Additional information
by Marcus Holmes (Author), Nicholas J. Wheeler (Author)
Interpersonal Diplomacy offers a pioneering theory of how emotional connection and trust between world leaders can shape the outcomes of international crises, especially those involving nuclear weapons. Drawing on microsociological theory, particularly Randall Collins' theory of interaction rituals, Holmes and Wheeler show how interpersonal dynamics-such as emotional energy, mutual focus of attention, and bodily co-presence-can foster social bonds that transform adversarial relationships.
Challenging dominant structural and psychological explanations of crisis diplomacy, the book demonstrates that leader-to-leader interactions can decisively alter the trajectory of high-stakes confrontations. Through rich case studies-including the relationship between John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev during the Berlin Crisis and Cuban Missile Crisis, and the interpersonal diplomacy between Indian and Pakistani leaders Rajiv Gandhi, Zia-ul-Haq, Benazir Bhutto, and V.P. Singh, the authors trace how trust was built, tested, and sometimes thwarted. It also explores how leaders may use written communication or virtual technologies to replicate elements of face-to-face diplomacy in contexts where physical meetings are not possible. Timely and theoretically innovative, the book provides scholars and practitioners with a new framework for understanding how human relationships shape the prospects for peace and the future of international order.Author Biography
Marcus Holmes, Professor of Government, William & Mary, Nicholas J. Wheeler, Professor of International Relations, University of Birmingham
Marcus Holmes is Professor of Government at William & Mary. His research focuses on international security, diplomacy, political psychology, and international relations theory. He co-directs the Social Science Research Methods Center and leads the Political Psychology and International Relations (PPIR) Lab, which employs psychological and neuroscientific approaches to study diplomacy and global cooperation. He earned his Ph.D. from The Ohio State University and has taught at Georgetown University, Fordham University, and Ohio State. Nicholas J. Wheeler is Professor of International Relations in the Department of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Birmingham. He is a non-resident Senior Fellow at BASIC where he works on BASIC's Nuclear Responsibilities Programme with special reference to India-Pakistan nuclear relations. His research areas are International Relations and Strategic/Security Studies. Within that, he has specialised on the security dilemma, trust-building, international society, nuclear strategy and proliferation, and humanitarian intervention.
Number of Pages: 368
Publication Date: September 01, 2026
