Letters of the great kings of the ancient Near East

"From numerous surviving letters, we know that the Great Kings of the ancient Near East wrote to each other on a regular basis. The kings often appear pompous, arrogant and petty in their dealings with one another. But their correspondence played a major role in the international diplomacy of the period, underpinning a number of the pacts made between them." "Professor Bryce uses the royal letters as the focus of a new examination of this highly turbulent and volatile region, in the context of the civilizations that flourished there some 3,500 years ago. The book considers a vast range of material, from marriage-alliances and gift-exchanges, to a king's correspondence with his officials in the highly vulnerable frontier zones of his kingdom, to attempts to resolve international crises through diplomacy before they erupted into full-scale war." "As well as offering insights into events of great historical importance, the letters give us many vivid glimpses of the personalities of those writing, and show us their reactions to the events of the time."--Jacket.

Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Nonfiction. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.