Over four thousand years ago ambassadors and merchants overcame all manner of obstacles in order to ally the kings of the ancient Near East together as self-proclaimed brothers. This book takes readers on a journey across time and space-from the 24th to the 14th century BCE, and through deserts and river valleys-to meet the colorful characters who first began to tie cultures together.

CONTENTS; A WORD ABOUT CHRONOLOGY AND TRANSLATION; CAST OF CHARACTERS; TIME LINE; ACKNOWLEDGMENTS; INTRODUCTION; PART I: THE EARLY DYNASTIC PERIOD AND AKKADIAN EMPIRE, 1500-2000 BCE; PART II: THE OLD BABYLONIAN PERIOD, 2000-1595 BCE; PART III: A TIME OF CRISIS AND CHANGE, 1595-1400 BCE; PART IV: THE AMARNA AGE, 1400-1300 BCE; EPILOGUE; ABBREVIATIONS; NOTES; FURTHER READING; BIBLIOGRAPHY; INDEX

"Podany has...broken new ground in the study of international relations in pre-classical antiquity...This work is the product of excellent, detailed, and groundbreaking scholarship."--Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research "An engaging book that manages to provide a nuanced analysis and insightful observations while setting out the general history of the Near East over the period of two millennia. Shows that the balance between force, negotiation of peace, and family ties (and the use of the language of family ties) was (and still is) at the heart of international relations. An astounding success."--Greece and Rome "This readable book breathes life into the dusty documents of the ancient Near East. Erudite and imaginative, Brotherhood of Kings brings us back to the origins of diplomacy and the first international community. The events date back three or four thousand years but Amanda Podany makes them seem fresh."--Barry Strauss, author of The Spartacus War "This is an attractive and accessible work. It is based securely on the ancient sources from which the author quotes a generous amount in translation. Podany's approach is imaginative without being excessively speculative and her style is easy, clear, and flowing. In her hands these ancient people come to life and a world which was not well known is now better known."--Etudes Classiques "Lively and vigorous, detailed and dramatic, Amanda Podany's compelling narrative provides a sweeping view across centuries of diplomacy and history in the ancient Near East. Her descriptions breathe life into dusty documents and revive the ancient monarchs and messengers, populists and people, in a tale told in vivid color, replete with sights, sounds, smells, and textures. This is truly a joy to read, a treasure to remember."--Eric H. Cline, author of Biblical Archaeology: A Very Short Introduction "Something like this book has begged to be written. It is as good as anything I have seen for making this ancient world interesting, even fascinating, in a way that will draw in the uninitiated. This is really a volume on ancient history and culture, told through stories. Through a thousand years of diplomacy, Amanda Podany presents a history of life in the Near East, full of eye-catching attractions and riveting tales."--Daniel Fleming, New York University "A lively, enjoyable book."--Amélie Kuhrt, History Today "This book is always interesting and often fascinating--it is not just creative but conveys critical information without stultifying the non-specialist."--History Book Club "Joins a small but growing number of books which move Ancient Near Eastern scholarship out to a wider readership. The author has masterfully assembled disparate literatures, rendered them accessible, and taught us something new: about our seemingly unflagging ability to manage and solve complex political problems of our own creation--for this, Podany deserves our applause."--Ancient History Bulletin "Podany enters the palaces of the high and mighty, imaginatively recreating the exchanges that could have taken place. Using the letters to carefully recreate this surprisingly peaceful period, when alliances were solidified by dynastic marriages and luxury gifts with the help of an active diplomatic correspondence, Podany has penned an historical, if academic, quest."--Publishers Weekly "[Podany's] book is fun to read and...should be widely read both by scholars in the field and by laymen. The latter so that they can discover how engaging Near Eastern history can be; the former to remind themselves of the same and to remember that they are dealing with real people whose fears, pleasures, and other emotions are as worthy of attention as a join between two tablet fragments, if not more so."--Bibliotheca Orientalis

Selling point: First book to give an overview of diplomatic contacts across the Near East from the earliest records of diplomacy in the 24th century BCE to the height of the international community of the 14th century BCE. Selling point: Fluid and accessible narrative of ancient Near Eastern history. Selling point: Dates the origins of international diplomacy to the ancient world.

Amanda H. Podany is Professor of History at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. She has published a number of books and articles on topics in ancient Near Eastern history, including The Ancient Near Eastern World.

Selling point: First book to give an overview of diplomatic contacts across the Near East from the earliest records of diplomacy in the 24th century BCE to the height of the international community of the 14th century BCE. Selling point: Fluid and accessible narrative of ancient Near Eastern history. Selling point: Dates the origins of international diplomacy to the ancient world.