Game of Thrones and the Medieval Art of War by Ken Monschein, is just what he himself labels it: “an entire book on the rather nerdy and troublesome subject of how medieval warfare is reflected in a fantasy book series.” It’s also an extremely informative and often entertaining one, and in addition does the service of “rebut [ting] the pop-culture Middle Ages as a Jurassic World of resurrected straight white male barbarians out of a Frazetta painting.” Whether you’re a fan of the TV series or of medieval-era fantasy, an aspiring writer of said fantasy, or someone interested in delving into the actual history, Monschein offers up an erudite and well-written book to meet your needs, one that hits a welcome sweet spot on the spectrum from academia to popular writing.

The chapters include ones on knights and chivalry, armor, weapons, fighting styles, fighting in the form of wars, duels, and tournaments, wartime economics, women warriors, the intersection of conquest and culture, and a listing/description of various medieval atrocities. Each of these covers both the presentation of the subject in the series and their actual historical reality, including handling relatively complex topics of culture and economics and cause and effect. In doing so, Monschein draws on not only his academic expertise (and lots of primary source materials), but also on his personal experience as a fencer, jouster, and member of the Society of Creative Anachronism

The knighthood chapter explains the development of knights, the process of becoming one, the impact of Christianity, the knightly “virtues,” military orders, and courtly love, always tying it back to the novels, such as in the discussion on whether there really were such things as “hedge knights” or how accurate Martin’s grim depiction of knighthood actually is (pretty accurate is the decision).

The armor and weapons follow a similar pattern of exploring the historical developments (making iron, crafting plate mail, etc.) and then discussing them in the context of the show. He points out, for instance, that Martin accurately depicts armor in GoT as varying due to geography and culture, sticking to decorative armor for special events (ornamentation only made it easier for blows to strike with more force rather than glancing off, which is why, he explains, the common depiction of Viking helmets with horns derives from theater, not history), He also delves into “boob armor,” pointing out how Brienne’s armor actually makes sense. With weapons, we get the difference between two-handed, bastard, long swords and other types as well as the various smithing technologies, such as the prized Damascus steel, which he likens to Valryian swords in Westeros. The Braavosi swords (like Arya’s Needle) and the Dothraki arakh also get some page time, with Monschein explaining why the arakh is “optimal for the nomadic equestrian culture.” Nor does Monschein limit his discussion to swords, bringing in for example hammers, axes, and bows as well. Even wildfire (like “medieval napalm” he says) makes an appearance. The topic of weaponry is broadened as well to the question of why Westeros seems somewhat in a rut, connecting its conservatism to several causes, including one I certainly never would have considered—the lack of mills (which equals a lack in “the ability to refine more and better iron.”).

The sword fighting section is equally detailed and, like everything in here, well sourced, pulling from several extant manuals. As for the existence of someone like Brienne of Tarth, Monschein points to a pair of female gladiators (Barsena Blackhair and Senaera She-Snake) among other historical women warriors. He delves more deeply into this topic in the separate chapter on women warriors, explaining four “types: Shieldmaidens/Spearwives (Ygritte), leaders (Catelyn), transgressors/criminals (Arya), legitimate fighters (Brienne. Again, he offers up well documented historical examples of each type. Later, he’ll do the same in the chapter on culture and conquest in discussing the diversity of the Middle Ages and how their view of “race” is not our own

When it comes to depictions of battles and sieges, Monschein is willing to accept what he calls the “exigencies of the plot,” which for instance require that Ramsey makes a ridiculous decision to exit a well-stocked castle and give battle on the field to an outnumbered force of attacker (he also, to my great appreciation, notes what is my least favorite part of that whole battle—Rickon’s complete idiocy in running straight down the path while Ramsay is launching arrows at him). Even while conceding that “Ramsay was extraordinarily stupid,” Monschein accepts that the choices, while not militaristically justifiable, did “make for dramatic viewing,” and were even given some “rationalization” thank to the earlier characterization of those involved, leaving the whole thing “on the knife edge of the plausible.” Mostly, though, he argues that “Martin handles military strategy in a deeply realistic manner.”

The same evaluation is made with Martin’s portrayal of Westeros’s wartime economy, which Monschein labels a “consistent [and] rather brilliant . . . depiction not only of a medieval economy in the extreme conditions of a world where winter can last for ten years, but also premodern high finance.”

In fact, while he has some quibbles here and there, and points out of a few examples where Martin doesn’t nail things down, all in all his view is quite positive as to whether or not Martin presents an accurate, realistic view of the Middle Ages with regard to warfare/fighting. Even with regard to what is often a complaint of Martin’s work—its somewhat unremittent grimness and horror, which Monschein clearly shows in his last (perhaps difficult to read for some) chapter detailing a host of historical atrocities that make the Red Wedding seem like just a reception that ran out of booze early.

Thoroughly documented, filled with informative and interesting examples, never straying too far or for too long from the GoT series, clearly written and structured, Game of Thrones and the Medieval Art of War is an excellent example of recent books that straddle the world of academia and pop culture. Highly recommended.













.

