A Pre-Flo Rida History Lesson
That's right, Liotta has to head to the land of apple bottom jeans, boots with the fur, and all the homeboys lookin' at....well, me, of course. (What, you think Uncle Ray don't truck with the club scene? Pssh!)
But while I'm in the land of coke and retirement communities, I thought I might pass this bit along to you. Kelly DeVries, Professor of History at Loyola U. in Maryland, just published this article about A Game of Thrones as history, and the relative realism (or lack thereof) that the series possesses. It's not too long and gives some interesting backstory, some o which you probably knew, but a few items that you might not have been privy to.
Perhaps my favorite quote is in the beginnings of the article, when DeVries notes that "the real Middle Ages were very boring -- and if Martin's epic were truly historically accurate, it would be very boring too." So perhaps I've been looking at AFFC and ADWD all wrong--maybe in these last two books he's just been sacrificing excitement for realism, like a true scholar of the age. If that is the case, then bravo, dear sir.
Regardless of my snarky remarks on old George, the article itself is pretty interesting. Since Pesci has always had a better mind for history than I have, I need the occasional backstories and reminders about the roots of some of GRRM's inspirations. (Oddly enough--or perhaps not at all--is that the items DeVries details in his article are pretty much the most interesting parts of the series. DeVries wisely avoids listing off the historical precursors to scenes such as "Catelyn cries underneath a tree" and "Everyone in Dorne sits around and talks about bullshit for a hundred pages.")
Anyway, enjoy the reading. I'll see you all in a few!
But while I'm in the land of coke and retirement communities, I thought I might pass this bit along to you. Kelly DeVries, Professor of History at Loyola U. in Maryland, just published this article about A Game of Thrones as history, and the relative realism (or lack thereof) that the series possesses. It's not too long and gives some interesting backstory, some o which you probably knew, but a few items that you might not have been privy to.
Perhaps my favorite quote is in the beginnings of the article, when DeVries notes that "the real Middle Ages were very boring -- and if Martin's epic were truly historically accurate, it would be very boring too." So perhaps I've been looking at AFFC and ADWD all wrong--maybe in these last two books he's just been sacrificing excitement for realism, like a true scholar of the age. If that is the case, then bravo, dear sir.
Regardless of my snarky remarks on old George, the article itself is pretty interesting. Since Pesci has always had a better mind for history than I have, I need the occasional backstories and reminders about the roots of some of GRRM's inspirations. (Oddly enough--or perhaps not at all--is that the items DeVries details in his article are pretty much the most interesting parts of the series. DeVries wisely avoids listing off the historical precursors to scenes such as "Catelyn cries underneath a tree" and "Everyone in Dorne sits around and talks about bullshit for a hundred pages.")
Anyway, enjoy the reading. I'll see you all in a few!