art college in Cornwall. He's had a life-long passion for illustration, and since 1985 has worked as a professional artist. He has provided award-winning illustrations for the publishers Dorling Kindersley, where his interest in historical illustration began. Steve has illustrated over 70 books for Osprey.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Osprey Publishing; Illustrated edition (November 20, 2007)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 96 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 184176180X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1841761800
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.1 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.22 x 0.22 x 9.66 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 58 ratings

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Nic Fields

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
58 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Kevin Nazario Bartolomei
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow, this is a lot of info in just over 90 pages. Excellent.
Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2010
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This book is quite a bargain, for a volume so relatively small is packed with a lot of details, photos, maps and ilustrations, You will get an excellent overview of the battle in a very simple but detailed writing style. I have many other(and more expensive) books on the subject but this one is a nice addition without a doubt.Recommended.
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Marco Antonio Abarca
4.0 out of 5 stars Nice Supplement to Pressfield's "Gates of Fire"
Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2009
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I recently finished Steven Pressfield's novel "Gates of Fire" and I wanted to know how closely his book tracked to what really happened at Thermopylae. Osprey's Campaign Series books are relatively inexpensive and are easy read. But with Osprey Publishing you never really know what you are going to get. They range in quality from beautifully written summaries prepared by a world class expert to the most painfully written accounts prepared by amateur enthusiasts.

Fortunately, the author Nic Fields has a doctorate in Ancient History and has a good command of the original Greek sources. The book is generally well written and his photos of the current battlefield are especially informative. While the maps are well prepared, the illustrations by Steve Noon are not up to the usually high quality that one expects with a Osprey publication. The only other short coming is that Nic Field's narrative tends to wander at times and he could have used the assistance of a good editor. All in all, it was an enjoyable book and a nice supplement to Pressfield's "Gates of Fire".
3 people found this helpful
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Jens Haerter
5.0 out of 5 stars Rocked My World
Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2014
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Better than expected with lots of historical data building up to the climactic battle. The author is so clearly engrossed in the story that he has personally traveled to the sites mentioned in Greece, and offers his own photos of same. Beautifully illustrated. Even my 8 year old was drawn to it, which has helped to initiate him into this memorable 3 days in history. Well written and presented in every way.
One person found this helpful
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M. Anderson
5.0 out of 5 stars A gem of a book, a careful and thorough guide to the battle
Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2015
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Wonderful book with pictures of the modern setting, excellent paintings recreating the battle, maps, battle strategies for both sides, and information about the artifacts that inform our understanding of this amazing moment in Western history. The author and the illustrator are the best in the business. Anyone reading other books about Thermopylae will find this a perfect companion guide.
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James Morrin
4.0 out of 5 stars Vexila?, icon or logos as expressed on coins of the time.
Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2013
Verified Purchase
Hi Steven Noon

Do you think all of the Persian soldiers wore Yellow hoods or burnoose as a kind of uniform?
Is there a surviving detailed order of battle, or army list, like Demostanese wrote for the battle of Cunaxa (in Iraq, maybe kind near Bagdad airport), in 401B.C.

Next time I would like to see a list like the following.

Hellen Allied Army

Contingent Picture of logo. Unit Size
Athenians. Owl. X,OOO
Spartans. Lamba. X,OOO
Thebes. Coins say club of Hercules. X,OOO
Teagans. Coins---> X,OOO
Corinthians. Coins---->
Thespians Coins----->
ect.

Sincerely

James Morrin
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Mike Dillemuth
3.0 out of 5 stars Pretty Good Overview of Ancient Greek Warfare
Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2010
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All in all, Nic Fields, does a good job of describing this battle. The first two thirds of the book are focused on ancient Persian and Greek civilizations. The author describes the respective cultures, armies, and weapons of both adversaries. His research is thorough and he provides an excellent overview of how ancient battles were fought.

Unfortunately, less than a third of the book deals with the battle itself. That said, the author does succeed in painting a clear picture of the three day campaign. The narrative is supported by three 3D birds' eye view maps and full color prints. By using the text and maps in combination, the author is able to provide a sequence of events that is easy to understand.

Of note is that the book also covers the naval battle of Artemision. This was a significant engagement that coincided with the action at Thermopylae. The author did a great job of fitting the essential elements of this battle into the small amount of space available.

