In 480 BCE, Persian king Xerxes led a massive invasion of Greece. A critical point in this invasion was the battle for the pass at Thermopylae ("Hot Gates" in Greek). Xerxes had amassed one of the largest armies yet known to man, while Leonidas's troops were a small fraction of the Persian horde. Despite the overwhelming odds, Leonidas and his men stood their ground for three days in a historic display of patriotism and courage. In Thermopylae: Battle for the West, acclaimed author Ernle Bradford covers the entire era of the invasion, from the foundation of the Persian empire to the accession of Darius, all the way to the final, bloody battles

Mode of access: World Wide Web