disciple

Some good ones I own are:

My System - by Nimzovitch

Morphy's Games of Chess - by Sergeant

The Immortal Games of Capablanca - by Reinfeld

I used to own "Winning Chess Combinations" by Tal, but I cannot find a copy at a reasonable price. Suggestions? (I am unrated, but play am best challenged by players in the 1600 - 1800 USCF rating level). Thanks.

Recently, in the R&S forum here at Y!A, somebody said regarding the basis for this movie:

No. it was inspired by an actual battle between the Spartans and Persians. The movie is decent at the historical accuracy.

Just how decent, precisely? I didn't see the whole movie, but I caught glimpses where monsters - golem or nephilim, I suppose - were fighting the Spartans. Is this historical? Who, if anybody, gave the battle this slant - Herodotus, Simonides or Aeschylus? That would probably be some interesting reading; I'd like to check it out. I figured it was just Hollywood doing its thing with Xerxes' elite lancers, who were named "Immortals" if I remember correctly.

Has anybody come across this interpretation in any of their readings about Thermopylae? I'm intrigued because, if there is an historical reference, it would seem to corroborate the Biblical idea of the nephilim from within the framework of secular history. I doubt these creatures are mentioned by Herodotus. Thanks.