Much credit for the conception of, and insightful advice on, this work goes to Marie-Claire Antoine, from the French Champs de Batailles (the battlefields of Arras, 1914–1918). Coming from this region of World War I carnage perhaps encouraged her ethical and intellectual commitment to this encyclopedia as both a peace project and a scholarly project, a commitment that has been obvious from the outset. She is perhaps the best editor I have ever had the good fortune to know.

I have dedicated these volumes to my first coeditor, Peter Brock, a leading peace historian, dear friend, critic, and colleague, who died before this encyclopedia had reached even its embryonic state. Working with Peter previously on a truly encyclopedic work (Pacifism in the Twentieth Century, 1999) for several years taught me a great deal about the breadth of the field, about one's responsibility to seek out all available sources, reliable or not, and about how overwhelming such projects can be.

Marie-Claire was also advised by Richard Burns, publisher, bibliographer, and one of our editors, who gave me solid advice in the early period (2004–2006) and who has contributed comments in his areas of expertise ever since, as has Peter van den Dungen, my former colleague at Bradford University.

In the next stage, Bill Vogele, another editor with experience on reference works (as coeditor of Protest, Power, and Change: An Encyclopedia of Nonviolent Action), constructed an invaluable template that helped us create the first spreadsheet and parameters of potential topics, article lengths, and authors; Stuart Candy helped at this stage, as did my former graduate assistant at Colgate, Larenda Twigg, who stepped into the breach on several further occasions between 2005 and 2008, to plug the gaps, not least in our database.

The wisdom, comments, and contacts of Louis Kriesberg, veteran peace and conflict analyst and a founding editor, were invaluable throughout the process. April Carter joined Louis Kriesberg as senior editor in 2006 and played a key role in advancing the project both intellectually and in terms of external support and infrastructure. Michael Randle and Christina Arber were both most supportive of Dr. Carter during this transition. At the end of 2006, Rebecca Sampson became the chief administrative assistant on the project and continued for more than two years in her central role of overseeing the work to its completion, for which she deserves special thanks. Her consistent and admirable coordination work, not least with the publisher and all of our editors and efforts of the Oxford University Press editors, especially Eric Stannard, a patient and supportive development editor, and Robert Repino, his associate, were invaluable during such a busy period. Together with Rebecca they kept our databases conscientiously in synchronization and our communications open. Finally thanks to Theresa Stockton for a comprehensive copy-editing exercise.

A number of present and former students (mostly in peace studies) (including Larenda Twigg, now at Bradford) were part of the project team: Oliver Sudbrink, Justin Hoover, Carrie Nedzipovik, Abbey Radis, Jenna Rice, Kristin Ruger, Meghan Tierney (in fund-raising), Lucy Whetton, and Edward Marks (in information technology). The peace chronology owes much to April Carter and Larenda Twigg's assistance at a late stage, with John Gittings’ and Peter van den Dungen's help.

One of my most conscientious editorial board members, Herbert Blumberg, provided insights, advice, and support throughout, together with the Conflict Research Society. Two key additions, John Gittings and Welling Hall, who joined the board at a later stage, brought great experience, invaluable personal contacts, and external support. Welling, as senior consulting editor, focusing on documents and treaties, and John also (as China correspondent for many years for The Guardian), helped secure essential outside help and endorsement. I am also grateful to Professor Paul Rogers of the Department of Peace Studies, University of Bradford, for helpful endorsement on several occasions. Thanks also are due to the International Studies Association and its Peace Studies Section (Dan Wessner) for their support, and to the Association's president, Nils Petter Gleditsch, for revising his presidential address for use as the introduction to the encyclopedia.

In days when such comprehensive scholarly works are rarely profit-based commercial ventures, special thanks must go to those individual donors, foundations, charitable bodies, and institutions who made this project financially possible. The encyclopedia owes a great deal to the individuals and groups involved, who had faith in our work. Lou Ensel and the Biosophical Institute secured our future with their generosity. The Joseph Rowntree Charitable and Scurrah Wainright Charity trusts and the Allan and Nesta Ferguson Trust helped cover our essential administrative costs from 2006 through 2008. Don Ferencz (of Planethood), the Threshold Foundation, and the Nuclear Education Trust helped support our final research and documentation program (2008–2009), as did the Earlham Plowshares Collaborative. The Alan B. Slifka Foundation also provided research funding support. Thanks, too, to the many individuals at these foundations for their help and courtesy. I am also grateful to those editors who paid their own way to editorial meetings and covered other costs.

Finally, special thanks to contributor, soul mate, life partner, and constant helper, Antonia Young, ethnographer, anthropologist, and writer, who did so much to support this work in numerous ways during the sometimes difficult six years it took: both of us have learned a great deal about peace as a result of the journey.

Nigel J. Young