Tides of War: A Novel

Steven Pressfield has made a cottage industry of the historical novel in much the same way as Michael Shaara. Historical fiction offers wondrous advantages to the writer---after all, who needs to generate story ideas when the lives of our forbears offers all the triumph and tragedy we need?
Pressfield debuted in the genre with the marvelous "Gates of Fire", his account of Spartan King Leonidas' last stand at Thermopylae. With "Tides of War", he returns to ancient Greek history, this time relating the story of Alcibiades, the most accomplished politician, rhetorician, and commander of his day.
Undefeated in battle, Alcibiades dominated the scene during the Pelopponesian War. He commanded and counseled leaders on both the Athenian and Spartan sides in the conflict, earning considerable enmity and admiration in both camps. He trucked with the Persians as well, making him almost unique in the annals of history in his ability to play the political chameleon.
"Tides of War" is told from the perspective of Polymides, Alcibiades' assassin, and his legal counsel. Pressfield succeeds wildly in bringing Thucydides' account of the cataclysmic, 27-year long conflict to life. We recognize these long-dead characters in all their complexity---their loves, hates, and follies. When Polymides is betrayed by his wife, we sympathize; when he is swayed by the charismatic Alcibiades, we empathize. Pressfield makes us care about these characters with his brilliant pacing and dialogue.
If you're a student of history or a fan of historical drama, drink deeply from "Tides of War."

I have to go somewhat against the crowd of reviewers on this one and say how much I enjoyed this book. The character and plot development are complex and with great depth. It is a fine work of fiction of any type - a winning plot, 3-dimensional characters, themes that make you think and that have important implications. It is a study in the kind of characters democricies tend to extol and then demonize. Humanity is indeed fickle. As the author Calvin Miller observed, Palm Sundays and Good Fridays all fall neatly into the same week. Humanity in power as a democracy makes for the same unpredictable shifts in favor in unbelievably fast order.

For the character and plot alone this is a great work of fiction, the deep themes make it all the more enjoyable and thought-provoking.

Mr. Guidall as narator is, in my opinion, ideal for the reading. His voice and manner seem ideally suited for such a novel. Very well done.

While "Gates of Fire" no doubt set a new standard for ancient historical fiction, Pressfield's follow-up "Tides of War: A Novel of Alcibiades and the Pelopponesian War" is a fine novel all its own. It is a different type of novel than his debut novel and should be considered as such on its own merits. While "Gates of Fire" is a gripping account of courage, honor, and sacrifice in one of the most pivotal battles of antiquity, "Tides of War" is an entirely different sort of novel, one that devotes not so much on war (the Pelopponesian War only provides the backdrop of the story) but focuses on one of the greatest statesman (after Pericles) of Athens. Comparing this to Pressfield's debut novel is like comparing apples to oranges.
In some ways, "Tides of War" is superior to "Gates of Fire." The character development is more complex and, while some of us may detest the political back-stabbing and Machiavellian (or should I say Alcibiadeian or Lysanderian) machinations of Greek politics, this novel nonetheless paints a vivid picture of Greece during the Pelopponesian War. Just because it's not your cup of tea doesn't make it a bad book.
I admit, this book took me much longer to finish than "Gates of Fire." Even so, it proved to be just as indelible. Alcibiades, for all his flaws of character (shackled by 'Necessity'), is the classic character of Greek tragedy. Written like a personal memoir alternating between Polemides's and Jason's viewpoints, Pressfield once again gave his story a poignancy few authors could match. Pressfield's command of the English language is once again peerless; this book is beautiful and poetic like a modern-day classic.

"Tides of War" by Steven Pressfield was as enjoyable to listen to as it is long. The book covers the storied life of Alcibiades Cleiniou Scambonides, favored son of Athens, during the city's 27 years of war with Sparta.

Alcibiades' life provides a rich pretext for the Peloponnesian War that doomed Greece from its early preeminence in world affairs. Had the Greek states united behind the conquest of Sicily by the Athenians and Alcibiades in 410 BC, one is left to wonder if the whole of Italy and the nescient state of Rome would have come under the Greek rule.

Instead, as Athens turned on Alcibiades and forced him to abdicate as commanding general, the Spartans aided Sicily in its defense, which eventually routed and destroyed the 60,000-man, invading Athenian army.

That was only one of a numbers turns and twists in the historical account of Alcibiades, who made a career out of double-crossing and duplicity. Pressfield does a masterful job telling his story while coloring in the context, including making Socrates a Alcibiades compatriot and using his state-sentenced death a critical part of the story's climax.

As a would-be writer, I greatly appreciate the scaffolded approach to storytelling that Pressfield uses to allow first person accounts of battles, while allowing objective views of the characters and situation when and where appropriate.

If you have the time, this book is well worth the read (or the listening).

