A compelling and provocative read … With a soldier’s eye, Jim Lacey re-creates the battle of Marathon in all its brutal simplicity. -Barry Strauss, author of Masters of Command amp;#160; arathon-one of history’s most pivotal battles. Its name evokes images of almost superhuman courage, endurance, and fighting spirit. In this eye-opening book, acclaimed journalist Jim Lacey takes a fresh look at Marathon and reveals why the battle happened, how it was fought, and whether, in fact, it saved Western civilization. Lacey brilliantly reconstructs the world of the fifth century B.C. leading up to the astonishing military defeat of the Persian Empire by the vastly undermanned Greek defenders. With the kind of vivid detail that characterizes the best modern war reportage, he shows how the heavily armed Persian army was shocked and demoralized by the relentless assault of the Athenian phalanx. He reveals the fascinating aftermath of Marathon, how its fighters became the equivalent of our Greatest Generation, and challenges the legacy and lessons that have often been misunderstood-