Laura Young and Nusta Carranza Ko have authored an easily digestible guide to the basic theories and concepts of International Relations through the lens of the hit TV series Game of Thrones. . . Given the popularity of the show, especially among the 18-29 demographic, this volume seems perfectly suited for introductory classes to International Relations and for fans of the show who want to learn more about politics. . . . Overall, this is an informative and engaging introduction to International Relations. It gives fans of the show a reason to revisit it in a more thoughtful, nuanced manner than a typical first viewing entails. It also gives professors another option to engage students in the study of international relations.
* VoegelinView *
The HBO series Game of Thrones has been the television phenomenon of this decade. The franchise provides an excellent lens through which we glimpse both the emergence of the state and nascent interactions among states (or kingdoms, in this case). Laura Young and Nusta Carranza Ko present a masterful analysis of international relations in light of GOT plots and characters, employing the series to illustrate core ideas and concepts. The book walks us through a thorough dissection of IR theory, and moves on to discussion of political elements that appear throughout the series: various identities on Westeros and Essos, human rights as understood in the series' pre-modern world, and the roles of indigenous peoples as they relate to the series' political systems. The latter is a fresh and original contribution to literature on TV shows and politics. Winter may have come and the White Walkers have been defeated, but this book will keep IR students warm and thinking on their own snowy night watches. -- Joel R. Campbell, Troy University
Tying together an array of commentary, history, theory and literary analysis, Ko and Young have written the definitive primer on what the tragedies of Westeros and Essos tell us about how to understand world politics... the learned Maesters of the Citadel would be proud, and the international relations professors of the world have an exciting new tool at their disposal! -- Charli Carpenter, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Game of Thrones and the Theories of International Relations is an effective and creative tool to understand International Relations theory. It will be one of the key pieces in the pop culture tools to teach the field. -- Douglas John Becker, University of Southern California