I should have spotted it when I noticed that every piece of critical praise quoted on the covers and inside were for his previous book, Gates of Fire. I just figured that as Tides of War was new, it didn't have such a wide reading as its excellent predecessor. Big mistake. Having read Gates of Fire, and having thought of it as the best book of the late 90's, I was desperate to get a hold of Tides, no matter what the cost. And, like a lot of new late 90's authors (including Alex Garland), the first book was a freak of nature, the second was the cold hard reality. They say everyone has a book in them; it seems Gates of Fire was that book for Pressfield, because Tides of War does not even register on a scale of one to ten where Gates is ten. Which is a shame, because the blurb on the back of the book made it sound really good: `One man. Two armies. The fate of the ancient world in the balance'. `Author of the Number One Bestseller Gates of Fire'. Oops, there's the clue...
The trouble with Tides is that nothing (repeat: NOTHING) happens. It is structurally similar to Gates, in that it is the tale told by a scribe, who was told it by a person, who was told it by an observer of the `star', Alcibiades. What is different, however, is that most of this novel, rather than being narrative prose, is extended philosophical speeches given by various people, so no matter how you cut it, it's just a series of lectures interspersed with brief commentaries of war. Gates took a quarter of a book to tell of a single six-day battle; Tides, with 27-years-worth of conflicts to use, decides to focus on one in depth (which actually has nothing to do with Alcibiades), and then glosses over the rest (`we won a battle here, another there, blah, blah, I can't really be bothered to say anything about them'). So, first of all, there is an obvious lack of spectacle. Secondly, in Gates, we knew the whole book built up to the Battle of Thermopylae; Tides builds up to the less than spectacular death of Alcibiades. It builds to an anticlimax rather than a climax, and suffers because of it. Furthermore, it is hardly believable that reams and reams of dialogue spoken by Alcibiades, Lion, Lysander and the rest could have been a) remembered by Polemides and told to Jason, b) remembered by Jason and told to his grandson, and c) remembered by Jason's grandson, and written down for us to read. It is also hard to believe that the person behind the gripping, beautifully written, brilliantly characterised, superbly paced Gates of Fire could write this slow, droll, boring, undramatic and ultimately unmemorable tripe.
Proof, if ever it was needed, that the One-Hit-Wonder phenomenon is not limited to pop music, Tides of War is a book to be avoided. Gates of Fire remains one of the best books ever written, perhaps even better when you realise Pressfield won't ever produce anything anywhere near as good. I gave Tides of War two stars because in places, perhaps a snippet here, a sentence there, you read something of the same Pressfield who wrote Gates of Fire. There again, finding those lines hidden amongst the rest is a nightmare. Tides of War is by far the disappointment of the millennium. And if he reads this, Steven, what happened?!? Was the call of Hollywood distracting you?

I had read two books by Steven Pressfield before, namely the famous "Gates of Fire" and the also excellent "Virtues of War". "Tides of War" stands a little lower than those titles but it is still a very good novel which has many things to teach the reader about politics, war and the disastrous mistakes that can be made by a superpower. I especially enjoyed Lysander's speech in Ephesus where he compares bravery (the virtue of Sparta) and boldness (the virtue of Athens). The stage is the Peloponnesian War and the main character is Alcibiades, although the story is told through the distance of three generations, with the narrator being a warrior and close friend of Alcibiades (Polemides). I agree with some other reviewers that it takes often great patience to keep reading, but there are also some terrific episodes, like the battles for Syracuses and the terrible fate that befell the thousands of Athenians captured there. As always, Pressfield is at its best when describing battles and the behavior of men in them. He is probably the best modern fiction writer of the classical age and has certainly a nice grasp of the people and the mentality of the era. I'm eager to read his next book about Alexander's campaign in Afghanistan, which I'm sure it will be also excellent.

Pressfield has been here before and proved himself able. As in Gates of Fire, the author is able to conjure the visceral world of ancient warfare . However, the Tides of War falls short of his previous effort for several reasons. Though there can be no doubt that war was often fought as much for honor as for territorial acquisition, Pressfield fails to convince as to exactly how such an appreciation of war might outlive the first taste of carnage. Again, when Pressfield nails a metaphor, you can glimpse Homer, when he fails, you're tempted to break into laughter. In the end, if you're going to write historical books that deal with particularly bloody moments in history, surely the better bet is to present the carnage and leave the reader to interpret it. In the last months, both Rambaud's The Battle and Griffin's The Requiem Shark have achieved this. Pressfield, for the moment, seems to have run out of steam, his characters undoubtedly flatter than in his previous novel. I suspect that we'll be presented with a third of his Greek sword and sandals within a year or two. Perhaps he'll return to the glories of Gates of Fire, or perhaps his pen will get the better of him and we'll be swamped in purple prose.

A huge treat awaits you in this monumental epic, Tides of War. Much as he did in his heart-pounding tale of the Spartans (Gates of Fire), the author sweeps you deep into the psyche of ancient Greece where our ears ring with familiar shouts of victory and our hearts despair at dreams gone mad. One of the great master storytellers, Pressfield keeps you fast to the elbow of her most illustrious heroes and rogues as they clash through the great drama of a democracy unfolding amidst the heartbreaking mercurial wrath of human nature.
I grew up with naive, fuzzy images of an idealistic ancient Greece peopled with a few of Homer's noble and ignoble characters sparring with their fates about the shins of Olympus. Then Pressfield, with admirable scholarship and a soulful grasp of the times, introduces me to the rest of the crew and many fascinating surprises: Here the capricious mob of Athens' infant attempt at democracy literally drives some of its finest, most loyal young generals over a cliff to their deaths. Here we see a stout young Socrates, hunkering behind his war shield, as he takes his stand on the field of battle before his days as a renowned philosopher. But best of all by far, here I meet the incomparable Alcibiades-charismatic, majestically composed in body and soul, a breathtaking visionary general/statesman loved and hated at once by both his enemies and countryman.
If you can imagine a man who exudes the combined charisma of a JFK and Brad Pitt, who commands with the visionary authority of a Patton and MacArthur, and whose mere presence in the planetary neighborhood is enough to cause kings and lesser generals to shape their national agenda around him . . . you have a little hint of our man Alcibiades. Not only is this story a mesmerizing feast of literature, it filled many major gaps in my sense of history in a most enjoyable fashion. It's up on my top shelf, a place reserved only for the finest classics.

