Continue without accepting

Select Your Cookie Preferences

We use cookies and similar tools that are necessary to enable you to make purchases, to enhance your shopping experiences and to provide our services, as detailed in our Cookie Notice. We also use these cookies to understand how customers use our services (for example, by measuring site visits) so we can make improvements.

If you agree, we’ll also use cookies to complement your shopping experience across the Amazon stores as described in our Cookie Notice. This includes using first- and third-party cookies, which store or access standard device information such as a unique identifier. Third parties use cookies for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalised ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products. Click ‘Customise Cookies’ to decline these cookies, make more detailed choices, or learn more. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie Preferences, as described in the Cookie Notice. To learn more about how and for what purposes Amazon uses personal information (such as Amazon Store order history), please visit our Privacy Notice.

Sorry, there was a problem saving your cookie preferences. Try again.

Customise Cookies

A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1): Amazon.co.uk: Martin, George R.R.: 9780007441426: Books

Buy used £174.99

£18.12 delivery Friday, April 14. Details

Or fastest delivery Thursday, April 13. Details

Deliver to Finland

Used: Very Good | Details

Sold by Molly’s bargains

Fulfilled by Amazon

Added to

Unable to add item to List. Please try again.

Have one to sell?

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

Follow the author

George R. R. Martin

A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1) Hardcover – 21 July 2011

by George R.R. Martin (Author)

68,651 ratings

Book 1 of 5: A Song of Ice and Fire

See all formats and editions

Amazon Price

New from

Used from

"Please retry"

—

—

Audible Audiobooks, Unabridged

"Please retry"

£0.00

Free with your Audible trial

Hardcover, Illustrated

"Please retry"

£27.48

£9.05

Hardcover, 21 July 2011

£174.99

—

£174.99

"Please retry"

£6.99

£1.16

Audio CD, Unabridged, Audiobook

"Please retry"

—

£98.93

—

"Please retry"

—

£98.93

—

HBO’s hit series A GAME OF THRONES is based on George R R Martin’s internationally bestselling series A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE, the greatest fantasy epic of the modern age. A CLASH OF KINGS is the second volume in the series.

A beautifully presented slipcased edition of A GAME OF THRONES.

Summers span decades. Winter can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne has begun.

It will stretch from the south, where heat breeds plot, lusts and intrigues; to the vast and savage eastern lands; all the way to the frozen north, where an 800-foot wall of ice protects the kingdom from the dark forces that lie beyond. Kings and queens, knights and renegades, liars, lords and honest men… all will play the Game of Thrones.

Winter is coming…

Book 1 of 5

A Song of Ice and Fire
Print length

864 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Harper Voyager
Publication date

21 July 2011
Dimensions

15.9 x 5.9 x 24 cm
ISBN-10

0007441428
ISBN-13

978-0007441426
See all details

Martin
22,753
Paperback
Editors' pickHand selected reads
£5.00
Buy 4, save 5% . Discount by Amazon. Terms|Shop items
£13.48 delivery
George R.R. Martin
39,363
Paperback
£8.99
£14.14 delivery
George R.R. Martin
9,314
Paperback
£46.71
Get it as soon as Wednesday, Apr 12
£31.45 delivery
Only 8 left in stock.
George R.R. Martin
2,683
Paperback
£8.99
Buy 4, save 5% . Discount by Amazon. Terms|Shop items
£13.82 delivery
George R. R. Martin
6,361
Paperback
£8.99
Buy 4, save 5% . Discount by Amazon. Terms|Shop items
£13.19 delivery
George R.R. Martin
6,615
Paperback
£8.99
Buy 4, save 5% . Discount by Amazon. Terms|Shop items
£13.14 delivery

Popular highlights in this book

What are Popular highlights?

“Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.”
Highlighted by 4,149 Kindle readers
“When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground.”
Highlighted by 2,236 Kindle readers
We are only human, and the gods have fashioned us for love. That is our great glory, and our great tragedy.
Highlighted by 1,991 Kindle readers
“They say night’s beauties fade at dawn, and the children of wine are oft disowned in the morning light.”
Highlighted by 1,183 Kindle readers

Product description

Review

‘Colossal, staggering… Martin captures all the intoxicating complexity of the Wars of the Roses or Imperial Rome in his imaginary world … one of the greats of fantasy literature’
SFX

‘This is one of those rare and effortless reads’ ROBIN HOBB

‘George R.R. Martin is one of our very best writers, and this is one of his very best books’ RAYMOND E. FEIST

‘Such a splendid tale. I read my eyes out – I couldn’t stop till I’d finished and it was dawn’ ANNE MCCAFFREY

‘George Martin is assuredly a new master craftsman in the guild of heroic fantasy’ KATHARINE KERR

