Gordon A. Craig was Professor of Humanities Emeritus at Stanford University and Honorarprofessor at the Free University of Berlin. Felix Gilbert was Professor Emeritus in the School of Historical Studies at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.

"[This book] represents a really impressive achievement. Though a collaborative work, it is remarkably even and well-integrated ... It is certainly no exaggeration to say that this is the best-informed, most authoritative, and most provocative treatment of diplomatic history presently available for the period indicated."--The New York Times "A book like this one, in addition to providing pleasant and informative reading, will perform a useful function by increasing the understanding of the potential achievements and limitations of the diplomatic art."--The Nation "An enlightening and readable volume."--The New Yorker "An illuminating and authoritative commentary upon the conduct of international relations during this critical era."--American Historical Review