Those who have read Pressfield's previous book, Gates of Fire, will have a hard time recognizing this novel as being the same author's work. Whereas that one was focused on a single battle and thus had a limited time and place imposed on the action, Tides of War deals with the entire Peloponnesian war (all 27 years) and is all over the place in both time and location. One problem, for sure, for many readers will be the 'voice' of the story. It is told by someone who gets it from his grandfather who largly recounts what he remembers being told by a prisoner awaiting trail for murder more than 30 years before. Who is talking - and about what and when - is occasionaly a problem, but not much of one. It is usually clear from context and the story itself is so fascinating that it is hard to imagine not getting caught up in it. This is really the story of Alcibiades, the most complex (and 'modern') figure of the Golden Age of Athens. A man noted for his beauty, eloquence, intelligence, brashness, inventiveness, lawlessness and, above all, ambition, he almost single handedly forced the war between Sparta and Athens to become the grueling feud that ruined both. I will not attempt to recount his deeds and misdeeds. They are so fascinating that it is hard to credit them. He becomes the most loved, hated and feared figure of his day. Most of Tides of War is the story of Palemidas, the man who had been his friend, served him in war and ultimately assasinated him when Alcabiades was an expatriate living in Thrayce. It is a truely great story and Pressfield does it justice. There is no question that it is hard to keep track of changing alliances, reversing fortunes of war and politics and the many characters that cross the stage he sets for the reader, but all of it is interesting and much of it is very moving. This is a powereful and honest book which, by bringing war torn Greece of these days alive, tells us a lot about who we are today and how little we have advanced in understanding and political maturity.
The side story of Socrates, who languishes in the same jail as the story's main narrator, serves as the proverbial 'Greek Chorus' to help highlight important aspects of Alcibiades' story. This is a wonder book and I highly recommend it.

I very much liked Steven Pressfield's earlier historical novel Gates of Fire, which told the thrilling story of the small band of Spartans holding the pass at Thermopylae against Persian invaders in 480 B.C. Tides of War advances the action to 430 B.C. with the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War, which saw Sparta and the other city-states of Greece try to reign in the power of Athens. His story focusses on the fortunes of Alcibiades (451-404 B.C.), the most gifted, though mercurial, leader of his day. Alcibiades was adopted as a boy by Pericles, the great democratic leader of Athens. By all accounts, the boy was physically beautiful, intellectually gifted and moraly unscrupulous. He became a great disciple of Socrates, with whom he campaigned in Potidaea, but contrary to the great philosophers teachings, determined to try his hand at politics. He became the worst kind of populist, opportunistic, demagogue--ultimately fighting for Athens three different times, but also joining the Spartans and even the Persians during periods when he had been exiled from Athens. He was the driving force behind the ill-advised decision to try to conquer Syracuse (415-13 B.C.), which may have been the single most significant factor contributing to Athen's eventual downfall, as the Expedition proved to be a disastrous drain on men and materiel.

Once again, Pressfield turns in an impressive performance. He's working on a broader canvas here, but demonstrates an admirable command of history, customs, battle tactics, and multiple other subjects. He is especially good at depicting battle scenes, with all their inextricable twining of confusion, brutality and heroism.

I did find the narrative structure of the book to be awkward. A grandson relates the tale that his grandfather heard from one of the men who was tried for assassinating Alcibiades. This results in three separate narrative tracks, indicated by italics and brackets and the whole thing takes on the nature of a Rube Goldberg contraption. Having the entire story told in the first person also makes the author's linguistic choices more noticeable, which seems like a bad idea. Even if you're eager to suspend disbelief, you end up noticing the uneasy fit between passages that seem as if they are meant to sound somewhat archaic and others that sound like film noir banter. It just doesn't seem like the immediacy of a first person narrator is worth all the hoops it forces author and reader to leap through.

There is also a significant problem with the dramatic structure of the story. For all his undeniable talent and charisma, at the end of the day Alcibiades is merely another tyrant, who put his own fortunes ahead of those of his country. Moreover, his various plots and stratagems were responsible for the decline and fall of the world's first great democracy. I suppose most everyone goes through a phase in youth where the Napoleons of the world seem like romantic figures--men who restore order out of chaos and bend the world to their will, however briefly. Perhaps it's simply a sign of age that I no longer find such men sympathetic, now they just strike me as trumped up bureaucrats who think they know better than anyone else how the world should work. I think the term that Pressfield uses is "necessity", which I guess he derives from the historical record, Alcibiades always thinks he knows what is necessary at any given moment. If the intervening 2400 years have taught us anything, it is that one man, or group of men, never know what is necessary; they merely impose their own vision on a typically unwilling populace with predictably disastrous results, as here.

In fact, I found the story most effective as a cautionary tale of the dangers inherent in depending on charismatic leadership and of trying to make direct democracy work. In I. F. Stone's book The Trial of Socrates, he tries to reconcile his own veneration of Athenian-style democracy with the, to him, inexplicable decision to execute the great philosopher. But the great lesson of that episode and of the career of Alcibiades is that the polity of such a democracy is "a beast needing to be fed", driven by emotion and envy, not an enlightened and rational body. The unfettered citizenry of Athens is really pretty scary and men like Alcibiades, who would exploit the baser instincts (in particular, the imperial pretensions) of the beast for personal gain, can in no wise be considered heroes, however bold and fascinating they may be.

Despite these concerns, I do strongly recommend the book. One of the great deficits of the modern education is how little we learn of Greek and Roman Civilization. Books like this one, which help to fill the gaps, and do it in a lively and accessible way, are invaluable. I don't much like Alcibiades, but I certainly enjoyed reading about him.

Pressfield's massive work is not an easy read, but, boy, is it impressive. I knew virtually nothing about Alcibiades when I began this, and by the end (I admit, I kept putting it down and picking it back up again) I, too, was a fan of this maddeningly charismatic, visionary military genius, who was revered and hated by his own people (often at the same time).
Pressfield writes some of the most vivid, breathtaking, terrifying battle scenes ever recorded, and the final image of the book is at once lyrical and ominous. The speeches of Alcibiades are worth the price of the book by themselves (it's too bad Pressfield didn't write the movie "Gladiator" - it would have been a lot more interesting). While much of the book is uneven, and Pressfield's style sometimes gets in the way of the story, much of the book is stirring and brilliant; and well worth the effort of reading.

Taking the style he developed for Gates of Fire, Pressfield goes on to tackle Alcibides and the Athenians in the Peloponnesian War. Striking the same balance between offering historical insight without getting bogged down in the details, Pressfield weaves a gritty and ultimately tragic war story through the eyes of an ordinary Athenian warrior, one who accompanies Alcibides on many (but not all) of the adventures of what was a colorful and spectacularly unprincipled career.

In my opinion, Tides of War surpasses Gates of Fire, and is Pressfield's best novel.

