I Love history, which book to buy?

[fear2433]

I hope my qn qualifies as "help" because I need readers help.

More than the current power struggle, I love to learn more about the past event in westeros like Aerys, Rhaegar, Young Ned, tourney, prophecies etc..

I have only seen the show.

I have only money to buy 1 book.

Which of the 5 books should I buy of ASoIaF to get maximum history?

[CreativeName]

If you're purely interested in the history of the series and not much else, you can check out The World of Ice and Fire. Now, mind you, this is the companion book of the series and not part of the main series. It is written in the style of a Maester who reports on the known history of Westeros and Essos. Lots of artwork, though.

The main series consists of:

1. A Game of Thrones (1996)
   
2. A Clash of Kings (1998)
   
3. A Storm of Swords (2000)
   
4. A Feast for Crows (2005)
   
5. A Dance with Dragons (2011)
   

Now, if you want to read a compelling story, I'd advise you to start at the beginning. Trust me, everything else would be a huge mistake. The first book has its fair share of history, prophecies etc.

[Magnar of Skagos]

The World of Ice and Fire is a sort of Game of Thrones "history book" that talks about the world history of the novels and the show, and has a lot of detail on the events leading up to the show. It is also full of lore and other things. There is a huge long history of all of the Targaryen kings (Dany, Rhaegar, and Aerys' ancestors) and lots of info and history about every part of the world, including some parts that aren't showed in the show or books.

If you want to read the books, start with the first book A Game of Thrones which the first season of the show is based off of. The novels contain a lot of material detailing prophecies and history that is not included on the television show.

Good luck!