Since it first aired in 2011, 'Game of Thrones' galloped up the ratings to become the most watched show in HBOs history. It is no secret that creator George R.R. Martin was inspired by late 15th century Europe when writing 'A Song of Ice and Fire', the sprawling saga on which the show is based. Aside from the fantastical elements, 'Game of Thrones' really does mirror historic events and bloody battles of medieval times but how closely? This book provides a collection of thought-provoking essays by medieval historians who explore how the enormously popular HBO series and fantasy literature of George R.R. Martin are both informed by and differ significantly from real historical figures, events, beliefs, and practices of the medieval world