Tides of War - by Steven Pressfield (Paperback)

About the Book

The fate of the ancient world hangs in the balance in an epic new novel of historical richness and heartbreaking humanity from the author of the bestselling "Gates of Fire".

Book Synopsis

The Peloponnesian War, one of history's most pivotal conflicts, comes to vibrant life in this "unabashedly brilliant, epic, intelligent, and moving" (Kirkus Reviews) novel from the bestselling author of Gates of Fire.

"Pressfield's battlefield scenes rank with the most convincing ever written."--USA Today

Brilliant at war, a master of politics, and a charismatic lover, Alcibiades was Athens' favorite son and the city's greatest general.

A prodigal follower of Socrates, he embodied both the best and the worst of the Golden Age of Greece. A commander on both land and sea, he led his armies to victory after victory.

But like the heroes in a great Greek tragedy, he was a victim of his own pride, arrogance, excess, and ambition. Accused of crimes against the state, he was banished from his beloved Athens, only to take up arms in the service of his former enemies.

For nearly three decades, Greece burned with war and Alcibiades helped bring victories to both sides--and ended up trusted by neither.

Narrated from death row by Alcibiades' bodyguard and assassin, a man whose own love and loathing for his former commander mirrors the mixed emotions felt by all Athens, Tides of War is an epic saga of an extraordinary century, a war that changed history, and a complex leader who seduced a nation.

Review Quotes

"Pressfield's battlefield scenes rank with the most convincing ever written."--USA Today

"Pressfield serves up not just hair-raising battle scenes . . . but many moments of valor and cowardice, lust and bawdy humor. . . . Even more impressively, he delivers a nuanced portrait of ancient Athens."--Esquire

"Unabashedly brilliant, epic, intelligent, and moving."--Kirkus Reviews

"Pressfield's attention to historic detail is exquisite. . . . This novel will remain with the reader long after the final chapter is finished."--Library Journal

"[An] astounding, historically accurate tale . . . Pressfield is a master storyteller, especially adept in his graphic and embracing descriptions of the land and naval battles, political intrigues and colorful personalities, which come together in an intense and credible portrait of war-torn Greece."--Publishers Weekly

"On every page are color, splendor, sorrow, the unforgiving details of battle, daily life, and of the fighter's lot. . . . Pressfield produces an even greater spectacle--and, in its honest, incremental way, an even greater heart-tugger, than in his acclaimed tale of the battle of Thermopylae, Gates of Fire."--Kirkus Reviews

"[Pressfield] continues to excel in depth of research, humanization of antiquity, and power of description."--Los Angeles Times

"While Pressfield excels at portraying battles and naval contests, the whole pivotal era leaps to life under his skilled and exciting pen."--Booknews

"It's a painful tale to read, but the very pain is testimony to Pressfield's ability to make us feel and believe in his re-creation of the Greek world. Like all great historical fiction, he does not alter the facts, but merely illuminates them with enlightened speculation. Pressfield ends his story with a reminder that his story is fiction, not history. It's a necessary reminder. After living in his world for 400 pages, it's difficult to believe it's not the real thing."--The Herald-Sun

About the Author

Steven Pressfield is author of the international bestseller Gates of Fire, an epic novel of the battle of Thermopylae, and The Legend of Bagger Vance. He lives in Los Angeles.