Rise of an Empire: How One Man United Greece to Defeat Xerxes's Persians

by Stephen Dando-Collins

Overview

The true story behind the events in 300: Rise of an Empire, the sequel to Zack Snyder's 300

The action-filled movie 300 focused on Ancient Greece's epic battle of Thermopylae, in which King Leonidas led 300 Spartans into battle against Xerxes and his million-strong Persian forces. In the sequel, 300: Rise of an Empire, the action moves to the sea, covering ten years starting with the Battle of Marathon and ending with naval engagement the Battle of Artemisium, which occurred the same day as Thermopylae.

Rise of an Empire tells the story of the real men and events depicted in the movie, focusing on the Athenian general Themistocles, one of the world's greatest warriors. He became warlord of Greece, built their navy and, by uniting Greece to defeat Xerxes' fleet, enabled what we call western civilization. Packed with vivid detail, clashes of arms and ships, blood and glory, Rise of an Empire tells a story even bigger than the big screen could contain.

• Both an essential read for fans of the 300 movies and the Frank Miller graphic novels they're based on
• An insightful exploration of the leaders who feature in the film, their backgrounds, motivations, command decisions, struggles, victories and defeats, from the Battle of Marathon through the Battles of Artemisium and Salamis: Xerxes, the Persian king determined to succeed where his father failed, and Themistocles, overcoming monumental hurdles to turn Athens into Ancient Greece's greatest sea power and leading city-state of the age
• A gripping narrative of the real-life naval battles of the first and second Persian invasions of Greece, with fascinating detail about the ships, the warriors and the tactics

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781630261580
Publisher:	Turner Publishing Company
Publication date:	02/19/2014
Pages:	282
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.00(d)

Table of Contents

1. The Road to Marathon 

2.  Young Themistocles

3.  To Fight, Or Not To Fight

4.  The Battle of Marathon

5.  Turning to the Sea

6.  The Persians are Coming

7.  Preparing to face Xerxes

8.  The Greatest Army and Navy on Earth

9.  Athens’ Floating Wall of Wood

10.  The Battle of Thermopylae, and the 300 Spartans

11.  Cut and Thrust at Artemisium

12.  The Battle of Artemisium

13.  After Thermopylae

14.  Abandoning Athens

15.  The Salamis Trap

16.  The Battle of Salamis

17.  Pursuing the Persians

18.  The Battles of Plataea and Mycale 

19.  The Bitter End

NOTES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

APPENDIX A – List of Athenian Tribal Regiments, 5th Century BC

APPENDIX B – The Olympias Project

INDEX

Editorial Reviews

"The legions' foremost living historian." Arts & Letters Monthly, U.S. 

“A very fine historian.” —Phillip Adams, ABC Late Night Live

“A gifted storyteller.” —The Independent Weekly

"Absorbing . . . Military history is the muscle of this book, with enough political sinews to give it coherence.” —Washington Times, for Caesar's Legion

“Unique and splendidly researched . . . Many military historians consider Caesar’s legions the world’s most efficient infantry before the arrival of gunpowder. This book shows why. Written in readable, popular style, Caesar’s Legion is a must for military buffs and anyone interested in Roman history at a critical point in European civilization.” —T. R. Fehrenbach, author of This Kind of War, Lone Star, and Commanches, for Caesar's Legion

From the Publisher