The series is set on the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos and interweaves several plot lines with a large ensemble cast. The first narrative arc follows a dynastic conflict among competing claimants for succession to the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, with other noble families fighting for independence from it; the second covers the attempts to reclaim the throne by the exiled last scion of the realm's deposed ruling dynasty; the third chronicles the rising threat of the impending winter and the legendary creatures and fierce peoples of the North.
'The action is swift, taut and convincing, the portrayal of men and situations colourful and alive' (Scotsman). This earlier judgement of Wilbur Smith's writing is magnificently borne out in Hungry as the Sea.
The 'Golden Prince' is deposed: once the flamboyant chairman of a huge shipping consortium, now the captain of a salvage tug – such is the revolution in the life of Nick Berg.
One of the most important problems facing English monarchs in the 14th century was relations with the nobility -- a group of about twenty men of the rank of earl and above. In 1327, a party of nobles deposed and imprisoned Edward II; in 1399, another group deposed Richard II and the leader of the "revolutionary" party then put himself on the throne.
The Three Edwards - War and State in England 1272 - 1377
This book is an excellent introduction to this eventful period in history, offering students of history and the Middle Ages a fascinating insight into the reigns of three very different sovereigns: * Edward I – a confident and masterful conqueror of Wales * Edward II – defeated by the Scots, humiliated and deposed * Edward III – triumphant against the French, but reigned through the ravages of plague.
