02-05-2005, 11:31
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#1
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Area Commander
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Pinehurst,NC
Posts: 1,091
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Virtues of War
I recently finished Steven Pressfield's Virtues of War. As you may be aware, Pressfield wrote Gates of Fire and Tides of War, among other books. Virtues of War is about Alexander the Great. The book is fantastic. I would recommend it. Also, if you haven't read Gates of Fire, you're missing a real treat.
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dennisw is offline
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02-05-2005, 11:35
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#2
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Consigliere
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Free Pineland (at last)
Posts: 8,845
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Thanks for the recommendation. Welcome to the Board, fellow SoCal.
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Roguish Lawyer is offline
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02-05-2005, 16:29
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#3
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Guerrilla Chief
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Fayetteville
Posts: 798
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As an amatuer historian, I find Alexender the Great to be a fascinating subject. Is the book in question readily available? I'd like to get my hands on it.
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My fellow Americans, I'm pleased to tell you today that I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes. - Ronald Reagan, 11 August 1984.
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Radar Rider is offline
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02-05-2005, 19:35
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#4
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Area Commander
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Pinehurst,NC
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It was released in October. If you've read much on Alexander the great or seen some of the shit movies recently made, you'll see a broad array of views. However, Steven Pressfield's view makes a lot of sense. Some folks believe an army conquerig the world, crossing the hindu cush, etc. could be led by a homo twit. That these hard core types were led in battle by a momma's boy. I don't see it.
Pressfield shows the brilliance of Alexander and why could do what he did. If you like it, check out gates of fire. The whole Spartan approach to life and battle will blow your mind. Just one quick note. At the battle of thermopoles (sp?) those spartans killed were the nation's nobility. Can you imagine the rockefellers and the Vanderbilts in Iraq?
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dennisw is offline
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02-05-2005, 19:51
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#5
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Free Pineland
Posts: 24,832
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Roguish Lawyer
Thanks for the recommendation. Welcome to the Board, fellow SoCal.
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Actually, he is near the range we use at Raahauge's.
TR
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"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
De Oppresso Liber 01/20/2025
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The Reaper is offline
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02-06-2005, 00:09
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#6
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Area Commander
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Pinehurst,NC
Posts: 1,091
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Before I forget, thanks for the welcome, and yes, i'm about 5 minutes from Raahauge's.
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dennisw is offline
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02-06-2005, 12:19
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#7
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Consigliere
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Free Pineland (at last)
Posts: 8,845
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by The Reaper
Actually, he is near the range we use at Raahauge's.
TR
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Yes, I went to school not far from there and know the area a little. Perhaps I should get out to that range one of these days . . .
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Roguish Lawyer is offline
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03-20-2006, 18:40
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#8
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: LA
Posts: 1,653
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Gates of Fire is outstanding. I highly recommend it for Sluggos.
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Somewhere a True Believer is training to kill you. He is training with minimal food or water, in austere conditions, training day and night. The only thing clean on him is his weapon and he made his web gear. He doesn't worry about what workout to do - his ruck weighs what it weighs, his runs end when the enemy stops chasing him. This True Believer is not concerned about 'how hard it is;' he knows either he wins or dies. He doesn't go home at 17:00, he is home.
He knows only The Cause.
Still want to quit?
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NousDefionsDoc is offline
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03-20-2006, 18:58
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#9
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: America, the Beautiful
Posts: 3,193
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Will check it out - just put it on order.
Thanks.
Last edited by Warrior-Mentor; 03-20-2006 at 19:01.
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Warrior-Mentor is offline
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03-20-2006, 23:41
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#10
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Guerrilla
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: The state that can't count it's ballots.
Posts: 429
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by dennisw
Pressfield shows the brilliance of Alexander and why could do what he did. If you like it, check out gates of fire. The whole Spartan approach to life and battle will blow your mind. Just one quick note. At the battle of thermopoles (sp?) those spartans killed were the nation's nobility. Can you imagine the rockefellers and the Vanderbilts in Iraq?
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I wouldn't say it was the nations nobility, King Leonidas hand picked the very best of his army for the Battle of Thermopylae. I haven't read Gates of Fire but I'll look for it tomorrow. Did the Gates of Fire mention anything about the contingent of Thespians and Thebans that stayed behind as well?
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"Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me".
-Isaiah 6:8
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Spartan359 is offline
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03-21-2006, 00:04
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#11
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Guerrilla Chief
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Idaho
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Spartan359
Did the Gates of Fire mention anything about the contingent of Thespians and Thebans that stayed behind as well?
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Yes it did, as well as the helot troops involved. FWIW, I also enjoyed Tides of War by Pressfield, possibly moreso than Gates of Fire. But YMMV.
Regards,
Aric
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DPRK should be next...
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aricbcool is offline
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03-21-2006, 01:07
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#12
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Area Commander
Join Date: Feb 2005
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Quote:
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I wouldn't say it was the nations nobility, King Leonidas hand picked the very best of his army for the Battle of Thermopylae.
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Actually in the Gates of Fire, Pressfield explains the methodology behind the folks chosen. I would share it with you, but it would take away from reading the book. I'm not sure if what Pressfield wrote was based upon research or poetic license, but it was pretty interesting.
If his novel is accurate, it was the standard practice for the nobility to fight. They felt it was their obligation, and to shrirk this duty was to be less then a Spartan. One of the issues discussed in the book was derived from their method of fighting. There was great weight given to the question: can I trust this man to be on my left or to be on their my right. Their methodology to test young men going into training was pretty extreme.
I know the nation of Greece has bestow various honors on Pressfield to thank him for the four books he has written. Gives me the impression that he's probably fairly accurate. I know the information contained in Virtues of War is pretty consistent with what I have read about Alexander the Great.
I also liked the Tides of War and learned a lot of interesting information from reading it. I know everyone that I have spoken with who has read Gates of Fire or Virtues of War has really enjoyed them.
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Let us conduct ourselves in such a fashion that all nations wish to be our friends and all fear to be our enemies. The Virtues of War - Steven Pressfield
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dennisw is offline
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03-21-2006, 01:09
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#13
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Area Commander
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Pinehurst,NC
Posts: 1,091
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Quote:
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Perhaps I should get out to that range one of these days . . .
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If any of the folks on this board make it out this way, please let me know.
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Let us conduct ourselves in such a fashion that all nations wish to be our friends and all fear to be our enemies. The Virtues of War - Steven Pressfield
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dennisw is offline
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03-21-2006, 12:03
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#14
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: LA
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Spartan359
I wouldn't say it was the nations nobility, King Leonidas hand picked the very best of his army for the Battle of Thermopylae. I haven't read Gates of Fire but I'll look for it tomorrow. Did the Gates of Fire mention anything about the contingent of Thespians and Thebans that stayed behind as well?
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Actually, it was a sire call-up.
Yes. Much credit given helots and Thespians.
For those looking for mindset in a story, this is a good one.
__________________
Somewhere a True Believer is training to kill you. He is training with minimal food or water, in austere conditions, training day and night. The only thing clean on him is his weapon and he made his web gear. He doesn't worry about what workout to do - his ruck weighs what it weighs, his runs end when the enemy stops chasing him. This True Believer is not concerned about 'how hard it is;' he knows either he wins or dies. He doesn't go home at 17:00, he is home.
He knows only The Cause.
Still want to quit?
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NousDefionsDoc is offline
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