Inside HBO's Game of Thrones

by Bryan Cogman, David Benioff (Introduction), D.B. Weiss (Introduction)

HBO's Game of Thrones reigns as cable's highest-rated series. This official companion book gives fans new ways to enter this fictional world and discover more about the beloved (and reviled) characters and the electrifying plotlines. Hundreds of set photos, production and costume designs, storyboards, and insider stories reveal how the show's creators translated George R. R. Martin's best-selling fantasy series into the world of Westeros. Featuring interviews with key actors and crew members that capture the best scripted and unscripted moments from the first two seasons, as well as a preface by George R. R. Martin, this special volume, bound in a lavishly debossed padded cover, offers exclusive access to this unprecedented television series.

Genres: Nonfiction, Reference, Art, Pop Culture, Tv, Film, Media Tie In

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Joost · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wauwzerz, Game of Thrones op papier. Hier kan je mijn recensie lezen: http://nerdygeekyfanboy.com/recensie/...

[Jim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Basically a glossy coffee-table book with general descriptions of the various individuals and backdrops of this complex and entertaining series. Careful not to present spoilers, the narrative is essentially observations from the writers and actors and director concerning the development of action and character, with comments from the author of the books and other, with concepts and fashion mixed it, and a little cheekiness besides. Fans of the series, and I consider myself one, will enjoy the pictures, partly because it gives one the time to really look at the cities, interiors, and such. I hesitated to give it a two, and many will likely assign it a greater number of stars, but really there wasn't much to it, though still enjoyable.

[Arie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book, interesting read and the little insights into characters from the actors and writers is great, but I think there simply isn't quite... enough.

[-Bookish Gal- · Rating 5 out of 5]

"If a large part of your livelihood is adapting source material for the screen, you’re always on the lookout for deep characters, a beautifully crafted and compelling story, passion, violence, intrigue, humanity, and all the ambiguities that come with a fully realized world … and you never find them all in the same place. Except we did. It was exhilarating and terrifying. " - D. B. Weiss, Executive Producer & Head Writer, Game Of Thrones.

This line so aptly describes Martin' mammoth series A Song of Ice and Fire, the inspiration of HBO' insanely amazing series Game of Thrones.

I had never heard of the series or the author until I saw this on TV and had a jaw dropping moment, literally at all that I was seeing. It wasn't your average fantasy drama about a medieval kingdom with knights and princesses in love or princes being conspired against - well not all of it, as I expected it to be but it was a whole new level of crazy shit honestly and I was hooked. I have read fantasy and watched a lot of the genre too in terms of movies and TV shows but nothing of the sort of GOT. Its not just about magic or dragons or the cliche good wins over evil after a million hurdles type of show - its brutal, its violent, its downright sick at times and its terrifying how addictive it can be for the same reasons. There is sex, gore and so much bloodshed you honestly find it creepy and yet you love it. Martin hasn't just written a book about kings at war in a time where sorcery is present - he has created a whole world, characters, that you love or loathe or sometimes find feeling a bit of both.

At times the most unlikeliest character grows on you and you are dumbfounded and downright horrified - when you find yourself pitying an incestuous, arrogant knight who could kill a harmless innocent child without flinching but it seems does have goodness in his heart if given a chance to show.

So of course when I came across a book about the making of the show which is my new addiction I had to read it and it was as enjoyable to learn about the process of the making of a show which is unlike anything I had ever seen or will see probably.

I wanted to know the madmen who could have the courage and be insane enough to be the people behind this magnum opus and the tale of their blood and sweat which we witness every season in 10 episodes each year since the commencement of the show and it was worth the time and effort every bit.

This review can also be found at One reader A thousand lives

[Nermin · Rating 4 out of 5]

“There are no men like me.
Only me.”
—Jaime Lannister

___________________________________________

I think it was the spring of 2012 and one my friends was constantly telling me to watch a show called Game of Thrones. He said I'd like it since I was into fantasy. And I, in return, was telling him that I would watch it soon but it took me some months to fulfill that promise. One day i decided to watch the show partly to shut my friend up (sorry, i'm horrible, I know, if you are reading this:P) and partly because I was really intrigued. So I watched the first episode, and then the second, and then the third and I finished the whole season and the second one in just a few days. I was hooked to the show right from the first episode and decided that I couldn't wait until the next season to find out what happens next . I had to, I had to read the books. And so I did and so did a song of ice and fire become my mostest favoritest book series ever.

