Game of Thrones

A Game of Thrones is the first novel in A song of Ice and Fire, a series of fantasy novels by American author George R.R. Martin. It was first published on August 1, 1996. The novel won the 1997 Locus Award and was nominated for both the 1997 Nebula Award and the 1997 World Fantasy Award. The novella Blood of the Dragon, comprising the Daenerys Targaryen chapters from the novel, won the 1997 Hugo Award for Best Novella. In January 2011 the novel became a New York Times bestseller and reached 1st on the list in July 2011.

In the novel, recounting events from various points of view, Martin introduces the plot-lines of the noble houses of Westeros, the Wall, and the Targaryens. The novel has inspired several pin-off works, including several games. It is also the basis for the first season of Game of Thrones, an HBO television series that premiered in April 2011. A March 2013 paperback TV tie-in re-edition was also title Game of Thrones, excluding the indefinite article "A".

A Game of Thrones follows three principal storylines simultaneously: 

-  In the Seven Kingdoms.

- On the Wall.

-  In the East.

Each chapter concentrates on the third person limited point of view of a single character; the book presents the perspective of eight main characters. Additionally, a minor character provides the prologue. Chapter headings indicate the perspective.

- Prologue: Will, a man of the Night's Watch.

- Lord Eddard "Ned" Stark, Warden of the North and Lord of Winterfell, Hand of the King.

- Lady Catelyn  Stark, of House Tully, wife of Eddard Stark.

- Sansa Stark, elder daugher of Eddard and Catelyn Stark. 

- Arya Stark, younger daughter of Eddard and Catelyn Stark.

- Bran Stark, second-youngest son of Eddard and Catelyn Stark.

- Jon Snow, illegitimate son of Eddard Stark.

- Tyrion Lannister, a dwarf, brother of the twins Queen Cersei and Jaime, son of Lord Tywin Lannister.

- Princess Daenerys Targaryen, Stormborn, the Princess of Dragonstone and heiress to the Targaryen throne after her older brother Viserys Targaryen.

In the later books, certain viewpoint characters are added while others are removed.

Guns and Roses. Not in This Lifetime Tour

The Not in This Lifetime...tour is an ongoing series of concerts by hard rock band Guns N' Roses, featuring classic lineup members: Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan, marking the first time since the Use Your Illusion Tour in 1993 that the three performed together.

After the previous tour in 2014, guitarists DJ Ashba and Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, bassist Tommy Stinson and keyboardist Chris Pitman left Guns N' Roses, leaving the band with several open spots. Former members Slash and McKagan rejoined the band and Melissa Reese joined as keyboardist.

The group embarked on the world tour that spanned several continents, with 118 shows performed or scheduled so far. The group welcomed former drummer Steven Adler to the stage for several shows as a guest spot, the first time he had played with the group since 1990.

The tour was a financial success and has grossed over $230 million to date, and was the highest earning per-show concert tour of 2016, and the fourth highest grossing. 

The Chronicles of Narnia

The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of seven fantasy novels by C.S. Lewis. It is considered a classic of children's literature and is the author's best-known work, having sold over 100 million copies in 41 languages. Written by Lewis, illustrated by Pauline Baynes, and originally published in London between 1950 and 1956, The Chronicles of Narnia has been adapted several times, complete or in part, for radio, television, the stage, and film.

Set in the fictional realm of Narnia, a fantasy world of magic, mythical beasts, and talking animals, the series narrates the adventures of various children who play central roles in the unfolding history of that world. Except in The Horse and His Boy, the protagonists are all children from the real world, magically transported to Narnia, where they are called upon by the lion Aslan to protect Narnia from evil an restore the throne to its righful line.

The books span the entire history of Narnia, from its creation in The Magician's Nephew to its eventual destruction in The Last Battle. Inspiration for the series was taken from multiple sources; in addition to adapting numerous traditional Christian themes, Lewis freely borrowed characters and ideas from Greek and Roman mythology as well as from traditional British and Irish fairy tales.

The books have profoundly influenced adult and children's fantasy literature since World War II. Lewis's exploration of themes not usually present in children's literature such as religion, as well as the book' perceived treatment of issues including race and gender, has caused some controversy. Although Lewis originally conceived what would become The Chronicles of Narnia in 1939, he did not finish writing the first book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe until 1949.

The seven books that make up The Chronicles of Narnia are presented here in order of original publication date:

1950. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

1951.  Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia.

1952.  The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

1953.  The Silver Chair.

1954.  The Horse and His boy.

1955.  The Magician's Nephew.

1956.  The Last Battle.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Blas de Lezo

Blas de Lezo y Olavarrieta (3 February 1689 - 7 September 1741) was a Spanish admiral best remembered for the Battle of Cartagena de Indias (1741) in modern-day Colombia, where Spanish imperial forces under his command resisted a siege by a large British invasion fleet under Admiral Edward Vernon. He is considered one of the best strategists in the history of the Royal Spanish Navy.

In the battle of Cartagena de Indias, the British concentrated a large fleet consisting of 186 ships, including 2620 artillery pieces and more than 27000 men, bigger than Spanish Armada. Of that number, 10000 were soldiers responsible for initiating a ground assault. There were also 12600 sailors, 1000 Jamaican slaves and macheteros, and 4000 recruits from Virginia led by Lawrence Washington (1718-1752), the elder half-brother of George Washginton, future President of the United States.

