This book is a 'must read' for students of international negotiation and conflict resolution. Princen has systematically examined a dimension of international negotiation that traditionally has been explored primarily by historians and the legal profession, namely, the role mediators play in managing international conflict. --Linda P. Brady, American Political Science Review In the context of international politics, Princen provides enlightening answers to how intermediaries learn, how they develop their role, and how they function in the context of both the international system and domestic politics. The work draws from extensive contemporary research in the field of conflict resolution and will replace Oran R. Young's The Intermediaries: Third Parties in International Crises (1967) as the definitive text. --Choice Princen's book is an excellent--indeed, outstanding--work of its kind... [Policymakers], like scholars, can draw on such work most profitably to deepen their understanding of this important international process. --Alan James, Survival