‘Few created worlds are as imaginative and diverse’ JANNY WURTS

About the Author

George R. R. Martin is the author of fourteen novels, including five volumes of A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE, several collections of short stories and numerous screen plays for television drama and feature films. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper Voyager; Slipcase edition (21 July 2011)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 864 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0007441428
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0007441426
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.9 x 5.9 x 24 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 1,791,145 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 5,998 in Fantasy Anthologies (Books)
- 7,001 in Political Thrillers (Books)
- 10,168 in TV, Movie, Game Adaptations

Customer reviews:
68,651 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

George R. R. Martin

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

George R.R. Martin is the globally bestselling author of many fine novels, including A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows, and A Dance with Dragons, which together make up the series A Song of Ice and Fire, on which HBO based the world’s most-watched television series, Game of Thrones. Other works set in or about Westeros include The World of Ice and Fire, and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. His science fiction novella Nightflyers has also been adapted as a television series; and he is the creator of the shared-world Wild Cards universe, working with the finest writers in the genre. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5

68,651 global ratings

5 star		77%
4 star		15%
3 star		4%
2 star		1%
1 star		2%

How customer reviews and ratings work

Reviews with images

See all customer images

Top reviews from United Kingdom

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Tommye (The Fantasy Review)

One of the GREATEST fantasy books of all time

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 September 2022

Verified Purchase

SPOILER FREE

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin is one of the greatest first books in a fantasy series. The writing style is not to everyone’s taste, but I found it accessible and the language was beautiful. I could see and hear and smell the world of Westeros around me.

It is rare in fantasy books that the magic system takes such a backseat. This is a story about people, rather than magic.

Yes, there are some fantastical elements – some hinted at and the odd thing blatant – but it’s George R. R. Martin’s characters that make this book the great epic that it is.

There are quite a few points of view, all of which are exciting to follow.

Ned is too honourable for such a corrupt world.
Cat is fierce and fights well with her mind against the odds.
Bran, oh Bran, you poor thing.
Jon Snow’s story is a little slow, but his character growth will be interesting.
Tyrion is a favourite, of course.
Arya and Sansa are opposites in every way – Sansa may be a pain in the ass, but there’s a reason for that. Arya is so much fun to read! Her story is going to get so cool soon, I’m sure.
And finally, Daenerys is a great character full of potential – it’s great to see another side of the world; I think George R. R. Martin has balanced this out well.
In summary, this is an incredible read and I think it’s the only book these days that I would happily reread – I haven’t felt like that since rereading Harry Potter over and over again as a kid!

(POSSIBLE) SPOILER SECTION

To kill of a main character like that was brave, but it worked! Ned was a favourite, but Martin did a great job of making it so that we knew he had done everything he could.

A man like Eddard Stark could not live for long in a world as hostile and corrupt as Westeros – it just doesn’t fit in with the rules.

The squabbling sisters, Arya and Sansa, seems to be more of an introduction to their characters and a set up for them having their own, main plotlines further into the series. Now that they are splitting off, I’m excited to see what will happen with Arya and Sansa is going to have a hell of a time at Kings Landing.

Cat is going to want revenge for that. If she responded to Bran’s “accident” by abducting a Lannister, what will she do now Geoffrey had Ned executed? This also leaves Robb, a young man – a boy – at the head of the Stark family, so he’s got big boots to fill well before his time.

Tyrion is so much fun to follow! I can’t wait to see more of his wit in the next book. He’s going to get stuck into the politics and shake things up a bit.

Daenerys has her dragons! They’re only babies, so I’m sure we’re going to see more of her struggling for now. She has a lot to get done before she can fight for the Iron Throne.

2 people found this helpful

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 May 2013

Verified Purchase

Like many people, I came to this book after watching the HBO series, and because it was HBO, I thought they had exaggerated much of the sex and violence. I was wrong. This is adult fantasy at its finest and Martin does not hold back.

So there are many different stories throughout this book, most concentrating on the children of Eddard 'Ned' Stark, Lord of Winterfell, and a few others concerning other major characters. I will review each element separately.

Eddard Stark, and King's Landing
This story can best be described as a mystery. At the beginning of the novel, Ned is given the job of Hand of the King, a steward like role, after the previous hand, Jon Arryn, died. Ned takes the job after receiving a communication that his predecessor may have been murdered. Martin manages to craft a decent mystery, revealing important details at various moments, while creating a sense of danger as Ned seems to be taking the same path that led to Jon's death. While this story is going on, we get an insight into the political manoeuvring of many other characters. The Queen obviously does not love the King and married only for political reasons. Prince Joffrey and heir to the throne shows elements of being a gentleman, especially to Ned's daughter and his betrothed, Sansa, but occasionally shows signs of a mean, entitled personality, something that comes into play in the second half of the book. The King's council is comprised of a variety of scheming, sycophantic characters of whose sides remain mysteries, and when one does something you believe is beneficial for Ned, he then does something to make you think otherwise; even by the end of the book, you're never entirely sure who they're working for.

