{"product_id":"a-boy-of-the-agoge-9781604944747","title":"A Boy of the Agoge","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe smaller of twins, born long after two elder brothers, Leonidas was considered an afterthought from birth -- even by his mother. Lucky not to be killed for being undersized, he was not raised as a prince like his eldest brother, Cleomenes, who was heir to the throne, but instead had to endure the harsh upbringing of ordinary Spartan youth. Barefoot, always a little hungry, and subject to harsh discipline, Leonidas had to prove himself worthy of Spartan citizenship. Struggling to survive without disgrace, he never expected that one day he would be king or chosen to command the combined Greek forces fighting a Persian invasion. But these were formative years that would one day make him the most famous Spartan of them all: the hero of Thermopylae.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis is the first book in a trilogy of biographical novels about Leonidas of Sparta. This first book describes his childhood in the infamous Spartan agoge. The second will focus on his years as an ordinary citizen, and the third will describe his reign and death.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHelena P. Schrader holds a PhD in history from the University of Hamburg, which she earned with her groundbreaking biography of General Friedrich Olbricht, the mastermind behind the Valkyrie plot against Hitler. She has published four nonfiction works on modern history and has been published in academic journals including \u003cem\u003eSparta: Journal of Ancient Spartan\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eGreek History\u003c\/em\u003e. Helena has done extensive research on ancient and archaic Sparta. She has combined her research with common sense and a deep understanding of human nature to create a refreshingly unorthodox portrayal of Spartan society in this biographical trilogy of Leonidas, as well as in her three previously published novels, \u003cem\u003eThe Olympic Charioteer\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eAre They Singing in Sparta?\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eSpartan Slave, Spartan Queen\u003c\/em\u003e. Visit her website at www.helena-schrader.com or learn more about Sparta from her website Sparta Reconsidered at www.elysiumgates.com\/ helena.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSchrader, Helena P.:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - Award-winning novelist Helena P. Schrader has a PhD in history. She has published nonfiction books on the German resistance to Hitler, the Berlin airlift, and women in aviation in World War II. Her novels are set in ancient Sparta, the Crusades, and WWII. Visit her website, helenapschrader.com, for more information and reviews of her publications. Helena is a career diplomat currently serving in Africa. For more about the crusader kingdoms, visit defenderofjerusalem.com or follow her blog: defendingcrusaderkingdoms.blogspot.com.","brand":"Wheatmark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50641453482258,"sku":"9781604944747","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_fefe9760-23ae-430d-beb1-b5a5b5121539.jpg?v=1733017657","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/a-boy-of-the-agoge-9781604944747","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}