The Conquest of Dorne
The Conquest of Dorne or Conquest of Dorne is a book written by the Young Dragon, King Daeron I Targaryen, in which he recorded his version of his invasion of Dorne. The book is seen as the best account of the war.
It is a slender book, written with an elegant simplicity, and it is rich with blood, battle, and bravery. Some consider the book excessively boastful of Daeron I Targaryen's achievements.
In his book, Daeron gave the Dornishmen ethnic groups the names by which other Westerosi now know them. He divided them into "stony Dornishmen", "sandy Dornishmen", and "salty Dornishmen". The young king also remarked that the Dornish love their sand steeds equal to their children, and wrote that the Knight of Spottswood had his sand steeds stabled in his own hall. Daeron describes the Orphans of the Greenblood's poleboats as "hovels built on rafts"; however, Princess Arianne Martell notes that the description is not a fair one, since most of the orphans' poleboats are wonderfully carved and painted.
King Daeron made the armies of Dorne larger in his book than they were in reality, to make his conquest seem more glorious. Ever since, the Princes of Dorne have used Daeron's boast to make the kingdom's enemies believe Dorne is stronger that it truly is.
A Storm of Swords
Maester Pylos educates the noble children of Dragonstone, Princess Shireen Baratheon, Edric Storm, and Devan Seaworth, having them read from Conquest of Dorne to teach them about about King Daeron I Targaryen. The book is a favorite of Devan Seaworth. Pylos offers the book to Davos Seaworth when teaching him to read, but Davos demurs.
A Dance with Dragons
At the Wall, Lord Commander Jon Snow and King Stannis Baratheon discuss battle strategy, referring to Daeron's book and his use of goat tracks during the conquest of Dorne. Stannis is dismissive of the strategy, and of the book.
It pleased the Young Dragon to make all our armies larger when he wrote that book of his, so as to make his conquest much more glorious, and it has pleased us to water the seed he planted and let our foes think us more powerful than we are.
Jon: When the Young Dragon conquered Dorne, he used a goat track to bypass the Dornish watchtowers on the Boneway.
Stannis: I know that tale as well, but Daeron made too much of it in that vainglorious book of his.
Pylos: My lord, perhaps you would like to try a bit of Conquest of Dorne as well? King Daeron wrote with an elegant simplicity, and his history is rich with blood, battle, and bravery. Your son is quite engrossed.
Davos: My son is not quite twelve. I am the King's Hand. Give me another letter, if you would.
Behind the Scenes
This book may have been intended as a nod to Julius Caesar's book about his conquest of Gaul, Commentarii de Bello Gallico, in which Caesar divided Gaul into three parts, just like Daeron did for Dorne.
- The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Daeron I.
- A Storm of Swords, Chapter 54, Davos V.
- A Feast for Crows, Chapter 21, The Queenmaker.
- A Feast for Crows, Chapter 40, Princess In The Tower.
- A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 17, Jon IV.
- A Storm of Swords, Chapter 38, Tyrion V.
- The World of Ice & Fire, Dorne.
- The World of Ice & Fire, Dorne: Queer Customs of the South.
- The World of Ice & Fire, The North: The Lords of Winterfell.