I've been obsessed with everything to do with this books since then and I've got the show's producers to thank for that. As much as I like critisicing the show now and then for unnecessary additions, I still love it to bits. And in this book the producers of the show tell us how they managed to adapt Martin's magnum opus for big screen. The book contains preface from Martin, exclusive interviews with actors, producers, costume disagner, etc, and amazing concept art. It also provides a lot of backgroung information about Martin's world, characters, history of ancient families and so on to the fans of the show. The fans of the books are already familiar with a lot of things in this book but it's still an enjoyable read for both of the fans of the show and the books alike.

"PETER DINKLAGE (Tyrion Lannister): Game of Thrones is great storytelling. It crosses genres. I actually don’t see it as a genre piece anymore. These characters are as vibrant and real as anything I have come across in more traditional great fiction. I think it is narrow-minded to put things into separate categories or dismiss them for being in the far corner of your local bookstore. George R. R. Martin created complex, unforgettable, extremely realistic characters. People seem to think that HBO took a risk. I wish more of us did."

[Ozana Ozzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is great guide book for fans or first time viewers of now mega popular HBO's show Game of Thrones based on fantastic saga Songs of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin.

Gorgeus cover with beautiful picturs of locations and actors, every part of Westeros and 7 Kingdoms are maped and described with some fact about filming and script what average viewer didn't know, for example how The great Wall is filmed and build for the show.

This book is great guide worth haveing just to enter to fabulous world of Martin's fantasy and with one look at pictures you can imagine complexity of filming such elaborate story.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this serendipitously while at the library, and it has come handy because I just started watching season two and I get a bit lost with the genealogy some times. It focuses on the script, the production and the cast. I found it entertaining and useful, but so was the outstanding HBO website to resolve questions when I was getting confused with some characters. I have bought the first book of the series, but I am enjoying the TV show so much that I don't know when I might feel motivated to read it. It is more than 900 pages. . .

[Thomas Edmund · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inside HBO's Game of Thrones compiles, photos, interviews, background and all manner of behind the scenes type paraphernalia related to the awesome Game of Thrones TV series.

Fans of the TV series alone will find an enjoyable summary of characters and locales. Fans of the books will probably enjoy the insights from show creators and actors, into the characters. Reading this will not provide any further insight into the world than from the novels however, so only really recommended for truly devoted fans of the television show in particular.

For a highlight checkout the odd practical jokes played on the actors - revealed on the last few pages.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fantastic companion book. It contained background and history on the world, character profiles, summaries of the locations and the Houses, interviews with the cast and crew and beautiful photos and concept art illustrations.

While I wish there had been a little more content, I loved reading the actors’ thoughts on their own character and their relationship with other characters. I also particularly liked that the book provided further insights and extra details on how some of the key moments from the TV show were created.

This is definitely one for the collection if you are a Game of Thrones fan.

[Inês Beato · Rating 5 out of 5]

Para uma amante da saga épica de George RR Martin, que depois se apaixonou também pela série, como é o meu caso, este livro acaba por ser uma guloseima deliciosa!
Nele encontramos fotos magníficas, análise das personagens através do autor, dos realizadores e produtores, bem como dos actores que lhes dão vida. Mostra-nos também como se construíram alguns dos cenários mais emblemáticos da série e da luta e empenho na passagem da história dos livros para o ecrã.
É um livro para fãs, que enche as medidas, ainda por cima com uma edição lindíssima e cuidada, com capa dura e folhas de qualidade.

[Sean Barrs · Rating 3 out of 5]

The houses are explained and the characters backgrounds mentioned. The pictures are of an excellent quality. That being said this book is of limited use to one who has read the series. The explanations are simple and are focused on the events of the first two seasons. This means that the characters, themselves, are defined as they were back then and not how they have grown.
This is the perfect companion book to the series if you have not read the books.

[Ellis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This beautiful book is filled with interesting production tidbits & delicious Kit Harington eye-candy. We're losers with no cable, so I may be the only person who has not yet seen the second season. My hankering is now even more powerful! And let's not even get started on my hankering for the sixth book, because, yeah, too depressing to even contemplate.

