Tides of War : A Novel of Alcibiades and the Peloponnesian War Books

Pros: Fascinating historical narrative that magically compels your mind to the era
Cons: The tale is virtually unknown to the majority of people today

What is the best compliment a reader can pay an author? Well, in my case it is a simple gesture. Paying full price for the hardback copy of a novel. No discount whatsoever. I don't do it often, but occasionally an author's skill captivates me to such...

Pros: I can not think of any
Cons: Poor writing, lousy dialogue, major inconsistencies, unlikable characters

The second most interesting thing about this book is that the publisher has the audacity and money, combined with sufficient contempt its customers, to make it a literary success. Tides of War is a poorly written novelization of the famous war fought in...

Pros: A gripping and fascinating plot, with two brilliantly realized main characters.
Cons: A slow start and a certain difficulty in telling historical fact from the author's imagination.

I consider Tides of War by Steven Pressfield to be one of the finest books I've ever read. It has the same virtues and drawbacks as his earlier novel about ancient Greek history, Gates of Fire, and the urge to compare the two is overwhelming. Both...

Pros: An unrivalled description of the reality of combat
Cons: Editing could have been tighter

Steven Pressfield follows the critically acclaimed ‘Gates of Fire’ with a sequel of sorts, another work of historical faction that follows the adventures of Alcibiades, a man who was unrivalled as a warrior, politician and lover and lived during the...