I enjoy fantasy worlds because I don't have to think about what is realistic and what isn't; that's the point of fantasy. But when I find out fiction is based on historic facts, I always like to compare how the fiction and history balance. For example, I was the one watching The Tudors looking up the history of people involved. Because of this, Game of Thrones and the Medieval Art of War is right up my alley.
Ken Mondschein knows his stuff and the book clearly shows it. Written for fans by a fan, the book looks at what is wrong and what is right with out being overly judgmental. This allows me to enjoy the book with out thinking the author is criticizing my tastes.
I really enjoyed learning about real events and people who were historic predecessors for characters like Brienne or Ramsay. That being said, my favorite moments are when Mondschein chronicles real life tales that are the proverbial "stranger than fiction."
The amount of detail about strategy, weapons and armor are both a strength and a down fall. The author's encyclopedic knowledge is a huge asset for those who are truly interested in the subject. For me, this was too in-depth and I skipped a lot of the details but I was impressed with the author's knowledge and his ability to share those details.
This book is perfect for those who wants to compare fact and fiction. It's an interesting look into a world that is fiction but has it's root in our history.

Like Tolkien's Lord of the Rings mythology, George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones is set in a world that looks like - and is clearly inspired by - our Middle Ages, but isn't actually set in Europe between the fall of Rome and the Renaissance. Instead, Game of Thrones takes place in a fantastical world in which winters last a generation and magic is real. However, given the similarities between our Westeros and Medieval Europe, it's natural to wonder how much Game of Thrones accurately reflects our own history. In Game of Thrones and the Medieval Art of War, Ken Mondschein, an expert on medieval warfare, looks at how Martin's books - and, to a lesser extent, HBO's adaptation - depict medieval warfare.

Like many academic books about history and pop culture, Mondschein's book is at least in part an attempt to encourage fans of pop culture to learn a bit about actual history. And readers will learn quite a bit about the Middle Ages. Mondschein's expertise shines through as he covers everything from different types of armor to the economics of financing wars,. He even includes a chapter about female warriors (with discussions of Brienne, Arya, Asha, Ygritte). Given the range of subjects, it's impressive that Mondschein manages to delve into each topic in so much detail. He's also careful to not oversimplify the subjects, pointing out certain regional variations or trends over time. For example, the look and purpose of armor changed as weapons technology changed.

All of this information can make the book a bit overwhelming for readers unfamiliar with actual medieval history. You'll have to learn about the different types of helmets, parts of a sword, and even some macroeconomics to follow along. Fortunately, Mondschein's enthusiasm for the subject is infectious and he takes the time to explain these concepts to his readers. He even includes a series of photographs of him dressing up in his own custom-made set of medieval armor. Even so, I would recommend having Wikipedia nearby so you can look up unfamiliar terms or names.

So, what does all of this medieval history tell us about Game of Thrones? Mondschein uses the similarities and differences between medieval Europe and Westeros to help explain critical aspects of the story. For example, one of the enduring puzzles of Game of Thrones is why Westerosi society so stagnant. Although we tend to view our Middle Ages as a period of stagnation compared to the Renaissance, the period saw considerable technological and social innovations. 699 C.E. was not the same as 1099 C.E. was not the same as 1399 C.E. Yet, Westerosi technology seems the same as it has been for hundreds - if not thousands - of years. Mondschein argues that the presence of dragons might have forestalled the development of new tools of warfare, such as the cannon, which in turn short-circuited the rise of the modern, centralized state. Moreover, the long winters make agriculture especially difficult, leading to Malthusian cycles of famine and limiting population growth.

I also appreciated that Mondschein tries to reconcile medieval history and Game of Thrones rather than simply dismissing Martin's work as unrealistic. Sometimes scholars simply declare any deviation from real history in a work of speculative fiction to be "unrealistic." Mondschein instead tries to explain discrepancies using history. For example, he notes that both labor and commodity prices tended to be relatively cheap during the War of the Five Kings, which seems like a contradiction. However, he also notes that the war takes place at the end of a long summer, which likely led to a population boom and made commodities such as grain and horses more abundant. He even uses this analysis to explain discrepancies between prices in the A Song of Ice and Fire saga and in The Tales of Dunk and Egg, a series of short stories by Martin set during the Westerosi spring. In short, Martin's world makes more sense once you learn a bit more about our own.

That said, Game of Thrones and the Medieval Art of War doesn't explore what, if anything, Martin's world teaches us about our own (aside from sparking interest in medieval history). The best fantasy stories aren't just escapism, but rather hold a mirror up to our society so we can better understand ourselves. For example, one of the most prominent themes in Game of Thrones is that people too often focus on narrow, short-term interests (for example, the Iron Throne) while ignoring longer-term threats (the White Walkers). This is why some reviewers can credibly argue that the story is secretly all about climate change. Mondschein touches upon these questions a bit in the introduction, but more in the negative. He seems to partly blame fantasy literature for the rise of white supremacism and misogyny in the United States. Although I share his concerns about our political culture, this introduction seems more like a reaction to the 2016 election than an analysis of Game of Thrones. Indeed, later in the book Mondschein notes that Martin handles issues of gender and ethnic diversity much better than most fantasy authors.

Ultimately, Game of Thrones and the Medieval Art of War is a fascinating read for fans of George R.R. Martin's oeuvre, but especially for fans who are also interested in real medieval history. This survey of warfare in medieval Europe might just help you better appreciate Martin's world-building.

[Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.]