I just used the Battle of Cannae in a training seminar last week!
Gotta hand it to Hannibal. He wasn't called the "father of strategy" for nothing. Show-Stannis & Show-Jon could learn a lot from him.
Though Maester Sam might disagree with me, I think the blue-eyed lot have demonstrated the best military strategy thus far in the series. They made an entire ethnic group into refugees using only a few bumps in the night.
The show has certainly sold Stannis short compared to the books. Interestingly enough, I think this speaks to the quality of GRRM's writing. Stannis is arguably the toughest, most resourceful, wittiest, and most adaptable character in the books (Tywin was given quite a leg up in Casterly Rock), yet he is called humorless and written off by other characters. D&D totally fell for this false characterization presented by unreliable POVs, and literally wrote him off the show.
"No true knight would condone such wanton butchery." "True knights see worse every time they ride to war, wench," said Jaime. "And do worse, yes." Brienne turned the rudder toward the shore. "I'll leave no innocents to be food for crows." "A heartless wench. Crows need to eat as well. Stay to the river and leave the dead alone, woman."
Not at all! Just didn't wanna spoil a TV show scene on the book forum.
I wouldn't know how this particular topic could be taken off topic, since most of the reference material I've read online subs to most of western Europe and it's a domino effect from there. I was taken with the fact that some of the material referenced was of "high German" origin and an ancient German people called the Cimbri.
Unless you read only this web site,there is no way to avoid spoilers; Season seven of the show is already on the block with spoilers in the headlines.
I just used the Battle of Cannae in a training seminar last week!
Gotta hand it to Hannibal. He wasn't called the "father of strategy" for nothing. Show-Stannis & Show-Jon could learn a lot from him.
The show in context was probably patterned after a nineteenth century leader. I don't know about Hannibals' parentage but I doubt he was psychotic. Shaka Zulu on the other hand was both a bastard and psychotic. He was credited with introducing the encirclement tactics used by Hannibal into South African native warfare around 1820 (Portrayed in a British mini series around 1986).
Odin preserved Mimir's decapitated head with herbs so that the head would not decay. It seemed any knowledge Odin wished to gain, all he had to do was talk to the bodiless head. Odin often receive counsel from Mimir's talking head.
“His wife was a woods witch. Whenever Ser Clarence killed a man, he’d fetch his head back home and his wife would kiss it on the lips and bring it back t’ life. Lords, they were, and wizards, and famous knights and pirates. One was king o’ Duskendale. They gave old Crabb good counsel. Being they was just heads, they couldn’t talk real loud, but they never shut up neither. When you’re a head, talking’s all you got to pass the day. So Crabb’s keep got named the Whispers. Still is, though it’s been a ruin for a thousand years.
:thumbup: one more vote for "all", especially after "A Song for Lya."
Indeed, also I can't but think about "1000 eyes and 1" for Bloodraven. Granted I'm sure there are more than 1000 ravens in Westeros, but its the notion.
Darkstar will be the next Vulture King.
Craster has 19 daughters and there are 19 castles on the Wall, coincidence I think not!
The real-world historical inspirations are also quite fascinating.
I'm no military history buff, so I have only scratched the surface of this subject, but George has managed to bring to life many iconic tactical decisions from real history in quite an entertaining way. The TV show has even managed to pick up on this to a certain extent; the Battle of the Bastards gave us elements of Crecy, Agincourt, and Cannae, rendered in disturbingly immersive detail. (I apologize if I'm going outside topic limits, but it seems relevant)
When the Bolton men formed that ring of death around Jon Snow's army, all I could think was, "My god, I can't even imagine how fucked up Cannae must have been with 50,000 people trapped in there."
I just used the Battle of Cannae in a training seminar last week!
Gotta hand it to Hannibal. He wasn't called the "father of strategy" for nothing. Show-Stannis & Show-Jon could learn a lot from him.
Though Maester Sam might disagree with me, I think the blue-eyed lot have demonstrated the best military strategy thus far in the series. They made an entire ethnic group into refugees using only a few bumps in the night.
(I apologize if I'm going outside topic limits, but it seems relevant)
No worries, DNT. I hope we haven't given you the impression we are that strict with the flow of conversation. :-S
A battle of Cannae training seminar? You must have a fun job.
I agree with your assessment of the Others. If they were simply bent on human destruction, there would be a lot more wights and a lot less Wildlings. The Wildlings are being herded South and the only big attack that we know of is against the Night's Watch at the Fist of the First Men. Interestingly the Night's Watch was about to attack the Wildlings and the Others prevented it.
Darkstar will be the next Vulture King.
Craster has 19 daughters and there are 19 castles on the Wall, coincidence I think not!
I agree with your assessment of the Others. If they were simply bent on human destruction, there would be a lot more wights and a lot less Wildlings. The Wildlings are being herded South and the only big attack that we know of is against the Night's Watch at the Fist of the First Men. Interestingly the Night's Watch was about to attack the Wildlings and the Others prevented it.
I think this may actually be more in-line with Maester Sam and wolfmaid7's thinking than my own. While I do lean toward their goal being behavioral modification, I do still think they are playing at far more nefarious goals than the protection and herding of wildlings. That was but Step 1.
"I can see it. You have more of the north in you than your brothers."