[Adnan Charrax | عدنان چراخ · Rating 2 out of 5]

رغم المعلومات الجميلة التي قدمها الكتاب عن آليات التصوير والإخراج والجهود العملاقة التي بذلت لتقديم عمل بهذا المستوى .. لكن الكتاب كان يفتقر لما يجعله كتاباً بمعنى الكلمة حيث لم يكن يحتوي الا على مجموعة من اللقاءات مع بعض الشخصيات المؤثرة في نجاح العمل .. باختصار كان عبارة عن فيلم وثائقي ولكن بصيغة مكتوبة.

[Chesira Prado · Rating 5 out of 5]

BUE-NÍ-SI-MO.

[Lyanndra Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED READING THIS ONE! I'm a huge A Song of Ice and Fire fan, both the books and the show, so of course I ended up enjoying this. It's got so many gorgeous illustrations, and I loved getting a behind the scenes look at the shows conceptualizaton. It was so interesting reading about where they got inspiration for the sets and the costumes, and it was fun reading about the insights of the producers, directors and actors on the show. Writers and executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are also rather funny! I'll be on the lookout for a copy of Inside HBO's Game of Thrones Season 3 & 4 for sure!

[Maria Tag · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the type of niche stuff that my nerd heart lives for.

But in all seriousness though, this was very interesting and detailed and I learned a lot I did not pick up on before. I liked the focus on both niche details - costuming/locations/the score/thematic elements - as well as the overarching meaning of the story and the importance and complexity of its characters. I was surprised by how thoughtful and deep the writeups on each character were and how well the authors obviously understood the narrative. Plus, the full-page spreads were beautiful, and the insights into the design choices were very intriguing. If I had one complaint it would be was there were a few minor canon inaccuracies (unless the show diverges from the books on obscure historical lore details, which i doubt as these details probably aren't even mentioned.) But this is barely noticeable to most, and as an avid ASOIAF fan I really enjoyed this book.

[abbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so cool !!!

The cast all understood their characters so well and there was so much insight into how film and television works. I especially loved learning about the casting and SFX processes. 👑⚔️🦁🎞️🐺

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*

[John (Just bought an Oculus 2 VR, so less time to read these days!) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

Absolutely loved it. I know there is another for the next 2 seasons but then they stopped making these. Highly, highly recommended!!!

[lils · Rating 4 out of 5]

found this at a secondhand bookstore for 2 quid and im so happy i got it - it's basically filled with behind-the-scenes info, really beautiful stills, initial costuming sketches and interview material

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just started rewatching the series and decided to finally read this one. Beautiful photos and lots of character and costume and set insights.

[Kristen]

I cant really give this book a rating, because it is more of a informative book with a lot of backstory’s, interviews and beautiful images about the first two seasons of one of my favorite tv shows till this day.

[Philip | Book Walk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Game of Thrones - Hinter den Kulissen von Bryan Cogman (erschienen im Panini Verlag) ist ein außergewöhnliches Begleitbuch, dass aktuell seines Gleichen sucht. Auf 192 Seiten wird ein sehr ausführlicher Blick auf die HBO TV-Serie Game of Thrones geworfen. Unterteilt nach den wichtigen Häusern, den verschiedenen Kontinenten Westeros und Essos und den besonderen Ereignissen lernt der Leser die tolle Welt der ersten beiden Staffeln von Game of Thrones kennen.

Nach einer interessanten Einleitung zum Buch und einem Grußwort von George R. R. Martin (in welchem man etwas über die Idee lernt, wie es zu der Buchreihe Das Lied von Eis und Feuer gekommen ist) macht man als Leser eine Entdeckungstour durch Westeros. Angefangen bei der Mauer im Norden, wo man die dortigen Charaktere John Snow oder Samwell Tarly kennenlernt geht es weiter in Richtung Süden, vorbei an Winterfell (Haus Stark) nach Süden in die Hauptstadt Königsmund (die Häuser Baratheon und Lennister). Dabei lernt man nicht nur die unterschiedlichen Charaktere kennen sondern erfährt auch anhand zahlreicher Skizzen, überdimensional großer und hochauflösender Bilder und Schlüsselszenen (z.B. der Kampf zwischen ned und Jamie oder die Schlacht am Schwarzwasser), wie diese Szenen von den Produzenten geplant und umgesetzt worden sind. Selbstverständlich lernt man auch das Haus Targaryen, Arryn und Graufreud mit ihren wichtigen Charakteren kennen!

Zusätzlich gibt es für den Leser noch zahlreiche "Hinter den Kulissen" Bilder, die die Darsteller u.a. in der Maske zeigen.