One disturbing aspect is the author's tendency to constantly cite ancient references in the middle of sentences. Copied below is a typical example.

...and no one in antiquity ever doubted such religious scruples (Thucydides5054, Plato laws698e, Xenophon Hellenika 4.7.2). And so it was that the Spartans.....

The author constantly breaks the reader's train of thought by citing these references. He should have simply used footnotes or endnotes.

As with all Osprey publications, this book is full of maps and photos. The maps are clear and the photos applicable to the text. All in all, this is a good book on ancient Greek warfare. The weaknesses lie in the disjointed writing style and lack of detail on the battle itself. Nevertheless, the reader will still gain a clear understanding of the battle.
One person found this helpful
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Michael Charbonet
5.0 out of 5 stars PLEASANT SURPRISE
Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2008
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Nic Fields has reduced the Thermopylae battle to the shortest, most well-written and concise version that exists today. After the 2007 "movie", which introduced Thermopylae to the US and UK public, (I say introduced, as most people I spoke to, who saw the movie, were so uninformed that they were unaware it was based on a real event. SAD).Fields, to his great credit, does not bind himself to the traditional sources or re-writes as found in recent publications. He takes the material available, reduces it to a readable and entertaining story, giving a overview of what probably happened in the best fashion available. In essence, this is a stand-alone version of Leonidas' sacrifice, which should be a lesson for today. Sadly, we live in a society raised on the belief that self-sacrifice is for someone else. Fields' short book cannot be added to, because in the end, he tells us all that is known, and in splendid fashion.
18 people found this helpful
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m ziemann
5.0 out of 5 stars Thermopylae
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2013
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Thermopylae ranks up there with the Alamo and the French Foreign Legion in Mexico for last stands. If you had to go those would not been bad places to do so. How's that for an opening! Seriously this book gives the reader a more specfic look at this battle than any movie could ever do so. Text is good, illustrations also very good. If you like Spartan history you will enjoy this book.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Davide
4.0 out of 5 stars The realistic ''Last standof the 300''
Reviewed in Germany on April 5, 2021
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The book gives a good context of the situation that led to the last standoff the 300. It also sheds some light on the reality vs myth which does not disappoint the reader's view of the legendary battle.
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Pilou
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best written books in the series
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 10, 2008
Verified Purchase
Nic Fields ought to be congratulated for this book. I started reading it and simply could not put it down, it reads almost as well as a novel. The key fact that he challenges some of the acquired notions about this battle makes this a fascinating read: the Persians were far from being Barbarians, they were not a poorly equipped and poorly trained fighting force and most importantly the Spartans were not the only Greek contingent fighting this battle.
5 people found this helpful
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Peter Wagner
4.0 out of 5 stars Viele gute Fakten zu der berühmtesten griechischen Schlacht der Antike neben Marathon und Issos
Reviewed in Germany on July 31, 2015
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Zwar steht auch im Untertitel 'Last stand of the 300', aber zwischenzeitlich dürfte jedem klar sein, daß die Heroisierung der 300 Spartaner um Leonidas eine geschichtliche Ente ist. Das Buch räumt mit dieser 'Falschmeldung' gründlich und detailliert auf, gibt Einblicke in die Tat der 'Opferung', die keineswegs heroisch war sondern eine militärstrategische Überlegung. Übersichtliche 3-D Karten über die 3 Tage der Schlacht sowie weitere Infos zu der parallel verlaufenden Seeschlacht von Artemision oder die Pläne der Opponenten runden das Buch ab. Ein weiteres - in leicht verständlich geschriebenen Englisch - gutes Buch der Osprey Campaign Serie.
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Smithy
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent "first stop" for the Battle of Thermopylae
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 26, 2015
Verified Purchase
This is a terrific concise look at the famous Battle of Thermopylae. It contains background information on the combatants and the situation which led to the battle, as well as the battle itself. As with many Osprey titles this is filled with photographs of archaeological pieces, illustrations and maps which perfectly accompany and reinforce the text. This is an excellent book on this most famous of battles and would be a perfect introduction for any reader to the Battle of Thermopylae.
One person found this helpful
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Michael Oulton
5.0 out of 5 stars comprehensive
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 14, 2019
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short but good
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