The Negotiator : The Masterclass at Saint-Germain

It is 1570, and France has been torn apart by religious warsbetween Catholics and Huguenots. The formidable Queen Mother, Catherine deMedicis, calls on Henri de Malassise to negotiate a peace treaty with theHuguenots. The wily nobleman needs all his experience and psychologicalinsight to navigate through the tactics, manoeuvres and compromises of thediscussions. He sees some division in the Huguenot ranks: is it a weakness, ora clever ploy by his adversaries? Is it by chance or design that his Huguenotcousin, the enigmatic Eleonore, appears on the scene at a critical moment?The negotiation at Saint-Germain really did take place, andMalassise played a key role. The author Francis Walder draws on his ownmilitary and diplomatic experience to illustrate, through this PrixGoncourt-winning novel, the skills of negotiation much needed in diplomacy andbusiness today.