Hey, Westeros fans, finally you’re able to get your hands on the bestselling A World of Ice & Fire and if you’ve not yet been convinced to pick it up already then get ready to be, because the publishers have put out this awesome video in order to tempt you to hitting that add to basket button over on Amazon (or an alternative, preferably tax-paying book website of your choice! :)).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoWmU2zmRkI
Here’s the official blurb:
The never-before-seen history of Westeros and the lands beyond. With hundreds of pages of all-new material from George R.R. Martin.
If the past is prologue, then George R.R. Martin’s masterwork—the most inventive and entertaining fantasy saga of our time—warrants one hell of an introduction. At long last, it has arrived with THE WORLD OF ICE AND FIRE.
George R.R. Martin, in collaboration with Elio M. García, Jr. and Linda Antonsson, has written a comprehensive history of the Seven Kingdoms, featuring the epic battles, bitter rivalries, and daring rebellions that lead up to the events in the bestselling A Song of Ice and Fire series.
Collected within this volume is the accumulated knowledge, scholarly speculation, and inherited folk tales of maesters and septons, maegi and singers, including over 170 full-colour illustrations and maps, family trees for the Houses Stark, Lannister and Targaryen, and in-depth explanations of the history and culture of Westeros.
This is the definitive companion volume to George R.R. Martin’s dazzlingly conceived universe; THE WORLD OF ICE AND FIRE is indeed proof that the pen is mightier than a storm of swords.
Of course, with it being release week, there have been a number of media spots.
This one is from the very excellent Suvudu and features George sitting down with Anne Groell (Editor & Random House Executive) to discuss how the project grew into the 300+ page tome:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLFuAtFbg6w
This next one is from Yahoo News and notes that whereas Martin’s contribution to the book was initially going to brief, he ended up sending in over 300,000 words to the project, ‘”I start these things that I think won’t take much time and they grow and grow” and that the Game of Thrones phenomena meant it was a bestseller way, way before release:
Here’s another TV spot where Martin actually gets a few words in about the book and admits that the super fans behind The World of Ice & Fire book actually convinced him to make changes to the books in the series:
And if you enjoyed that clip, the whole 90 minute 92Y version of his conversation with Laura Miller is available here too:
Enjoy!
Jennie Ivins