Eugène Viollet-le-Duc - Histoire d'une Forteresse - 1874

Fascinating illustrated edition (beautiful in-text and out-of-text engravings, including 8 color plates and notably the pretty frontispiece) of this narrative that is at once educational and illustrated, tracing the evolution of defensive systems from the Middle Ages through the fictional yet realistic history of a fortress, allowing the principles of military architecture to be presented clearly and progressively -

The author describes the birth of a simple fortified point, then its development into a fortified castle, detailing the successive transformations imposed by advances in siege techniques and weapons -

Viollet-le-Duc also analyzes the innovations introduced to strengthen the resistance of fortifications, such as the improvement of active and passive defense systems, as well as the rationalization of plans -

The work emphasizes the constant relationship between attack and defense, showing how developments in military art lead to architectural modifications. It also addresses daily life inside the fortress, mentioning the social organization, living conditions and activities of the inhabitants -

Viollet-le-Duc - History of a Fortress - SD (Circa 1874) - J. Hetzel et Cie -
368 pp

Good condition of the binding, the work in its full red publisher’s binding, wear from use, spine worn, some defects on the boards, gilt edges, smooth spine adorned and titled in gold lettering, superb engravings in black and gold on the boards -

Good interior condition, some foxing, work enriched with beautiful in- and out-of-text engravings including 8 in color, notably the pretty frontispiece, modern endpapers in good condition, handwritten annotations on the second endpaper -

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