“During the period in which How Nations Negotiate germinated, Iklé was associated with three of the leading American groups concerned with research on international relations — at the RAND Corporation; at Harvard’s Center for International Affairs, under whose auspices the book was written; and at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he is now a professor. All three groups must have been greatly invigorated by this fresh attack on a neglected field of inquiry.” — Science

“[A] praiseworthy attempt to bring some sort of order and cultivation into what might previously have been described as a briar patch rather than a field... The method of the book... illustrates how far we are from anything that might truly be called a ‘science’ of international systems... an excellent work, well written and entertaining, and even those who hope for better things can read it with profit.” — American Journal of Sociology

“It is a most welcome occurrence that Fred C. Iklé has explored the risky ground of international negotiation, has skillfully handled historical materials, memoirs, and reports of negotiations, and has speculated about attitudes, expectations, intentions, and perceptions without disguising uncertainties.” — World Politics

“By concentrating on the process, or processes, of negotiation, Iklé shows in considerable detail how much more complex the tasks of diplomats — or negotiators — have become in a revolutionary age of nuclear struggle, ideological conflict, competing and confused conceptions of nationalism, domestic pressure groups, and so on... The author illustrates with a wealth of detail from contemporary diplomatic history especially and has benefited from interviews with more than fifty diplomats in major capital cities of the West. One is happy to recommend this closely-knit analytical work.” — The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science

“Diplomacy is still more of an art than a science, but perhaps, in the nuclear age, a systematic analysis of one of its prominent techniques, namely negotiation, may be useful as a supplement to the standard works on diplomatic practice and the memoirs of practicing diplomats. Such an analysis might well be undertaken by a scholar trained in behavioral research, rather than by a professional diplomat. The volume under review admirably meets these specifications. Professor Iklé has effectively combined research in the records of diplomacy in recent years, interviews with persons who have had extensive experience in negotiation (mostly Americans and Europeans), and clinical analysis.” — The American Political Science Review

“Iklé has written a systematic and thorough study of inter-nation-state negotiations... How Nations Negotiate will doubtlessly receive greatest circulation among students of diplomacy and international relations. But the insights provided by Iklé’s book should prove stimulating as well for those interested in labor-management relations.” — ILR Review