While I found this novel to be interesting, I think that it is a bit on the heavy side of historical fiction. This is especially evident when compared to "Gates of Fire" (another Pressfield book). "Tides of War" is again told from the point of view of a a witness to greatness. . .but, unlike "Gates of Fire" the narrator is too far removed from the story. With this lack of connection, the author is forced to fill space and the story loses itself winding through Athenian politics. The author seems to revel in the interminable plotting of the Greek city-state.
This is not to say that the book is bad. As I showed with my 3 star rating, this book is an excellent example of this genre. However, a new reader to this field should perhaps begin with Gates of Fire or perhap's Margaret George's "Cleopatra."

In Tides of War, Pressfield takes up the story of the rise and fall of the Greek city-states roughly from where he had left it in Gates of Fire. those who have not read the latter, SHOULD. Both books offer a wonderful portrayal of the ancient world which is neither romantic nor drily historical. They are both excellently researched, beautifully written and well-thought-of. Pressfield understands the Classical Era extremely well, and even if he didn't, he's a very talented author, with a very competent touch on the emotional level.
A note of caution to those who have read Gates of Fire:
This is not a sequel. Its scope is much broader, and its characters very different - and less central to the story. Do not look for the same degree of emotional involvement. This novel is much more historical than its predecessor.
In fact, the contrast between the two books mirrors the contrast between the two eras: the early classical era and the late classical era, which I will not presume to describe in these few lines. Still, one book cannot be fully understood without reading the other. Buy both. They are excellent.

The main subject in this story is Alcibiades, a great commander of people during the times of the Peloponnesian wars. His story is told to Jason, a juror, by Polemides. He was the man charged of assasinating Alcibiades.
Although I found some parts too descriptive of the fighting and hard to follow, all in all I enjoyed reading this book. It gave me an insight of what life was like during those times, and so little si really known about it. The story, though centralized in the Peloponnesian Wars, also describes the way people let their lives and how they suffered also.
I am a big fan of all historical novels, and this one was no exception.
Good reading and very informative.

After waiting for this book to be available, and after
buying it and reading it, I have given it an honored space
amongst all the books in my bookcase, right next to Pressfield's
other "hallowed " book, "Gates of Fire." Pressfield is one of
the few authors for whom I would stand in a line of any length to get
an autograph, and this is coming from someone who doesn't "hero
worship" people, aside from my dead grandfather and
Teddy Roosevelt,and Charlton Heston(and yes, I am also a "generation-X" female)! This book,in my
opinion, is even Better than "Gates of Fire," in its complexity
of the main character, Polemides, called "Pommo" in the
book. Pommo is more loyal in his "disloyalty" than the so-called
loyal characters in the story. Yes, others will yell, "But the book is about Alcibiades,
and Pommo is just "confessing" and isn't the main character!"
To which I will say, I love the way Alcibiades is portrayed,
but I love Pommo better! The two share a bond in that both
are seen as working for the other side, yet both are "guilty" of
loving Athens more than those who switch sides.... It's brilliant and wonderful, and rebellious in its entire nature as a book, just like both Pommo and Alcibiades. Pressfield, no doubt, truly loves Greek history- one can tell from the Greek words he throws in often, blending them in with the English, and it's almost as if this book alone could be rated
a Course 101 in Greek; yes , there is even a reference
"dictionary" in the back of the book for the reader's enlightenment, and it helps, most especially with the
Greek terms used in the depiction of the Sea battles...... Readers-to-be should know that this book
is "heavy" on the "Sad" scale, and when one is finished with it,
one feels as a reader that he or she has "earned" the right to
put the book down. It is not for the light-hearted and easily
depressed. Seriously. But if you love Greek history and
Pressfield's writing style, this is a must-have book.

Having been captivated by 'Gates of Fire,' my anticipation of another brilliant Pressfield Greek epic crumbled within fifty page. Trust me, the story and characters were rich. Alcibiades is probably the most complex character among the ancients. We get to see him from friend, foe and from his own words. Some of the battle descriptions, especially at Syracuse, are chilling.
So what's wrong? It'sthe voice! Pressfield attempted to narrate in a grueling dialect. This murderous attempt on phonetic accuracy puts a spear into the pace and robs the suspension of disbelief. Rather than absorb myself into the Spartan lifestyle or Athens democracy, all I hear is Pressfield yelling "I speak Greek." Oh well, there is always Alexander the Great, Mr. Pressfield. Please tell the story next time!

Alcibiades is a less than admirable historical figure for me, and because of that the Peloponnesian War, its means and consequences, and its eventual outcome, is difficult for me to be particularly interested in. If someone could pull it off, I thought, surely the author of the masterful Gates of Fire could do so. Alas, even Pressfield faltered somewhat. His battlefield and nautical fights were done well, but characterizations and intrigue were weak. I found few characters to really sympathize with, and my attention wandered off so many times and I spent so much time wishing that it would hurry up and "get better," that I wouldn't recommend it to most people.
However, if you are interested in ancient Greece, find an opportunist like Alcibiades an interesting figure to study, and don't mind tragedy without much heroism, you may like Tides of War. To be fair, in retrospect I wasn't sorry I read it; there were some parts that I really enjoyed. You may want to prepare yourself by familiarizing yourself with some of the main details of the Peloponnesian War, as Tides of War skims over much of it. Further, to Pressfield's credit, the novelization of a near-thirty year long war with such intricate complications is truly difficult, and he makes a bold attempt.
Perhaps he shouldn't have tried, or perhaps he should have narrowed his scope to a traditional novel structure: exposition, conflict, rising action, climax, resolution. Nevertheless, I give this book 3 stars, as Pressfield does as good a job as anyone out there could. I just wish he hadn't tried - and I wish I hadn't read it with the hope that it could be anywhere as good as Gates of Fire.

