Tides of War: A Novel of Alciblades and the Peloponnesian War

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

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.

I was drawn to Tides of War after reading Steven Pressfield's historic epic Gates of Fire, and found it extremely entertaining both in writing craftsmanship and in subject matter. The book's greatness lies not only in the enormous sweep of the Peloponnesian War with all its triumphs and tragedies, but also in the fast-paced and riveting "narrative-within-a-narrative" writing style, which Pressfield uses very successfully. Polemides, a first-person observer narrates the story of the charismatic Alcibiades, who rose to fame as an unsurpassed Athenian general/admiral who, at the height of his rising star, changed allegiance to become a top war leader for rival Sparta. Jason, the legal advocate of Polemides and who renders the second narrative of the book by recounting the war to his grandson, elaborates upon and "fleshes out" the story of Athens' downfall by adding his own experiences as an Athenian admiral and by divulging anecdotal stories of important third party Athenian generals during the war. Pressfield's writing genius is much in evidence for his vivid and majestic description of the departure of the Athenian war fleet for its invasion of Syracuse and for the Alcibiades-led Athenian surprise attack on Spartan-held Ephesus, as well as for Polemides' narration of the crushing, spirit-numbing final Athenian defeat at the hands of the Syracusians. Pressfield's unique prosaic ability accurately captures the dialogue of such diverse characters as Socrates in his discourse on Athenian democracyand the obligation for obedience to its laws, to the coarse, uneducated banter of the common foot soldiers and Athenian street-kids. This book is well worth reading, not only for its highly interesting subject matter, but equally for its masterful presentation by a truly fine historical novelist who is peerless in his knowledge and depiction of ancient Greece.

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.

No one (even inside a university) must know Fifth Century Athens the way Mr. Pressfield does. He brings us into the frame with elegant language reminiscent of the time. Interesting characters, vivid warfare and a compelling saga.Mr. Pressfield is fearless in staging this literary feast. I know of no other author who leads such a passionate charge into ancient history. Where was he when I was trying to grasp history in school. Bravo. Job well done.