Maya texts embellish both their everyday objects and the monumental art and architecture commissioned by the kings to ensure their place in history.

The Blood of Kings makes full use of the tremendous progress made in deciphering the complicated Maya hieroglyphic code, effectively penetrating the world and minds of the creators of Maya art.

Linda Schele was a prolific Mesoamerican scholar who died in 1998. Her many great books include Maya Glyphs: The Verbs, the Palenque Bodega and Maya Cosmos. Mary Ellen Miller is Vincent Scully Professor of the History of Art at Yale University. She studies, lectures and writes on the art and architecture of Mesoamerica, with a focus upon the history and mythology of the Maya.