The House of Percy resounds throughout Shakespeare's history plays, the Wars of the Roses and the centuries-long Anglo-Scottish Wars. In the Middle Ages, the earls of Northumberland were famed, or notorious, as the Kings in the North, a region they ran almost as an hereditary domain. Alexander Rose traces the history of this ancient and sometimes haughty dynasty, from the moment William de Percy stepped into England alongside William the Conqueror to the waning of the medieval era after the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. The book considers the family within its broader context of British history - too often regarded as purely 'Southern English' history - and offers readers the grand sweep of Anglo-Scottish history from the perspective of individuals. The Percys' commanding role in the English wars against Scotland, as well as their part in the Hundred Years War, the Crusades and the politics of the time, feature prominently. Today, as the United Kingdom threatens to crack into its constituent parts,KINGS IN THE NORTH shows us how and why it came together in the first place.

King Kieri's realm has been destabilised by political wrangling and his court is blind to the dangers - until an assassination attempt on their king. And when this backfires, Kieri's enemies start planning an invasion using dragonfire, a force unseen for hundreds of years. In King Mikeli's adjoining kingdom, his crown is threatened by a bandit prince. Alured the Black claims his lineage gives him dominion over all the lands. His ambition is boundless, his methods are ruthless and he will not be swayed from his goal, whether or not it undermines a region already on the brink of war. Dark mages also watch for weakness and hunger for their own lost powers. The Kings of the North must plan wisely, as disaster is a sword's breadth away.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • THE BOOK BEHIND THE FIFTH SEASON OF THE ACCLAIMED HBO SERIES GAME OF THRONES Don’t miss the thrilling sneak peek of George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire: Book Six, The Winds of Winter Dubbed “the American Tolkien” by Time magazine, George R. R. Martin has earned international acclaim for his monumental cycle of epic fantasy. Now the #1 New York Times bestselling author delivers the fifth book in his landmark series—as both familiar faces and surprising new forces vie for a foothold in a fragmented empire. A DANCE WITH DRAGONS In the aftermath of a colossal battle, the future of the Seven Kingdoms hangs in the balance—beset by newly emerging threats from every direction. In the east, Daenerys Targaryen, the last scion of House Targaryen, rules with her three dragons as queen of a city built on dust and death. But Daenerys has thousands of enemies, and many have set out to find her. As they gather, one young man embarks upon his own quest for the queen, with an entirely different goal in mind. Fleeing from Westeros with a price on his head, Tyrion Lannister, too, is making his way to Daenerys. But his newest allies in this quest are not the rag-tag band they seem, and at their heart lies one who could undo Daenerys’s claim to Westeros forever. Meanwhile, to the north lies the mammoth Wall of ice and stone—a structure only as strong as those guarding it. There, Jon Snow, 998th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, will face his greatest challenge. For he has powerful foes not only within the Watch but also beyond, in the land of the creatures of ice. From all corners, bitter conflicts reignite, intimate betrayals are perpetrated, and a grand cast of outlaws and priests, soldiers and skinchangers, nobles and slaves, will face seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Some will fail, others will grow in the strength of darkness. But in a time of rising restlessness, the tides of destiny and politics will lead inevitably to the greatest dance of all. Praise for A Dance with Dragons “Filled with vividly rendered set pieces, unexpected turnings, assorted cliffhangers and moments of appalling cruelty, A Dance with Dragons is epic fantasy as it should be written: passionate, compelling, convincingly detailed and thoroughly imagined.”—The Washington Post “Long live George Martin . . . a literary dervish, enthralled by complicated characters and vivid language, and bursting with the wild vision of the very best tale tellers.”—The New York Times

Get the beautiful book that presents the history of the Minnesota Vikings football team, with full-color photography and fascinating text. The Minnesota Vikings are a proud and storied franchise. Some of the NFL's all-time best players--and all-time great teams--have donned the purple and gold. Each season is precious to the fans, whether we won three games or thirteen, because it reminds us of special memories: trips to the stadium with parents and children, watching on TV with neighbors and friends, shared camaraderie with strangers, and more. Author, historian, and lifelong Vikings fan Chad Israelson presents the perfect gift for Minnesota sports fans. Kings of the North collects the team's rich history and pairs it with professional, full-color photography to create a stunning book for any coffee table or bookshelf. It presents a season-by-season summary, which includes the team's schedule, starting lineup, and statistical leaders. Chad also takes a closer look at a few of the best players and greatest wins. The book is rounded out with Chad's picks for every all-decade team. It truly has it all for anyone who loves Minnesota's favorite team! Book Features Fascinating summary of every Minnesota football season Schedules, starting lineups, and statistical leaders The author's picks for every all-decade team Full-color photography from throughout the Vikings' history

