About this Item
Field Engineer or Instructions Upon Every Branch of Field Fortifications: Demonstrated by Examples Which Occurred in the Seven Years War Between the Prussians, the Austrians, and the Russians With Plans and Explanatory Notes. Translated from the fourth edition of the German original of J.G. Tielke, Late Captain of Artillery in the service of H.S.H. the Elector of Saxony in Two Volumes
Volume I: Duties of the field engineer, reconnaissance and intelligence gathering, marching, military formations for different geographies, field fortifications, artillery and arms, trenching and parapets, cannon placement and tactics.
Volumes II: types of forts and war structures, battlefield strategy and tactics based on building, land type and topography, preparing military plans, setting up camp in various terrain types
By Johann Gottlieb Tielke. Translated into English by Edwin Hewgill
Condition: VERY GOOD. Textually Complete, 31/32 folding plates, 3/3 folding plans. Lacking Plate 28.
***NOTE*** NO copy currently listed for sale has all the plates as issued.
Published by J. Wallter in London in 1789. First edition in English, first printing. Finely bound in contemporary full calf; boards with triple fillets in blind; top cover with centered and bordered gilded name of "Lochnell"; spine ruled and tooled in gilt with two gilt lettered leather labels; board edges hand scored; all page edges sprinkled. Royal Octavo, 9.5" x 6.25". Collated: xvii, 348; viii, 273 pp. Thirty-one copper engraved fold-out plates and three fold-out plans.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Johann Gottlieb Tielke (July 1731 - November 1787) was an army officer and an internationally recognized military writer.
In 1756 he became a prisoner of war with the entire army in Prussia. Because of his small stature, he succeeded in escaping, disguised as a milkmaid. He went to Warsaw, where he could present to the military commander cartographic military information based upon his prison-of-war experiences.
In 1760 he was a participant in the Battle of Torgau. He was lightly wounded and his horse was killed. The Prince of Saxony's intercession led to Tielke's promotion to Souslieutenant (second lieutenant). In 1761 he belonged to the army of Prince Albrecht of Saxony. In 1762 Tielke's unit was stationed in Silesia. After the Seven Years' War, the Saxon troops were redeployed. Tielke was promoted to Premierlieutenant and then Stabscapitän. During the War of the Bavarian Succession, he commanded an artillery battery as Compagniechef. During the remainder of his career, he was garrisoned mainly at Freiberg.
Growing up in poverty, Tielke had not received any academic training, and yet he became a world-class expert on military fortifications, intelligence, artillery, tactics, and strategy. On these subjects he published several treatises, which were republished numerous times and translated into English and French. His writings were acknowledged in other German principalities and by Frederick the Great of Prussia.
CONDITION REPORT: VERY GOOD
Exterior and binding: Square spines, firm hinges and joints, bumping to a few corners, tight pages. Top edges darkened, per usual. Some areas of skinning to boards, soiling, lightly rubbed extremities. Presents beautifully on the shelf.
Interior: Pages are generally clean and white with some areas of minor text block oxidization and a scattered spot on occasion. Grubbiness to endpapers and toning. Former owner bookplate of "Pat Murray" on front pastedown of each volume. Foxing to prelims and blanks; some light to scattered clusters of foxing on plates. Light signs of handling - some bent page corners, a few small margin tears, a few smudges. Leaf 25-26 in Volume I with a penny-sized area of paper loss to bottom margin from insect predation, not affecting text. Offsetting from plates.
All in all, a VERY GOOD copy of a scarce and important work on war engineering strategy and tactics in the field of battle.
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