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.