The Best Book I've Ever Read
I Mean It This Time. The Deep End #25
It’s about time I told you that I’ve been in mourning. Ever since yesterday, to be exact. The reason for this deep sorrow is not over the loss of a life, but from the reading of a book. The book in question: Gates of Fires by Steven Pressfield.
It’s by far the best book I’ve ever read, which usually isn’t saying much. If I’ve read a book, there’s a good chance I claimed it to be the best thing I’ve ever read. BUT, this time, I believe I really mean it.
It’s a work of historical fiction about the Battle of Thermopylae—the famous battle of the 300 Spartans who defended their country to the death against the attack under the Persian king, Xerxes. This battle has been in the mainstream since 2006 when Zack Snyder’s film 300 was released. 300 was based on a graphic novel of the same name by Frank Miller that was released in 1998—the same year Gates of Fire came out. I guess The Muse really wanted the battle to be retold that year. Although Gates of Fire hasn’t had as much commercial success as 300, it’s by far the better of the two. Trust me on that one, bro.
Pressfield’s storytelling was incredible. As soon as the book starts, you learn of the Spartan defeat—the battle was a suicide mission from the outset. It is a triumph to immediately reveal everything that will happen while still absolutely wrenching the reader’s gut with each turn of the page. The tale of the Spartans as told by the narrator Xeones was so vivid, it was a constant surprise to see an American name at the top of the pages that were detailing the story of Leonidas, Dienekes, Alexandros, and others. I couldn’t put it down until the final heartache-inducing end.
I’ve gone on record before stating Steven Pressfield’s genius. This book is the most clear example of the genius penned by his hand. My first introduction to him was from The War of Art, which is the book we plan on discussing for this week’s Thinking Man Book Club post. The book helped me achieve my dreams. The Muse, which is his version of Julia Cameron’s “Great Creator”, or God, or the Universe, or whatever YOU want to call it, has told me what to do every step of the way of my journey through life since I decided I wanted to pursue writing again—and it hasn’t been proven wrong yet.
Since reading The War of Art, I’ve said that Pressfield was born to write that book. I was wrong. He was born to write Gates of Fire. Don’t get me wrong, The War of Art is amazing. Its small contents are packed with more life lessons and spiritual revelations than anything else of its kind. For years I thought it was his magnum opus, a work that will stand the test of time and keep Pressfield’s name in ink until time immemorial, and that’s still probably true.
After reading a book I like, I usually look up all there is to know about the author, trying to get an idea of who is behind words I read. Once I finished The War of Art, I was surprised to see that Pressfield’s body of work consisted mainly of historical fiction novels—which are not my thing. I shrugged and went about my life, praising Pressfield while never giving any of his other books a chance.
Last year he released his memoir, Govt Cheese. After sitting on my shelf for a year, I finally picked it up in December and was promptly floored by the journey Pressfield endured in order to follow his dream of becoming a writer. The book followed him from his mid-twenties up to the publishing of his first book The Legend of Bagger Vance at the age of 52. In the time between he supported himself as a trucker, oilfield roustabout, apple picker, and screenwriter—the last gig saw him achieve his first taste of success as co-screenwriter of King Kong Lives, admittedly not his best work. During this time, he wrote more than ten novels, never finding a buyer for any of them.
Govt Cheese led me to one of his newer fiction novels, The Knowledge, an action-packed thriller recounting his time as a cab driver in New York City in the 1970s. It was a lot of fun, and I finished it a few days after picking it up. “So, his books are actually fun to read!” I presumably told myself, “Too bad the rest of them are works of historical fiction—plus the one that became a movie starring Will Smith. Yeah, no thanks.”
Eventually I caved and read The Legend of Bagger Vance. I was shocked. It was amazing, you should read it. My shock was from the fact that I had just read The War of Art as a work of fiction. Hidden inside what appeared to be a book about golf was every single lesson and spiritual teaching from The War of Art—only better. This book, released in 1995, predates The War of Art by seven years. It made sense. Pressfield wrote The War of Art as a quickie to get everyone who wasn’t down to read and dissect his novels to still be able to get the life changing ideas behind the books. I mentally tipped my cap to him and once again ended my reading of all-things Pressfield. Or so I thought.
If I like something, I shove it down everyone’s throats until they’re at the point of suffocation—just like you are as you read this! Outside of Melissa, I only have one friend who reads, and unlike me, this friend loves historical fiction. Once I got
within earshot, I started my barrage of Pressfield-worship. I told him how great this guy was a hundred times in about a minute, once he tapped me on the shoulder and told me to calm down, I took a deep breath and resumed talking about him in a slower, more relaxed pace.Dan ended up looking into Stevie Boy’s body of work and told me Gates of Fire seemed right up his alley. I had a copy of it at home that I had never read, happy to clear up space on my crammed bookshelf, and gave it to him. Dan quickly finished the book and told me how great it was. “Like a top three book, bro.” I was happy to hear that I converted another unsuspecting victim into the cult of Pressfield but told him he’d be on his own. I just couldn’t read historical fiction, especially one based on a battle.
“But it’s not even about that. It’s about life, it’s about being a man,” he said.
Hey, I like being a man! I thought. Finally my mind was changed. I mean, this was Steven Pressfield after all, it had to be decent, right?
Gates of Fire is not decent, it’s not good, it’s not great.
IT’S A F*CKING MASTERPIECE.
I read the last 300 pages in the span of 2 days. The whole book spun before my eyes playing out like a movie in my mind. Once I read the last page and shut the book I was stupefied. I didn’t know what else to do. I lit a freaking candle in its honor for god’s sake.
Like The Legend of Bagger Vance, behind the veil of this story are the same lessons one could read in easily digestible form via The War of Art. I read yesterday that after Gates of Fire was released in 1998 George Clooney’s production company acquired the rights to turn it into a film. Production ended up stalling and once 300 came out the film adaptation was finally scrapped. Who knows what might have been had this film been made. If it was released before The War of Art was written would it have ever seen the light of day? Maybe not. I’m positive Gates of Fire as a film would be an Academy Award-winning blockbuster. If it would have happened in the early 2000s it would have launched Pressfield’s career into an entirely different direction. Instead, his path has led him on the road of praised historical novelist, and changer of lives.
With the odds stacked against him in the almost thirty years of trying to get a novel published, Pressfield could have quit any number of times. He didn’t, and because of that we all get to reap the benefits of his willpower to succeed. I’d like to thank him for that one day.
Anyway. I don’t really know what else to say. Gates of Fire is amazing. Go read it. Bye.
Let me know if there’s any books that changed your life in the comments!
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You've convinced me, John—I might take your advice and read this one.
The war of art has been on my list for years, idk how many times I’ve heard Joe talk about it on his show. My reading time is almost non-existent these days though. Farm chores, work (for money), wife, kids, dogs, all good stuff, yet all things that keep me running…….love the write up. I’ll def add it to my list for when I slow down.