This beautifully written novel is highly informative about life in Sparta, warrior city, the biggest battle of antiquity and its charismatic leader. The intensity of the training and the harsh rules of life spartan surprised, even frightened, by their rigidity. This life hardness is imposed throughout the novel explained by different Spartan to others through violent scenes of punishment, so that the reader understand why and for what purpose it was so. Even if the player has Greek and Roman mind, it will be difficult to envy these lives and these laws, but they command respect. The novel begins 10 years before Thermopylae and ends with the defeat of the Persians at Plataea, a year after the Thermopylae. Although 4 Persian wars are processed, "The walls of fire" focuses on the life of the Spartan and the Battle of Thermopylae. The description of the battle precisely, is a highlight of the author. After the first day at Thermopylae, I wondered how the author was going as hard for two days and three. This was done, describing the carnage were Thermopylae is impressive. It transcribes almost (I say almost because I read better with "The Battle" Patrick Rambaud) to perfection war: chaos, blood, slaughter, the state of moral and dress required soldiers Spartan superiority, speeches of their chief (hallucinatory realism and bravery), exhaustion, fear and courage. Let us come to the leader, Leonidas commands respect. Man respected and loved his family, he is the undisputed leader in the front line. It is warlord, priest and tribune, This is the real hero, or rather the hero among heroes. His wartime speeches to motivate his troops are admirable narrowly when the desired impact. The least of his actions are wise, thoughtful and impressive. This novel gives the impression of being alongside a myth and this was indeed the case as among the ancient heroes. Leonidas actually thought that this sacrifice at Thermopylae was the first building block of the victory by the future Greek alliance. First stone will be that of facial expression and the dignity of women who lost their husbands and son. Thus some of the 300 Spartans were chosen by the courage of their women in the trial of the loss of a loved one. This book is a novel, but it should not be very far away, in my opinion, of what actually happened at Thermopylae (or the life and training of the Spartans). The facts are there: from the start it was a sacrifice, the numbers of deaths are there too, and citations attest to the determination of the vanquished (like "Come take the" Leonidas meets the Xerces orders to file the shields, the morning of the third and final day). This book is very well written is terribly addictive. The reader whose mind is Greek, and Roman, but others too, will no longer release the book. A final word on the film 300, which in my opinion is more than acceptable. Okay it is drawn from a database so it pays into the supernatural with creatures from the beyond and it pleases or not, but the pagan spirit is there: body worship, worship of beauty and aesthetics coprs and fighting, man's will to enter the legend by great epic, hero worship and the Emperor. Thus, in my opinion, produced by Hollywood movies do not reflect that bad paganism, so that these products are not devoid of interest, like the movie "Troy" with Brad Pitt: the pagan spirit fairly well transcribed.
