George R.R. Martin, the author of the A Song of Ice and Fire series, drew inspiration for the noble disputes in his books from a variety of historical and literary sources. One of his most significant influences is the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars fought in England during the 15th century (1455–1487) between the Houses of Lancaster and York, two rival branches of the royal Plantagenet dynasty. This conflict over the English throne mirrors the power struggles among noble families in Martin’s fictional Westeros, particularly the rivalry between the Starks and Lannisters.