Giveaway—’You Win or You Die: The Ancient World of Game of Thrones’
By Dan Selcke
It’s no secret that George R.R. Martin based his A Song of Ice and Fire series on real-life events. The War of the Roses is often cited as a touchpoint, as is the Hundred Years’ War. In her book You Win or You Die: The Ancient World of Game of Thrones, classics professor Ayelet Haimon Lushkov looks even further back, exploring the inspirations behind things like the Valyrian Empire and the Wall, things that predate the timeline of the show by hundreds of years.
The book is published by I.B. Tauris. Here’s the description on the inside of the front cover:
"If the Middle Ages form the present-day backdrop to the continents of Westeros and Essos, then antiquity is their resonant past. The Known World is haunted by the remnants of distance and powerful civilizations, without whose presence the novels of George R.R. Martin and the ever popular HBO show would lose much of their meaning and appeal.In this essential companion to Game of Thrones and the ideas behind it, Ayelet Haimon Lushkov explores the echoes, from the Summer Islands to Storm’s End, of a rich and fascinating antique history.She reveals how the Valyrian Freehold mimics the power and might of Ancient Rome. She demonstrates just how the Wall and the Wildlings advancing on it connect with Hadrian’s bulwark against fierce tribes of Picts. She shows how the wanderings of Tyrion Lannister replay the epic journeys of Odysseus and Aeneas. She suggests that the War of the Five Kings resembles the War of the Four Emperors (68-9 AD). And she discloses how politics and court intrigue — the cruel and calculating ‘game of thrones’ itself — is rooted in the blood-soaked politics of the roman Empire. Above all, this book reveals the remarkable extent to which the entire Game of Thrones universe is animated by its ancient past."
Sounds like a fun summer beach read, assuming you can spare enough time away from the living room while the new season of Game of Thrones is airing.
To stay up to date on everything Game of Thrones, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.
Anyway, we’re giving away three copies of this book to fans. And unlike a few of our past giveaways, this one is open to anyone in the world! So come one, come all.
Here’s how the giveaway works: on this upcoming Monday — July 30 — we’re going to break down “The Queen’s Justice” on WiC Live, our Game of Thrones aftershow. We’re gonna stream the show live on our Facebook page at 10:00 a.m. CST. We’ll kick off the show with a trivia question about Game of Thrones or A Song of Ice and Fire. When we ask the question, leave the answer in the comments!
After the show is over, we’ll reach out via Facebook to the first three people to leave correct answers, and ask for a full name and address. If you get back to us with those things within 24 hours, we’ll send you copies of You Win or You Die: The Ancient World of Game of Thrones! If you take longer than 24 hours, we’ll choose the person who left a correct answer second quickest, and so on until we get usable responses.
We hope to see you on Monday. For clarification, see the full, official rules below.
This giveaway is open to anyone on Earth. Void where prohibited by law. Limited to one entry per person.
To win these prizes, hopeful entrants must go to our Facebook page at 10:00 a.m. CST on Monday, July 31, 2018 and watch WiC Live, where we will ask a trivia question. The first three people to leave correct answers to the trivia question will be eligible to receive a copy ofYou Win or You Die: The Ancient World of Game of Thrones, valued at $35.00, and a Hand of the Queen Bottle Opener, valued at $15.99. Within 24 hours of WiC Live ending, we’ll contact the three entrants who left their correct answers quickest. We’ll write those entrants on Facebook and ask for their full name and address. Entrants must respond to our message within 24 hours. Otherwise, they will be disqualified and we’ll move on to the entrant who left their correct answer second quickest, and so on until we get a usable response.
Neither WiC, FanSided, nor Time Inc. is responsible for any damage to computer equipment related to participating in this promotion. Items being distributed are not transferable or redeemable for cash. Consumers who obtain items are responsible for any and all taxes. Promotion begins at on 7/31/17 at 10:00 a.m. CST and ends at 11:00 a.m. CST that same day. Writers at Winter is Coming, employees at FanSided, and employees at Time Inc. or any related companies are not eligible to enter or win. The winners may be required to complete affidavits or eligibility and waiver of liability/publicity releases before prize(s) can be awarded. Facebook is neither a sponsor or co-sponsor of this promotion. Sponsor: TI Media Solutions, Inc., 225 Liberty Street, NY, NY 10281.
Your California Privacy Rights
Next: HBO confirms details about Game of Thrones spinoffs
Watch Game of Thrones for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels.