Few scholars have attempted to evaluate critically the role mediators play in managing international conflicts. Thomas Princen examines where mediation fits in the larger realm of diplomatic practice, going beyond the usual state-centric focus to account for the mediating activities of a wide range of actors-from superpowers to small states, from international organizations to nongovernmental groups. Originally published in 1992. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

"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