Plöger examines the forms and structures of medieval diplomacy during a time when conducting relations must have been particularly delicate. She describes the determining factors and points of contact in the twenty years following about 1342, during the schism that placed one pope in Avignon and another in Rome. Her discussion includes the diplomatic agenda of England in regard to Avignon; the roles of diplomatic personnel; the organization of diplomatic elements such as structure, self-image, and administration of payments; the means of communication within diplomatic functions; and the importance and manipulation of protocol. Distributed in the US by the David Brown Book Company. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)