I purchased this book with great anticipation, having very much enjoyed "Gates of Fire". Unfortunately the things which I liked so much in that book are largely missing in this one. The depiction of the hoplite's experience in very personal terms made "Gates of Fire" an engrossing read; as with all great historical fiction (whether the facts are right or not), Pressfield created a detailed and believable world populated by realistic characters with which we could empathize. "Tides of War" has flashes of this (as with the carefully constructed description of the critical action at Syracuse), but most of it is a rather dry, impersonal exposition of chronological history, that--most of the time--does not engage us on a visceral level. I read "Gates of Fire" with so much pleasure that I will probably continue to buy further Pressfield books, but had "Tides of War" been his first endeavour, that would not be the case. Still, not a bad try (given its ambitious story line), but only a middling success!

Yes, yes, we know Pressfield's great at battle detail and historically accurate story lines. More important in this work is the brilliant choice of character (Alcibiades) and the narrative technique of using two narrators (Jason & Polemides). Then the plot thickens.....Socrates shares the jail with Polemides and enters the script as well......Jason & Polemides have their own tangled web to unweave......this is a great novel that rises far above the thunder of the battle to enter the realm of a psychological analysis of democracy, theocracy, and a slew of both the finest and basest of human motivations.
This one wins on all levels.....Pressfield is cementing a beautiful reputation on these works.

In this attempt to describe the Greek way of living, fighting, scheming and dying, Mr. Pressfield has done an excellent job. He projects the advantages and disadvantages the majesty and the misery of the Greek society of then, now and probably tomorrow. Scheming, ambition, vanity and self-destruction have always been the key features of the Greek nation's leaders throughout history. Each of these great men that have stamped human history with their genius, warrior's spirit and -unfortunately- libido, have their own little tale that makes their successful efforts amazing. Keep up the good work Mr. Pressfield

Steven Pressfield's Tides of War is, simply put, a really good book. A lot of reviewers on here have dinged this novel a star or two based solely on the fact that it's not as engaging as Gates of Fire. For the most part, it's true, but you have to take the book for what it is, and to be honest, you would be hard pressed to find a book equal to Gates. If you have any interest in the Peloponnesian War, or ancient warfare at all, I recommend picking this story up. It does an exceptional job of conveying the process and effects that a total war had on the City States of ancient Greece, from preparations and propaganda to conquests and defeats. Pressfield also does a good job of bringing some of the more famous and somewhat ambiguous characters of the war and that time period to life, and rather vividly, such as Alcibiades, Socrates, and Lysander. From the start of the story, you feel transferred to the past, and you get a sense of actually being there as Athens has it's final fall from grace. I will say this, The book can get a little heavy at times, and the monologues can be tedious to read, but they are necessary to the development of the story. Other than that, I recommend this book to anyone who is intrigued or already fascinated with the ancient Greeks.

This is an excellent read regarding the Hellenic Peloponessian Wars. I really enjoyed how masterfully the anti-hero Alciabides is described throughout the whole book. This book is about how the Athenian demos' (and their elected leaders') lust for imperialism brought about the wonderful expansion of Western Civilization, but also the fall of Athens. I could not put Gates of Fire down, but this book took me much longer to read. In the end, I'm glad I put it down since I was then able to contemporaneously read about the Pelopenisian Wars through Thucyclides fine read. Alciabides is truly one of the most fascinating figures of Antiquity and Pressfield masterfully injects him throughout this story. This book's fictional characterization of his rise and fall, as seen through the eyes of Alciabides good pal, is brilliant. I do not compare this book to Gates of Fire since this book does not deal so much with courage (even though Alciabides was a courgageously cunning Athenian military genius, who was trained in Sparta in post-Thermopylae Greece). This book is about a time period, and partially covers one person's odyssey throught this fascinating yet violent time. Alciabides perhaps personifies how the Ancient Greek city states were able to create and spread Western civilization to a point where even now, we remember them. No better figure in Antiuity (before Alexander the Great), was a better representative of the greatness and deplorability of Imperial Athens and of the Ancient Greeks, than Alciabides. This book is truly Pressfield's finest fictional literary work (to date) due to the true depth covered of the crucial figures of the Peloponesian Wars. I was impressed

Like most of Pressfield's work this book is exceptionally written and has a great plot with complex and interesting characters. The story loses interest at some points though, mainly during long political discussions which take up pages with monologues; and during strategic discussions which bring an interesting historical perspective but are not interesting or exciting to the story.

"Gates of Fire" is one of the best books I've ever read, and I have enjoyed everything from Pressfield, but to enjoy this book you have to enjoy the historic aspect as well because the plot alone is dry for long stretches.

Overall, I would definatly reccomend it for a fan of the period, or anyone who wants to learn about the Peloponnesian War with some fiction thrown in for entertainment.

This is no detailed review, as there are dozens already to be found about this book. All I will say is: keep your dictionary close. I consider myself pretty educated, but apparently my vocabulary is lacking as there are literally hundreds of words used throughout this book that I have never seen before and probably will never see again. To me, it was a bit difficult to read. I would read a sentence or a whole paragraph and think to myself, "What the !@#$% did that just say?" This book took me over a year to read because I would attempt it, then quit, then retry, and on and on. If you're into ancient history and warfare, it really is a good book, you just have to get through all the verbiage.

While reading this book, I was pretty taken with how relevant this book is with in the times we live in. Oh, and there is a pretty damn good story to boot..
This book centers around a controversial Athenian named Alcibiades. Alcibiades is truly a product of Athens, he is full of contradictions yet you still have to love the guy and hate him all the same.
In "Gates of Fire" Pressfield taught us about the Spartans and their ways set in the backdrop of the battle of Thermopylae. "Tides of War" teaches us about the complexities if Athens set in the backrop of the Peloponnessian War. The Athens in this book has many similarities to the United States. During this time, Alcibiades and other Athenians turned Athens in to a polarizing force in Greece, much like what the US is doing at our point in history. Many Greeks cities viewed the fact that Athens had built an impregnable wall around the City as arrogance and even isolationism. I found this to be a bit like the Bush Administration's desire to build a missile shield.
As for the book itself, I think most will find that it hits its stride late, however it's worth the wait.

