By Steven Pressfield
‘The Warrior Ethos’ is a book written by former Marine Steven Pressfield and is a short compilation of concepts and stories based on historical events that discuss the ‘warrior ethos’ and describe what it means to be a warrior. This book uses examples set by Alexander the Great, King Leonidas and other historical figures to show how throughout history great leaders and warriors have led by example and fought with the professionalism and dedication to duty of a true warrior without ever betraying their comrades or their honor.
The Warrior Ethos first explores the ingrained instincts that make humans warriors. From being lured to sin by the serpent in the Garden of Eden to becoming hunter-gatherers …show more content…
Although the book is admittedly brief, it makes its points concisely and effectively without being overly wordy or rambling. Much of the ideology that The Warrior Ethos discusses is familiar to Marines as it runs parallel to a large majority of training that Marines encountered throughout boot camp with emphasis put on honor and commitment to a cause, as well as courage in the face of hardships and death. In reading this book many Marines will be familiar with the warrior ethos and what it entails, although perhaps some of the historical context of such an ethos may not be common knowledge to many individuals. In exploring the background of this ethos and explaining how it has been used by many armies for centuries, the reader can better understand how this ethos can be applied to real-life and see examples in which this ethos was implemented and lived-out day-to-day by warriors throughout history. The short stories of historical figures such as King Leonidas and Alexander the Great can also provide some inspiration and motivation for young Marines looking for role models or characters on which to model themselves, and may even drive some Marines to conduct their own further research into the history of warriors and warfare. This book is very effective in hitting upon the most important points of the warrior ethos and does so in a book that took me less than an hour to