The defences of Cartagena de Indias comprised 3000 soldiers between regular troops, Black and Afro-descendants militia, 600 Indian archers, plus the crews and troops of six Spanish warships. Blas de Lezo's advantages consisted of a formidable primary fortress and numerous secondary fortifications.

On the evening of April 19, the British mounted an assault in force upon San Felipe. Three columns of grenadiers supported by Jamaicans and several British companies moved under cover of darkness, with the aid of an intense naval bombardment. The British fought their way to the base of the fort's ramparts but were unable to overcome the defence and withdrew.

After comprehensively destroying the forts in their possession, the British began an orderly withdrawal back to Jamaica, having lost more than 4500 men and 6 boats, and with other 20 boats in very bad shape. The Spanish victory ensured that the Spanish Empire would continue to dominate the region for some more decades.

Julius Caesar

This general was a Roman politician and notable author of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the events that led to the demise of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire. IN 60 BC, Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey formed a political alliance that dominated Roman politics for several years. Their attempts to amass power as Populares were opposed by the Optimates within the Roman Senate, among them Cato the Younger with the frequent support of Cicero.

Caesar's victories in the Gallic Wars, completed by 51 BC, extended Rome's territory to the English Channel and the Rhine. Caesar became the first Roman general to cross both the Channel and the Rhine, when he built a bridge across the Rhine and crossed the Channel to invade Britain. These achievements granted him unmatched military power and threatened to eclipse the standing of Pompey, who had realigned himself with the Senate after the death of Crassus in 53 BC.

With the Gallic Wars concluded, the Senate ordered Caesar to step down his military command and return to Rome. Caesar refused the order, and instead marked his defiance in 49 BC by crossing the Rubicon with the 13th Legion, leaving his province and illegally entering Roman Italy under arms, Civil war resulted, and Caesar's victory in the war put him in an unrivalled position of power and influence.

After assuming control of government, Caesar began a programme of social and governmental reforms, including the creation of the Julian calendar. He centralised the bureaucracy of the Republic and was eventually proclaimed "dictator in perpetuity", giving him additional authority. But the underlying political conflicts had not been resolved, and on the Ides of March (15 March) 44 BC, Caesar was assassinated by a group of rebellious senators led by Marcus Junius Brutus.

Christopher Columbus

Chistopher Columbus (Italian: Cristoforo Colombo, 1451-1506) was an Italian explorer, navigator, colonizer, and citizen of the Republic of Genoa. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean. Those voyages and his efforts to establish permanent settlements on the island of Hispaniola initiated the European colonization of the New World.

Western imperialism and economic competition were emerging among European kingdoms through the establishment of trade routes and colonies. Columbus proposed to reach the East Indies by sailing westward, and this eventually received the support of the Spanish Crown, which saw a chance to enter the spice trade with Asia through a new westward route.

During his first voyage in 1492, he reached the New World instead of arriving at Japan as he had intended, landing on an island in the Bahamas archipielago that he named "San Salvador". Over the course of three more voyages, he visited the Greater and Lesser Antilles, as well as the Caribbean coast of Venezuela and Central America, claiming all of it for the Crown of Castile.

Columbus was not the first European explorer to reach the Americas, having been preceded by the Viking expedition led by Leif Erikson in the 11th century, but his voyages led to the first lasting European contact with the Americas, inaugurating a period of European exploration, conquest, and colonization that lasted several centuries.

The Battle of Shiroyama

The Battle of Shiroyama took place on 24 September 1.877, in Kagoshima, Japan. It was the final battle of the Satsuma Rebellion, where the heavily outnumbered samurai under Saigö Takamori made their last stand against Imperial Japanese Army under the command of Generals Yamagata Aritomo and Kawamura Sumiyoshi. The battle culminated in the annihilation of Saigö's army as well as his death, marking the end of the Satsuma Rebellion.

Following defeat at the Siege of Kumamoto Castle and in other battles in central Kyüshü, the surviving remnants of the samurai forces loyal to Saigö Takamori fled back to Satsuma, seizing the hill of Shiroyama overlooking Kagoshima on 1 September 1.877. Imperial army troops under the command of General Yamagata Aritomo and marines under the command of  Admiral Kawamura Sumiyoshi began arriving soon after, and the rebels were surrounded.

After combat losses and defections, Saigö had only about 500 samurai remaining of a force of over 20.000 which had besieged the government garrison in the city of Kumamoto only six weeks earlier. With 30.000 troops, Yamagata, although greatly outnumbering Saigö, bided his time constructing a series of fortifications to encircle Saigö and preempt any chance of a breakout, additionally requisitioning five warships to bombard the rebels and reduce their defenses.

He was planning an attack from all sides, and in an effort to prevent another escape, ordered that any position engaged by the enemy was to be fired upon, regardless of friendly casualties. Saigö defended his position with limited musket support and a few pieces of artillery, melting down metal statues to produce bullets and tending to injuries with a carpenter's saw. After firing a final barrage of artillery lasting the night, Yamagata's men attacked Saigö's position.

The samurai, under heavy fire, charged the lines of the imperial army, which had not been trained for close-quarter sword fighting. In just a few minutes, the once organized line turned into disarray. Highly skilled samurai swordsmanship prevailed against an army with very little traditional training. For a short time, Saigö's lines held, but was forced back due to weight of numbers. 

Saigö was mortally wounded in the femoral artery and stomach, and was carried by Beppy Shinsuke downhill to find a place to end his life.