Quantity:

More Buying Choices

36 used & new from �2.74

Have one to sell? Sell yours here

Thermopylae 480 BC: Last Stand of the 300 (Campaign): Leonidas' Last Stand (Paperback)

by Nic Fields (Author), Steve Noon (Illustrator) "The Persian empire was brought into existence suddenly by the victories of Kyros the Great (r. c. 550-530 BC) - almost as suddenly as it..." (more)

4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

RRP:	�13.99
Price:	�8.16 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save:	�5.83 (42%)
	o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Want guaranteed delivery by Thursday, February 11? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details

26 new from �6.56 10 used from �2.74

Frequently Bought Together

Total RRP: �36.99
Price For All Three: �24.21

Show availability and delivery details

This item: Thermopylae 480 BC: Last Stand of the 300 (Campaign): Leonidas' Last Stand by Nic Fields
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
The Spartan Army (Elite) by Nick Sekunda
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
The Ancient Greeks (Elite) by Nick Sekunda
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Spartan Army (Elite)

by Nick Sekunda

5.0 out of 5 stars (1) �8.66

Greek Hoplite, 480-323 BC: Weapons, Armour, Tactics (Warrior)

by Nick Sekunda

4.5 out of 5 stars (2)

Campaign 195: Syracuse 415-13 BC: Destruction of the Athenian Imperial Fleet (Campaign)

by Nic Fields

5.0 out of 5 stars (1) �9.15

Philippi 42 BC: The Death of the Roman Republic (Campaign)

by Si Sheppard

5.0 out of 5 stars (1) �8.36

Marathon 490 BC: The First Persian War (Osprey Campaign)

by Nicholas Sekunda

5.0 out of 5 stars (2) �13.99

› Explore similar items

Product details

Paperback: 96 pages
Publisher: Osprey Publishing (10 Nov 2007)
Language English
ISBN-10: 184176180X
ISBN-13: 978-1841761800
Product Dimensions: 24.6 x 18 x 1 cm

Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 145,069 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Product Description

An authoritative re-telling of one of the greatest tales of heroism of all time and a decisive moment for the history of the world, Leonidas and the 300 Spartans' fight to the death against overwhelming Persian forces preserved the future of Greece and the golden age of classical civilization. Nic Fields vividly describes the battle for the pass of Thermopylae as the combined Greek forces held off the army of Xerxes, buying time for a retreat which would save Greece. Lavishly illustrated and with full-colour artwork, detailed maps and dramatic battle scenes, this is an in-depth analysis of one of the most famous acts of resolute defence in the face of overwhelming odds.

Inside This Book (Learn More)

First Sentence
The Persian empire was brought into existence suddenly by the victories of Kyros the Great (r. c. 550-530 BC) - almost as suddenly as it was to be destroyed little more than two centuries later by the victories of Alexander the Great. Read the first page

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

(What's this?)

Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)

spartans

thermopylae

osprey books

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	73% buy the item featured on this page: Thermopylae 480 BC: Last Stand of the 300 (Campaign): Leonidas' Last Stand 4.7 out of 5 stars (3) �8.16
	11% buy Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae 4.9 out of 5 stars (97) �4.99
	7% buy The Battle of Thermopylae: A Campaign in Context 5.0 out of 5 stars (3) �8.75
	5% buy Thermopylae: The Battle for the West 4.0 out of 5 stars (7) �7.49

Explore similar items

Customer Reviews

3 Reviews

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.7 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very good book, respectful both of facts and of myths, 8 Feb 2008

By	Maciej K. "Darth Maciek" (Belgium) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