Pressfield uses his characters to tell the history of Alcibiades and the Peloponnesian Wars - but as much as I love the historical aspects of a story, there wasn't enough character story here to carry the history story. Oh, lots of things happen to the characters, but somehow I never really cared about him enough to have it matter very much. Alcibiades, on the other hand ...

This is not my typical genre, nor my usual delivery format. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this little gem (if you can call 4 long-play cassettes little :). The characters are all very approachable, very well developed, and highly sympathetic. The story has depth, texture, and detail that sharpens the focus without tiring the reader. Jacobi's narration is outstanding. Throw this in your car, and give yourself something to look forward to besides the evening traffic.

Even the best tasting food looses it taste after a re-heat of the re-heat...of the re-heat. This is exactly what happens with The Tides of War. What should have been a magnificent re-enactment of the narrative of Gates of Fire, gets boiled into mush and misunderstanding in Pressfield's latest telling of ancient Greece. Basically the story is about the life of Alcibiades as told through Polymides, as told by him to his grandson Jason,and - yawn - as related to us through a written record. Hold it - I'm lost already and it's only page three! I'm sorry Mr Pressfield, but my brain hit the red-line and I gave in after two hundred pages. I never normally give up on a book (that's this expensive), but you just left me cold with your fourth person, remote and uninvolving 'lecture-style' narrative. The only good point is, this ain't a book written for celluloid. It's far too incomprehensible and oblique for that. Maybe a 12-hour mini-series. Finally, the story is peppered with unpronouncible ancient Greek names, ancient Greek places and bits of ancient Greek demos lawdom - and what's wrong with that you say in a book that's about, erh, ancient Greece? Well, everything, if it constantly distracts the willing reader from the art of storytelling! Or am I just being one of those terribly ignorent, everyday 21st century bookophiles who just loves a darn good straightforward read....(but that's exactly what Gates of Fire was)! The blurb on the back cover says Mr Pressfield is writing a third installment set in this extraordinary period of time. Please excuse me if I beg, borrow or steal that book first...before I actually waste money on buying it.

This is a great work. Anyone reading Plutarch's Lives will certainly love it and benefit from it...but anyone with any love of a damned good story and fine story-telling and writing, as well as all the great questions of love, war, god and life will love this novel as well. In this novel Pressfield attempts to understand the many faceted character of the gifted Alcibiades. He approaches Alcibiades through the eyes of one Polemides ("Pommo")-an Athenian citizen soldier buffeted by the crazy twists and turns of the Athenian democracy and by the numerous brutal and chaotic battles of the interminable `thrice nine year' (27 year) long Peloponessian wars. Polemides'fate is linked to that of Alcibiades and we soon learn is a worthy observer of the gifted general. So who was Alcibiades? He as a major political and military player during the Peloponnesian wars and lived during the golden age of Athens. His dates are c.450-404 B.C. Like so many other great men described by Plutarch, Alcibiades was apparently orphaned, but had the great luck to become a ward of the Athenian statesmen Pericles. As everyone knows Pericles if often thought to be the greatest statemen who ever lived so his tutelage of Alcibiades must have had some positive impact on the boy! Pericles gave him access to the world of Athenian politics and all the cultural riches of the `Periclean age' of Athens (when Athens was at the height of her glory). But Pericles was not the only formative influence on the boy. He also became a disciple of sorts to Socrates-perhaps the greatest philosopher who ever lived! Pericles and Socrates...That's not bad for an education!

Not only was Alcibiades lucky in his education, he turned out to be brilliant himself. It seemed his tutors sensed that the boy was worthy of the best they had to offer. Socrates was no slouch when it came to judging character and he counted Alcibiades one of his friends. The gods not content with giving Alcibiades the best in political and philosophical educations also gave Alcibiades physical beauty-a beauty that astonished all and that never left him even in his later years. In short, Alcibiades, was rich, brilliant, politically astute and connected and beautiful. He was a fabulously gifted man. As he grew into manhood it soon became clear to all that he was a political genius. He was able to outwit opponents, form coalitions and get things done in a polis that, for all its glory was chaotic and ruthless when it came to politics. When war came he distinguished himself on the battlefield and when he was given military command his true genius revealed itself: he was a master battlefield commander! Did this guy have any faults you ask? During the early part of his life only one fault revealed itself: he liked to womanize. He took numerous lovers and women (and men) through themselves at him.

As he developed a taste for battle he began to develop a vision of the Athenian maritime empire that demanded expansion and further war. So he did not like the so-called the Peace of Nicias (421 B.C.). When Sparta, coming to the aid of an ally attacked (418 B.C.) Argos, Alcibiades led an Athenian force to help the Argives, but Athens and the allies were beaten at Mantinea. Both the battle of Mantinea and Alcibiades' reactions to the defeat are vividly portrayed in the novel. Whereas most leaders suffering a major defeat would retire to lick his wounds and avoid blame, Alcibiades, with amazing audacity began to advocate for a strategic plan that bypassed Sparta altogether but that would in the process neutralize Sparta in the long run. This plan was the Sicilian campaign-an attack on the great city of Syracuse and then the subjugation of Italy. This would give the Athenians mastery over the Mediterranean basin. Pressfield recreates the debates about he expedition and Alcibiades speech in favor of the expedition beautifully. The Athenian politicians however jealous of Alcibiades popularity among the citizens and soldiers tried to destroy him -regardless of the consequences of this to the expedition. Alcibiades was summoned home to stand trial for trumped up charges of impiety and treason. This was a death sentence. Instead he fled to Sparta, where he gave advice to King Agis. When Agis wife fell in love with Alcibiades, he had to flee once again. He wound up in the court of a Persian satrap of Darius-one Tissaphernes. Meanwhile the Syracusan campaign floundered without Alcibiades ultimately costing the Athenians some 30,000 lives and huge amounts of treasure. It was the death knell of the Athenian republic. Under the twin disasters of plague and the Syracusan defeat an oligarchy of the Four Hundred attempted to rule with massacre in Athens and then fell itself (411). Bothe the Syracusan campaign and the plague are recounted with chilling detail in Pressfields' novels. Pommo loses all but his brother in the plague and then he loses his brother at the Syracusan disaster. Here one of the novels most memorable naval battle scenes occur when Pommo and a companion find themselves temporarily able to sit and look out over the Bay, Pommo describes as far as the eye could see ships and men hacking one another to pieces with darts, spears and boulders clouding the skies and fires burning everywhere, men's cries filling the skies all set against the stunning beauty of the Bay and coastal outcroppings etc

