François de Callières  (1645–1717) was a prominent French diplomat, writer, and member of the French Academy. Callières served as a diplomat under King Louis XIV and was involved in several important negotiations during his career, including the Peace of Ryswick in 1697, which ended the Nine Years' War which this present work eventually became a product of.

““De la Maniere de Négocier” reveals a view of diplomacy as an essentially moderating influence. We may summarise it in the following way: the pursuit of state interests is presumed to be compatible with civilised behaviour. To civilised conduct intelligence must always be added. Without intelligence prudence is impossible, and in the absence of prudence men habitually come to rely on force.
By its subject “De la Maniere de Négocier” belongs to the history of international thought. It is the nature of Callieres' replies to questions arising from the elaboration of modern international society that finally he has to be judge.
As with Machiavelli, Callieres' view of the predicament of states is of interest partly for what he chooses to omit from consideration. In “De la Maniere de Négocier” it is the political relations of Europe's states and not their subjection to the constraints of natural or positive law that underpins the order that exists between them.” (Keens-Soper, Francois de Callieres and Diplomatic Theory).