I really liked this Osprey Campaign book. This battle is so famous that we always tend to believe that we know all the facts about it - and of course we are wrong. I learned a lot from this book and maybe for the first time I really clearly understood what were the sources of superiority of Greek hoplits when facing huge Persian armies. Nic Fields explained very well his point, describing the fight between a close combat army (Greeks) against a distance combat army (Persians). It is clear that when the latter was forced to fight on ennemies terms, it would suffer greatly, even if at the end the numbers would make the decision. Important points are well described, like the poor performance of Greek troops covering the mountainous track, which failed to stop or even delay advancing "Immortals". Nic Fields claims also and proves, that Leonidas decision that the rearguard must stay and fight rather than escape, was tactically very sound and allowed most of the Greek army to retire and fight another day - namely in victorious and decisive battle of Plataea in 479...
This book is very clearly written and is a very easy and pleasant read. Illustrations are excellent, however, the colour plates are slightly less good that I expected. Steve Noon is possibly the most talented Osprey illustrator when modern wars are concerned - but here, in the ancient warfare he seems to be less comfortable. I do not know why, but all the books about Greek Persian wars seem to be victims of a curse affecting the illustrations (just remember the horrible Osprey Elite issue about armies of Ancient Persia!!). Here the three colour plates are not bad, but could definitely be better. Still, this doesn't affect my rating. Five stars, well deserved, and I will be looking forward for the next Nic Fields book - why not "Salamis 480 BC"?

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you?

Report this | Permalink

Comment Comment

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Brilliant Introduction to this Legendary Battle, 25 July 2008

By	D. Evans - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

In this short book, Nic Fields presents us with a look at the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC, the battle that delayed the Persian army and saved Greece.
Yet, there is more to this book than simply a description of this famous event. Fields covers the 'before, during, and after' stages of the battle, explaining to the reader the origins of the campaign as well as its conclusion with the defeat of Mardonios's army at Plataea in 479 BC.

He presents us with short biographies of the commanders of both sides, covering Leonidas of Sparta and the Great Persian king, Xerxes. He also explains to the reader the equipment and fighting techniques of the Greek and Persian armies, explaining how they differed and how this would ultimately be the deciding factor of the campaign.

With the background explained, as well as the Greek and Persian plans layed out, Fields then details the events of the battle. He is assisted by three wonderful 3D bird's eye-view maps that cover the differnt stages of the battle. These aren't as detailed as some of the maps contained in other Osprey Campaign titles, but that's more to do with the lack of notable sites on the battle terrain. Steve Noon provides three terrific colour plates, showing the Persian scout spying on the Spartans at rest while the other two plates show the Greeks and Persians in battle. These are generally very good, and the detail is crisp rather than the typically muddy illustrations that are usually thrown together for Osprey Campaign titles.

With plenty of maps, photographs of the modern battlefield and archaeological finds, as well as diagrams and a bibliography, this book should be the standard introduction to this legendary battle. That said, it shouldn't be the only book you read on the subject as there are other more in-depth and scholarly works available. If it had one fault, it is that only a few pages of the book actually cover the battle, but I suppose this is because of the lack of written sources beyond Herodotus's account.

I have to say that I found this book an eye opener. It dismisses some of the more bombastic statements made about the battle, explaining that it was far more than 300 Spartans who made tha last stand, as their helot servants, the Thespian Hoplites and the Thebans were all there with Leonidas on the last day as Xerxes troops surrounded them, even if the Thebans did surrender.

A good introductory title.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you?

Report this | Permalink

Comment Comments (2)

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best written books in the series, 10 Jan 2008

By	Pilou "Pilou" (France) - See all my reviews

Nic Fields ought to be congratulated for this book. I started reading it and simply could not put it down, it reads almost as well as a novel. The key fact that he challenges some of the acquired notions about this battle makes this a fascinating read: the Persians were far from being Barbarians, they were not a poorly equipped and poorly trained fighting force and most importantly the Spartans were not the only Greek contingent fighting this battle.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you?

Report this | Permalink

Comment Comment

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 3 customer reviews...

.jsOffDisplayBlock { display: block; } .jsOffDisplayInline { display: inline; } .jsOffVisibility { visibility: visible; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayNoneBlock { display: block; } .jsOnDisplayNoneInline { display: inline; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; } .jqOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jqOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jqOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; } .jqOnDisplayNoneBlock { display: block; } .jqOnDisplayNoneInline { display: inline; }