Without a doubt, one of the greatest tales of heroism and a decisive event in world history has to be the fight to the death of Leonidas and the 300 Spartans against the overwhelming forces of the Persians at Thermopylae. This event saved the future of Greece and the classical age of civilization. One can only wonder how things would have been had this battle not occurred. Besides, it made for a great tale and was recently put to film, albeit somewhat modified, as 'The 300'.

Number 188 in Osprey's 'Campaign' series, this edition covers all the salient features that we have come to expect in this series. There is the origins of the campaign where the cultures of Greece and Persia are examined as are the lives of Leonidas and Xerxes. The make-up of the armies of Greece and Persia are then covered in considerable detail, as each had specific strengths and weaknesses. When I mention Greece, one has to consider that this was not a unified country at all, and so much of the text is on the Spartans. While the Greeks spent much time fighting each other, they did band together in a somewhat loose federation against the Persians.

The opposing plans are then looked into; the Persians on how they are to conquer the Greek states and the Greeks on their defense. Then there is a section on the naval battle at Artemision, a preamble to the coming land campaign. Then there is the meat of the book, the actual battles at Thermopylae. This was an event that covered several days and each is dealt with separately. Of course, it is sometimes difficult to separate out actual historical events from the legend, but the author does a superlative job of weighing all the facts and figures from historical records. The final section is on the aftermath of the battle and how it affected later history. This leads into what the battlefield is like today.

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.

November 2007

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