Our Little Spartan Cousin of Long Ago

This book tells the story of Chartas, a young Spartan growing up during the years immediately preceding the Persian War. Many Spartan customs are described and the manner in which young boys were raised from an early age to be soldiers is well portrayed. The book closes before the famous battle of Thermopylae, but the events in Greece leading up to the war are covered and several well-known Spartans who played a role in that conflict are introduced.