In the midst of all these disasters the Athenians finally came to their senses and recalled Alcibiades. When Alcibiades took command Athens immediately began to win battles as he brilliantly led the Athenian fleet to a victory over the Spartan-led fleet off Cyzicus, and later recovered (408) Byzantium. But once again, the Athenians started to clip the wings of Alcibiades and the Athenian fleet suffered a defeat the vigorous Spartan commander Lysander at Notium in c.406 B.C., so Alcibiades was once again exiled. He retreated to the protection of some of his Thracian friends on the western shore of the Hellespont. There in 405 B.C. he attempted to warn the Athenian fleet at Aegospotamos against a surprise attack by Lysanders' forces, but his advice was rejected contemptously. Thus the Athenians suffered a devasting defeat and could not recover. The Peolponnesian wars ended. In 404 Alcibiades was staying in Persian territory with yet another woman. At the behest of Lysander, the local Persian satrap had Alcibiades murdered. So much for the bare facts of the life of Alciabiades.

As I said at the start of this review Pressfield is interested in the character of this extraordinary man. Pressfield seems to think that Alcibiades exactly mirrored the character of the Athenian democracy: brilliant, gifted beyond measure but given too much to hubris and reckless boldness. At one point in the novel Lysander gives a speech comparing the Spartan and the Athenian characters. Spartans, says Lysander, value the manly virtue of courage which is rooted in a realistic understanding of the human predicament and which sees the right relation to god as one of humility and obedience...while Athen (and Alcibiades) values the virtue of boldness (even audacity) above all other virtues. It is more important to the Athenians to act boldly, imaginative and even audaciously than to act humbly. Things should be questioned rather than obeyed. God calls us to act not to merely obey. The contrast is fascinating and does seem to capture something fundamental about Athens vs Sparta (and Jerusalem for that matter).

I must also comment on the haunting portrait we get of Alcibiades in the novel. He is not just glorified like a god. Instead we see him very astutely navigating the treacherous political waters of the Peloponnesian wars. We see him as a man lost without a city after Athens betrayed him and tried to murder him. We see him pathetically in love with Athens...he wants nothing more than to lead her to glory and riches but she will not have him. She is even willing to court disaster than to have him as leader. But nor will any of Athen's enemies have him (for long). Because of his gifts he is hounded from country to country until he is hunted down like a dog. While history has largely blamed Alcibiades himself for this it must be said that none of it would have occurred if Athen hadn't tried to murder him in the first place. Undoubtedly Alcibiades should not have gone over to the enemy after he as rebuffed by Athens but his temperament was such that he demanded to be in the thick of the action wherever he went.

Like every great novel Pressfield's leaves us with the question of the puzzling mystery of character. Gifted people are not just like the rest of us except more so...Instead they seem to be invited into a no mans land where they are envied by most and feared by all and thus are never at home among anyone. When they turn to God he does say "Be still and know that I am Lord"...he does not say "Be good little boys and girls" or "Obey" Instead he invites them to be audacious and to create something new. This invitation alone sustains them.

Tides of War, Mr. Pressfield's latest installment in a projected series of 'epic' novels set in classical times, is one of the finest novels of the year. Though not elipsing or eaching the ambient heights of Gates of Fire, the novel is an excellent and entertaining book.
Its most irritating imperfection- and it is but a tiny insignificant matter- is Pressfield's obvious affinity for imitating Homer's Iliad in the battle scenes, i.e. As [something common and domestic does something common and domestic], so did [insert name here] [do something very draqmtic and presumably indescribable], but even this is reduced significantly from Gates of Fire. Historically, Tides of War is generally quite accurate. The mention below of the omission of Alcibiades' relationship with Socrates was not a lack of research, in my opinion, but a matter of taste and prudence. And the portrayal of the characters as "superheroes" is accurate with the anecdotal nature of the book.
In fact, Pressfield's novels rank as some of the best classical novels of the twentieth century. Read Tides of War, but get it from your local library. Get your own copy in paperback.

Pressfield's prior book about the Spartans was a fascinating and compelling story. Sadly, this book doesn't share the same qualities. While both are interesting due to the amount of historical detail about life in that era, the narrator here isn't very interesting and is not close enough to Alcibiades to make his actions come to life. His motives often remain obscure and we don't have enough insight into his genius, if he can be called that. The story jumps around a bit which often lets the steam out of the story.

I really looked forward to reading Tides of War after thoroughly enjoying Pressfield's Gates of Fire. While I did end up liking Tides of War, I admit that it was harder to get into than Gates of Fire and not quite as compelling.
I found the discussions on what Alcibiades did and how he did them to be fascinating. I couldn't help but think of how improbable it would be for a leading military figure in today's world to switch sides in the middle of a war and then return to his home country a hero. I think this novel's commentary on the dangers of mob rule and the fickleness of the crowd is very interesting and troubling. Pressfield does a wonderful job of painting a vivid picture of the era and how alliances between states and within states can change so quickly based on squabbles between elites and the whim of the public.
Overall this book was very good and I would recommend it to anyone interested in this historical era.

This book focuses on stories related by an elder narrator serving under and befriending the Greek, Alcibiades. Alcibiades and his moxie are both boon and bane for Athens. Pressfield seems to strike a good balance interweaving didactic and inspiration for the reader. Alcibiades' mastery of the human condition captures you in a way nothing else can. Whether Alciabiades represents the height or the depth of human nature, one could debate. It might be said he represented both. Great book!

