The study of diplomacy - in many respects the 'engine room' of international relations - has been marked by a revitalisation in recent years. This three-volume collection is the first to bring together the seminal writings in the field to provide a unique reference work on this essential institution for the conduct of international affairs.



The volumes include an introduction by Joensson and Langhorne followed by sixty selections thematically organised across three volumes: Theory of Diplomacy, History of Diplomacy, and Problems and Issues in Contemporary Diplomacy.





The result is an unparalleled resource that combines broad coverage of the subject with both historical depth and contemporary relevance.





Volume 1: introduces and reviews classic and contemporary definitional questions surrounding the study of diplomacy and theories of the origin and functions of diplomacy.





Volume 2: reviews the evolution from 'Old' to 'New' diplomacy through more than three millennia. Contributions span key eras of diplomacy from the earliest diplomatic records through Renaissance Italy to the development of the European state system and the aftermath of war.





Volume 3: focuses on areas of change, continuity and challenge in the current context and practice of diplomacy. Contributions address the contending debates around a perceived decline or crisis of diplomacy on the one hand, and the emergence of new, non-state, actors, modes and means of contemporary diplomacy, on the other.





Series information:





The SAGE Library of International Relations is a new series of major works that will bring together the most influential and field-defining articles, both classical and contemporary, in a number of key areas of research and inquiry in International Relations.





Each multi-volume set will represent a collection of the essential published works collated from the foremost publications in the field by an Editor or Editorial Team of renowned international stature.





They will also include a full introduction, presenting a rationale for the selection and mapping out the discipline's past, present and likely future.





This series is designed to be a 'gold standard' for university libraries throughout the world with an interest in International Relations.