Den gelungenen Gesamteindruck dieses fantastischen Begleitbuchs rundet das sehr detaillierte Buchcover, das auch noch sehr gut in der Hand liegt und sich durch die verschiedenen Prägungen toll anfühlt, ab. Lediglich kleinere Übersetzungsfehler trüben den hervorragenden Eindruck etwas (z.B. wird Highgarden mit Hochgarten und nicht mit Rosengarten übersetzt), nichtsdestotrotz ist dieses Buch trotz des etwas höheren Kaufpreises jeden Euro wert. Dieses Buch vermittelt gekonnt Eindrücke von der Serie, wodurch man die Charaktere, Orte und Handlungen besser kennenlernt und erhält Hintergrundwissen, das weit über die eigentliche TV-Serie hinausgeht. Einfach großartig und sehr zu empfehlen!

Fazit:
Game of Thrones - Hinter den Kulissen ist eine sehr umfangreiche Hintergrundwissenssammlung, die weit über die TV-Serie hinaus geht. Toll bebildert und sehr liebevoll gestaltet. In jedem Bücherregal ein echter Eye-catcher. Insgesamt absolut hervorragend und ein Pflichtkauf, nicht nur für Fans der TV-Serie!

[Andy Hickman · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Inside HBO's Game of Thrones” by Bryan Cogman; preface by George R. R. Martin; foreword by David Benioff & D. B. Weiss (2012) - Seasons 1&2.

Great book. Captures so much of the essence of the novels and show. The insights from actors, directors, producers and crew are fantastic. Enjoyed this immensely.

- - -
“There is no more hazardous task in Hollywood than trying to make a popular or critically acclaimed book into a television series or feature film. Hollywood Boulevard is lined with the skulls and bleached bones of all those who have tried and failed … and for every known failure, there are a hundred you have never heard of, because the adaptation were abandoned somewhere along the way, often after years of development and dozens of scripts.” - George R.R. Martin (p4)

“The seed (for the Wall) was planted ten years before I started writing the books, when I visited the UK for the first time and went to Hadrian's Wall. The sun was going down, and I stood on top of the wall, looking north. It was autumn, a chilly day. The wind was blowing, and it woke something in me.” - George R.R. Martin (p10)

“I fell in love with him (Jon Snow) immediately because he's not a cliched hero. He makes mistakes; he's possessed with a lot of self-loathing and doubt. He's lived his life as an outsider, since being born a bastard is a mark of shame in this world. While he's lucky to be even recognized by his father and raised alongside his brothers and sisters, he never truly feels part if the family, mainly because of the way he's treated by Catelyn, his stepmother.” - Kit Harrington (p30)

“Sean also belongs to a rare, dying breed: the believable, manly tough guy. Ned is a good man, upright and honorable to a fault, but he's a man who's made his place in the world by killing other men. There was a time when lots of recognizable actors had this quality – John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Kirk Douglas, Charlton Heston. Now, not so much. Sean has this quality, and a related but not identical one: he can occupy this kind of period successfully.” - D.B. Weiss (p48)

“Aegon's dragon, Balerion the Black Dread, melted down the swords and sealed them in dragonflame.” (p69)

“Cersei and Tyrion have a lot in common, which is why their relationship is so damaged. They see each other very clearly for who they really are.” - Peter Dinklage (p72)

“Tywin Lannister, whilst being seen to be coldly cruel and domineering, shows, as the story progresses, occasional 'chinks in his armor'. He's an enigma, and enigmatic characters are always attractive – to me, anyway! I'm not sure sure that I would label Tywin a villain – certainly not compared with some of the villains I've played. However, if he is, then unless the character is obviously insane, I look for the justification of his villainy.” - Charles Dance.

“Cersei … is not afraid to play dirty to advance their interests.” (p76)

“Cersei's mistake is she can't really face the truth about Joff.” - Lena Headey (p79)

“There aren't good guys and bad guys. There are just people pursuing their own interests, as they see them, and their own versions of the good, as they see it. Which is exactly what we all do every day.” - D.B. Weiss (p82)

“For someone who has been treated quite poorly by his family and the world around him, Tyrion really does enjoy his life. At first glance you would think he was a cynic, but he's really not, in my opinion. Intelligence is often mistaken for cynicism. He burns very brightly. He can be quite the asshole at times, but I believe he has a very good heart. And, of course, with the intelligence comes a great sense of humor. It has helped him survive. He embraces who he is, makes fun of himself before you are given a chance to – beating you at your own game. The smartest people I know are also the funniest. He is that.” - Peter Dinklage (p88)

