Welcome back to the home of the oxymoron. Evil genius. He asked the newspaper to print his obituary early so he'd enjoy it. That's like hiding at your own funeral. Yeah, it's a big, great gig. I'm Russell Kane. Join me to weigh in on whether the biggest players in history are more evil or genius. Becoming that rich, I'd say that at some level of genius. It also helps that it's a long time ago, right?

It's like the podcast version of telling your kids

the ice cream van plays music when it's out of ice cream.

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The TV series Game of Thrones,

based on George R.R. Martin's Song of Fire and Ice novels,

has taken the world by storm.

Following the political intrigues and battles of several noble families, wrestling for

control of the Kingdom of Westeros, the series' heady mix of sex, violence, betrayal and chivalry

has captured the hearts of all who love a good

yarn about politically astute dwarves, bearded men brandishing swords and women in floaty

dresses riding dragons.

Quite incredibly, the inspiration for Martin's epic fantasy is a real medieval civil war, known as the Wars of the Roses.

Even the dragons of De Nereus Targaryen draw on the heraldic devices of Henry the 7th, the first Tudor King, with whom she's partially aligned.

Just as Martin looked to the past and reshaped the events that he found there to appeal to a 21st century audience, so people living through the 15th century

war used the stories of the past to discuss power and promote peace among their contemporaries.

In November 1457, John Harding, a 79-year-old veteran of Agincourt, made his way from

Lincolnshire to London to deliver a unique account of British history to King Henry the 6th.

The huge book that Harding carried provided details of every monarch that had ruled Britain,

...