Unlike Gates of Fire,this novel fouses more on the political intrigue angle of the war that is covered in the novel instead of the battlefield. Alcabiades was a controversialman wth many enemies and his status in Athens was never stable. This novel doesa strong job of showing this and makes it a success.I do not have the option of giving this novel 3 and one half stars so I GAVE IT 4 INSTEAD OF 3.

Mr. Pressfield's latest offering, in addition to being beautifully written and fastidiously researched, holds up a mirror to our modern "demos." In this era of "the politics of personal destruction," "Tides of War" serves notice that we so-called Moderns may have nothing on the political in-fighting, spitefulness and ad hominem shenanigans of the Ancients. Whether Mr. Pressfield so intended his tale to reflect is subject to debate; but how fascinating to view "firsthand" a city-state 2300 and more years gone by who, like us, bit the hand that fed it and vilified the man who brought them their greatest triumph, not over his actions in pursuit of duty, but over alleged perfidy in his personal life.
I gladly recommend this book to anyone who likes a good story well-told. A passing familiarity with Ancient Greece is convenient but not necessary. The first person technique utilized by Mr. Pressfield is every bit as effective and un-affected as it was in his previous novels, "Gates of Fire" and "The Legend Of Bagger Vance." The only problem with reading this book is that it so immerses the reader that, upon completion, one may only sit, stunned momentarily, with the growing realization that, as with Alcibiades himself, it will likely be awhile before we see the likes of "Tides Of War" again.

When I read GATES OF FIRE, the author brought this old soldier on an emotional level into the lines at Thermopolis, manned by the Spartans, engaged in a hopeless fight. Having read a new translation of Homer's ILIAD a few months previously, I think the two works compare favorably in a beautiful writing style.
Now, THE TIDES OF WAR is equally well written. The Pelloponnesian War was a time of great violence in Greece and political unrest in Athens. Political and underhanded tricks were played just as they have been in American politics, particularly in the past 40 years. The difference is that when Alcibiades played them, he risked his life and lost. Author Pressfield has woven a riveting story of this time of great strife, and he draws the reader into it on at every level, psychological, intellectual and emotional.

This is an excellent history of the Pelopennesian Wars told in the first person from his jail cell by one who, fought in them, is now on trial for allegedly asassinating a Greek commander (Alcibiades) who defected to the enemy, then returned to the Athenian side. Though I don't usually like histories told in the first person, this one doesn't take liberties with quotes and those it cites have an air of authenticity that makes the book very readable. I'm not yet finished with it but can't go to bed at night without finishing another chapter or two.

If you couldn't quite get a handle on Thucydides, Pressfield gives you a viable alternative. As in _Gates of Fire_ he conveys a deep understanding of "arms and the man" in ancient Greece. His account of the Athenians' disastrous Syracuse Expedition will bring tears to your eyes.

This is the first Steven Pressfield novel I have bought on audio tape, having long been a fan of such writers as James Michener and Barbara Kingsolver. What an epic masterpiece this is, too! It is as rich in detail as it is in character development and plot, and Derek Jacobi turns in another breathtaking narration of the story. Believe me, once you are met and greeted by Alcibiades'face on the cover, you,too, will be inspired to hear the whole story and learn about this extraordinary native son of ancient Greece!

I was really looking forward to this book after reading Gates of Fire. What I got was an author more interested in impressing the reader with all the things he had looked up about Ancient Greek history, rather than concentrating on writing a good novel about a very interesting time. No character is more interesting than Alkibiades - yet I never get the impression the author understood what made the man tick, critical for a novel of this type. I found the narrative voice distracting, and the book did not maintain my interest. Alas, I forced myself to finish it, hoping it would get better, but found out it did not to my regret.

If you don't like reading textbooks, stay away from this one. What a disappointment after Gates of Fire! Though it does have a few good parts, the books mostly drags on and on about the most inane details of Greek history. I don't understand the shift in style; Pressfield should have stuck with what worked before.

Well, I love "gate of fire", which is probably among the top ten books I have read in my life. "Tides of the war" cannot live up with that, probably beacause scope of the war and the time frame were dragging long. It is very hard to use first person tale to describe the complex military and political situation during Peloponnesian War. That is why the book is caught in between, neither it was a good story tale from a microscopic point of one person, nor it is good in the sense of retelling history in macroscopic way. It is still a very good book to read, but compare to "gates of fire", you will probably be disappointed.

Pressfield does an excellent job in describing the political climate and the ebb and flow of war in this book. The irony between having a leader who is controlled by the electorate (but ineffective) and a leader who is effective but dangerous is interesting and I enjoyed his Socratic style of prose. A very good book that stays entertaining without having to resort to silliness and has some interesting things to say concerning honor and excellence.

Pressfield presents the gritty, gory horror soldiers faced during ancient battles in a way that is both believable and entertaining. Then, he layers macro-level politics on top of the story of fascinating individual epics to create an incredible book that is both fun to read and informational

The effects of this read will echo in many conversations. This is the stuff of realism garnered from history and written in a style of the day of it's historical exposition. Though some critics have pointed out its inconsistencies and baned the anachronisms that only a critic could find, the over-all delivery is exciting and convincing.

Thucydides' narrative of the Peloponnesian War from the point of view of a Greek soldier. Engrossing perspective of how the environment, choices, and hardships might have affected those who fought. Not for everyone, and a must-read for military historians.

After reading Gates of Fire, I was skeptical when opening this book to see if Pressfield could capture me as he did the first time. And yet, he did. The story was captivating and emotional, providing an exciting backdrop to a thoughtful story. As I read, my only regret was that the book was growing nearer to the end.

I started reading this immediately after the last REH compilation and there could not be a greater difference in story telling. While REH was first and foremost a story teller, Pressfield uses one of the absolute worst devices in his recount of a grandson of his grandfather's remembering his conversations with a client who knew the famous Alcibiades. This, as previous reviewers have mentioned, creates a large gap between reader and story. But why do this? Why use such a crappy method of story telling? I guess it pads the book with unnecessary dialogue. All in all, it's a slow, uninspired, day dream story. So crappy that I felt it necessary to write this review echoing previous harsh reviews.

I want my money back.