“Tyrion is so many people's favorite character, in the show and the books. … deep empathy.” - D.B. Weiss (p88)

“In the case of the execution, Ned's death signals a decidedly darker turn for the tale. Our intrepid hero, trying desperately to protect his family and preserve his honor in a dishonorable place, fails at both. Courage and honesty are not enough to prevail in a dangerous world.” - David Benioff (p98)

“Ned was ALWAYS marked for death, so the kids could come into their own.” - GRRM (p99)

“If Bronn has any friends, I think Tyrion is his closest – but it doesn't mean loyalty.” - Jerome Flynn (p111)

“One of my pet peeves with movie battles is how they're often depicted. Battles are about geography, the lay of the land, who takes the high ground … tactics, strategy, and thought. But in a movie, it's usually two aries lined up on opposite sides of the field and running a teach other, which is idiotic.” - GRRM (p113)

“The Greyjoys are iron to the core, claiming descent from the mythic Grey King in the Age of Heroes, who was said to have slain the sea dragon Nagga and taken a mermaid as his wife.” (p120)

“I feel very lucky to have the books, more than anything. It's a huge treat for me, as an actor, to have her thoughts written down, or at least a kind of guide to her thoughts. It really helped me get into her in season one, to be able to refer back to it. It's as if it went from George's mind into the book, into my mind, then out my mouth.” Emilia Clarke on 'Dany' (p157)

“You know when Drogo would get amped up? I did all this research on the Apaches Geronimo and Cochise,and also Genghis Khan, and funnily enough, Hitler! I remember seeing 'Triumph of the Will' – he was crazy when he delivered those speeches, the physicality, the way he spat out the words and rallied all those people. So, I ended up using some of that in the big scene where Drogo riles up his men.” - Jason Momoa (p169)

{Mistake on page 185 – 'bottom right' should say 'bottom left.'}

“There's something about our time in which these modes of mythology seem to be catching on. Maybe it's a combination of escapism and that they speak to what we're worried about. There's a lot of the stuff in 'Game of Thrones' – the idea of imminent destruction, the fact that there's war, there's this anxiety of the world – that we share.” - Alan Taylor (director)

[Kellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

HBO's adaptation of George R.R.Martin's "A Song of Fire and Ice" series is, and I write this with no exaggeration whatsoever, a triumph, a feast for the eyes, a marvel in television production. The acting is first-rate as is the writing, set design and cinematography.

It wasn't too long ago, it was whispered about the film community that there was NO WAY Tolkein's "Lord of the Rings" masterpiece could be made into a live-action film. It was too long, there were too many various locations, the extras needed would border on astronomical. However, Peter Jackson not only accomplished the unimaginable, he did it INCREDIBLY well.

The same absolutely must be said for "Game of Thrones" (HBO's working title for the series). The storyline becomes more intriguing, more brutal, more emotional as the series progresses.

If you do not have HBO, read the books. Now. If you absolutely must see the series, it is available on iTunes.

This story should NOT be missed.

[Francis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Initially I had some reserves about reading this book. The main reason is that I am such A Song of Ice and Fire fan that I didn’t want to lose any of the magic by finding out how some of the scenes were created (this is also why I haven’t watched any of the commentaries on the DVD’s). However, after I began reading, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The photographs chosen are stunning. Although each of the main Houses are given a brief description, most of the information is about how the set was designed, or the character’s clothing, or how specific scenes were created. I particularly liked the description of how Viserys received his golden crown. As I am a collector of everything A Song of Ice and Fire as well as A Game of Thrones, I own and will read Inside HBO’s Season 3 and 4 book of the series.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably best for folks who love the series but haven't read the books on which it's based. Contents are very high quality, lots of well-done photos and enough text for a good weekend's reading. Collector's edition probably only really worth it for serious series/book nerds--like me.

[Fats · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good supplementary read for the first two seasons of the TV series. Not intended for those who have not seen the show. It includes character portraits, set-up and locations of the different parts of Westeros, interviews with the writers and actors, and GoT pictures on and off camera.

[Antonietta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of misspelled character name like "Alannis Harlow" and "Elia Martel" but forgivable, since the hi-res photos are awesome!

[Samuel B. Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it, but not enough costume/design to be a costume/design book nor enough character information to be a proper guide to the characters. Maybe split it into two books next time, HBO?