20. Game of Thrones: The Horrifying True Story Behind A Song of Ice and Fire
6/29/20261 hr 27 min
What real-world historical events and figures inspired the political conflicts in Westeros? Is George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones better than J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings? And, is it likely that George R.R. Martin will ever finish the A Song of Ice and Fire series?
Join Dominic Sandbrook and Tabitha Syrett as they delve into the fascinating story behind the writing of A Game of Thrones, the world it was born of, and the novel itself.
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsDominic Sandbrook· Host0:01
This episode is brought to you by The Folio Society.
Tabitha Syrett· Host0:05
A Game of Thrones is a story built on kingdoms, banners, and bloodlines, where loyalty is fragile and power is always shifting.
Dominic Sandbrook· Host0:13
George R.R. Martin's world feels so immersive because Westeros is governed by history. From Dawn to Castle Black and beyond the wall, there is no such thing as neutral ground or, of course, harmless hospitality.
Tabitha Syrett· Host0:28
Folio Society brings that sense of detail into the reading experience right from the very first pages of A Song of Ice and Fire.
Dominic Sandbrook· Host0:35
So it's beautifully illustrated by Jonathan Burton, and the book has a fold-out map. It's got these amazing illustrations of the house sigils. It's got family trees. And all of this brings the scale of the world and the complexity of its tangled loyalties to life. Folio's A Game of Thrones is available now, with a limited edition launching on the 14th of July.
Tabitha Syrett· Host1:00
You can order A Game of Thrones and explore the other books we keep coming back to at foliosociety.com/thebookclub. That's foliosociety.com/thebookclub.
Speaker 31:12
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