Product Description

In 480 B.C., Xerxes I, king of the Persian Empire, led a vast and uncountable army intent on the domination of Europe. Only a tiny collection of Greek city-states stood in his path. At Thermopylae the Persians annihilated a small holding force commanded by King Leonidas of Sparta, then quickly marched on to Athens, reducing the city to ruins. Outnumbered and beset by treachery, Sparta, Athens and their allies gathered near the town of Plataea for one final battle. The future of Western civilisation hung on the outcome. In Kithairon’s Shadow is the story of five men from ancient Greece and the parts they would play in determining their future, and ours.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #69670 in Books
• Published on: 2003-12-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 242 pages

Midwest Book Review March 2004
... a gripping and deftly written narrative. Enthusiastically recommended... an exciting saga of blood, cunning tactics, and the few who dared...

Customer Reviews

Well Worth Taking the Time to Read
Novels about Ancient Greece are not exactly falling off the bookshelves into the laps of prospective reader's, so whenever I find one I usually snap it up as Ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt are among my favourite reading material. The author Jon Martin is the advisory editor of the magazine Sparta. This is a journal of Ancient Spartan and Greek history. Such a position leaves little doubt of his love and knowledge of the subject he writes about. He has travelled to many areas of Greece with the sole intent of adding as much authenticity to his novels as possible.

The book is certainly not lightweight, in fact its historical content is so accurate that it is required reading as part of the Honours History curriculum at a major university in the United States. This is not said to put people off the book, quite the reverse. it is a meaty book that should be read by anyone who has a love of history and general and Greek history in particular. it is not a book that uses Ancient Greece as a glamorous backdrop for a throw away story from the author's imagination. This is about real people and real events that too place in history.

If you liked Steven Pressfield's Gates of Fire, or the Virtues of War you will almost certainly like this book too.

An excellent read
I have read all three of Jon Edward Martin's books and they are all excellent. The characters are rich and believable. The settings and scenes are well researched and described and there is plenty of action both military and political. The auther has obviously got a good knowledge of the era and culture of the time and uses this well to create stories that, for me and my friends, can't be put down.