Bran, Robb, and Winterfell
After getting pushed out of a window and crippled, young Bran has to come to terms with the fact he will never walk again. Robb, after his father leaves, becomes acting Lord of Winterfell, and later leads his armies. This part is probably the weakest of the book. While Bran is a decent character and we a good look at how he would like to be a knight, but now can't and has to live by being carried around by the simple-minded Hodor, Robb seems to be a carbon copy of Ned. This is noted many times, mainly by his mother Catelyn. I don't mind it too much, but I would have liked a little more from his character.

Jon Snow and the Wall
Jon is Ned's bastard son, conceived while he was off disposing of the mad king. He was raised in Winterfell along with Ned's other children, but because of his illegitimacy, and his social outcast, he decides to go north to become a member of the Night's Watch, a strict order of men guarding the south from the horrors that lay beyond the Wall. This story shows the most fantastical elements of the book, and appears to be the main threat to the rest of the world. However, it's not dwelt on too much, the meat of the story being played out through the political intrigue of the south. This is the setting up of the threat. In this portion we get a hefty bit of Tyrion Lannister, a cynical and dry witted dwarf who travels to the Wall just to see what it's like. He ends up bonding with Jon after having a common condition in his words, 'All dwarves are bastards in their father's eyes'. Tyrion is one of the few characters whose allegiance is pretty certain; while he doesn't pick a side as such, he seems more concerned with the individuals, as well as his keeping his own head.
I like Jon as well. While he's a little naive at times, he does become a strong character, being groomed for leadership. He attempts to end the bullying by his trainer and befriends the most unlikely of initiates, a fat and self confessed coward, Sam. Another character I really like. Sam, while talking about being craven, has many redeeming qualities, and even shows signs of bravery, something even more impressive due to his usual cowardly nature.

Catelyn and the Eyrie
After discovering that Tyrion may have been responsible for Bran's injuries, she seizes him while he travels back to King's Landing from the Wall, and takes him to her sister in the mountain fortress of the Eyrie. Again, we get to meet an interesting character, that of Lysa Arryn, widow of the former Hand, Jon. She has now locked herself away in the castle with her young son, now Lord of the Eyrie. Lysa is quite insane. Having had all her previous husbands and all but one of her children die, she is loath to leave her sanctuary, and has a deep dislike for the Lannisters, believing them to have killed her husband. A dislike that does not bode well for Tyrion.

Denaerys and the Dothraki
This is by far my favourite portion of the book. In ways, this is a completely separate story. No characters crossover, and the only story that has any impact on it is when the King orders Denaerys to be killed. Anyway, the reason I like this story is because of Denaerys herself. She begins the book as a shy abused girl who is used by her domineering brother to gain advantage for his claim to the Iron Throne. At the beginning, she is sold to the Dothraki leader, Drogo, in return for an army. It could have been so easy for Martin to have gone the cliche route and have Drogo be a monster just as bad as her brother, leaving Dany in just as bad a place. But the twist is that he isn't that bad a man (besides buying a girl to marry), and after a while, he genuinely cares for Dany. And they develop a bond which may have elements of Stockholm syndrome, but I believe it is because, ironically, in being forced to marry, Dany finds a better life. A life where she is treated as a queen, where she is not called names, or is abused, a life where she is treated with respect. And it is because of this that she develops into a strong character who sympathises and empathises with everyone, man, woman, slave, freeman with no prejudice. So because she is a likeable person, and all the other candidates are selfish or tyrannical, she is my favourite to win the Iron Throne.

My only complaint is that this doesn't feel like a full book. Sure, there is an ending, but that only comes from Denaerys' story, the main plot just seems to stop. Now, I don't mind this (it is part of a series after all), but it is nice to have some from of closure, some form of self contained story within one novel.

All in all a fantastic book. Every bit as good as the TV series.

8 people found this helpful

Get to Know Us

Make Money with Us

Amazon Payment Methods

Let Us Help You

Amazon Music Stream millions of songs		AbeBooks Books, art & collectables		ACX Audiobook Publishing Made Easy		Amazon Web Services Scalable Cloud Computing Services

Audible Download Audiobooks		Book Depository Books With Free Delivery Worldwide		DPReview Digital Photography		Goodreads Book reviews & recommendations

Amazon Home Services Experienced pros Happiness Guarantee		IMDb Movies, TV & Celebrities		Kindle Direct Publishing Indie Digital & Print Publishing Made Easy		Shopbop Designer Fashion Brands

Amazon Warehouse Deep Discounts Open-Box Products		Amazon Business Service for business customers		Whole Foods Market We Believe in Real Food

© 1996-2022, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates