Mount Orégano

You might think that somewhere behind the historically silly movie 300 and its new sequel, 300: Rise of an Empire, there’s something interesting. Yes, there is. The events pseudo-depicted in the films actually happened, and the battle of Salamis changed the course of Western Civilization.



I’d like to recommend a realistic historical novel about it, Salamis, by Javier Negrete, an award-winning Spanish writer. Like all his work, the story is taut, three-dimensional, and rich in detail. And accurate. Negrete has a degree in Classical Languages – he speaks Ancient Greek. That helps a lot.

Right now, the novel is still being translated into English and should be available later this year. Meanwhile, you sample the beginning and see if it’s what you were hoping for:

The Man of Salamis. Part 1: The Road to Marathon
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IUJP0JE

History doesn’t get treated better than this.

— Sue Burke