NOW THE ACCLAIMED HBO SERIES GAME OF THRONES—THE MASTERPIECE THAT BECAME A CULTURAL PHENOMENON Winter is coming. Such is the stern motto of House Stark, the northernmost of the fiefdoms that owe allegiance to King Robert Baratheon in far-off King’s Landing. There Eddard Stark of Winterfell rules in Robert’s name. There his family dwells in peace and comfort: his proud wife, Catelyn; his sons Robb, Brandon, and Rickon; his daughters Sansa and Arya; and his bastard son, Jon Snow. Far to the north, behind the towering Wall, lie savage Wildings and worse—unnatural things relegated to myth during the centuries-long summer, but proving all too real and all too deadly in the turning of the season. Yet a more immediate threat lurks to the south, where Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King, has died under mysterious circumstances. Now Robert is riding north to Winterfell, bringing his queen, the lovely but cold Cersei, his son, the cruel, vainglorious Prince Joffrey, and the queen’s brothers Jaime and Tyrion of the powerful and wealthy House Lannister—the first a swordsman without equal, the second a dwarf whose stunted stature belies a brilliant mind. All are heading for Winterfell and a fateful encounter that will change the course of kingdoms. Meanwhile, across the Narrow Sea, Prince Viserys, heir of the fallen House Targaryen, which once ruled all of Westeros, schemes to reclaim the throne with an army of barbarian Dothraki—whose loyalty he will purchase in the only coin left to him: his beautiful yet innocent sister, Daenerys.

The Epic of Kings, Hero Tales of Ancient Persia Firdausi - The Epic of Kings, Hero Tales of Ancient Persia (The Shahnameh) is an epic poem by the Persian poet Firdausi, written between 966 and 1010 AD. Telling the past of the Persian empire, using a mix of the mythical and historical, it is regarded as a literary masterpiece. Not only important to the Persian culture, it is also important to modern day followers of the Zoroastrianism religion. It is said that the poem was Firdausi's efforts to preserve the memory of Persia's golden days, following the fall of the Sassanid empire. The poem contains, among others, mentions of the romance of Zal and Rudba, Alexander the Great, the wars with Afrsyb, and the romance of Bijan and Manijeh.

This book explores the representation of the warrior in relation to the king in early north-west Europe. These essays, by scholars from the areas of Norse, Celtic and Anglo-Saxon studies, examine how medieval writers highlighted the role of the warrior in relation to kings, or to authority, and to society as a whole. The warrior who fought for his people was also a danger to them. How was such a destructive force to be controlled? The Christian church sought to challenge the ethos of the pagan tribal warrior and to reduce the barbarism of warfare (at least its worst excesses). We can follow this struggle in the medieval literature produced in the areas under study. Content Includes: Marged Haycock (U Aberystwyth), Poets and the Welsh experience c.600-1300; Charles Doherty (U College Dublin), Warrior and king in Early Ireland; Jan Erik Rekdal (U Oslo), The medieval king: Christian king and fearless warrior; Ralph O'Connor (U Aberdeen), Monsters of the tribe: berserk fury, shapeshifting and social dysfunction in TÃ?Â?Ã?¡in BÃ?Â?Ã?Â3 CÃ?Â?Ã?°ailnge, Egils saga and HrÃ?Â?Ã?Â3lfs saga kraka; Morgan Thomas Davies (Colgate U), Warrior Time; Ian Beuermann (Nordeuropa-Institut, Berlin), Warriors and rulers in Old Norse texts from c.1200; Jon Gunnar JÃ?Â?Ã?Â, rgensen (U Oslo), Presentations of King Ã?Â?Ã?Â?lÃ?Â?Ã?¡fr Haraldsson the Saint in medieval poetry and prose; Stefka G. Eriksen (U Oslo), The role and identity of the warrior: self-reflection and awareness in Old Norse literary and social spaces. [Subject: Norse, Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies, Medieval History, Medieval Literature, Ireland & Scandinavia]

The perfect gift for fans of HBO's Game of Thrones—a boxed set featuring the first four novels! George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series has become, in many ways, the gold standard for modern epic fantasy. Martin—dubbed the "American Tolkien" by Time magazine—has created a world that is as rich and vital as any piece of historical fiction, set in an age of knights and chivalry and filled with a plethora of fascinating, multidimensional characters that you love, hate to love, or love to hate as they struggle for control of a divided kingdom. This bundle includes the following novels: A GAME OF THRONES A CLASH OF KINGS A STORM OF SWORDS A FEAST FOR CROWS

The Circus Kings, first published in 1960 and authored by a nephew of the original Ringling Brothers, is a fascinating insider's account of circus life and lore. From humble beginnings in Baraboo, Wisconsin, the Ringling family would go on to create "The Greatest Show on Earth," delighting audiences across America. Along the way, however, were the behind-the-scenes financial struggles, tragedies such as fires and labor strikes, legal battles, and changing entertainment tastes. Henry Ringling North ran Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus from 1936 to 1967, along with his older brother, John. Included are 18 pages of photographs.