Instructions for Officers of Infantry, shewing how to trace and construct all sorts of Field Works; as also the best Method to put Church-yards, Churches, Castles, Villages, Towns, &c. in a State of Defence. Translated from the French, and considerably augmented, with notes and supplementary chapters.

GAUDI, Friedrich Wilhelm von.

Published by London: Printed by T. Gillet for Egerton's, Deconchy's, Dulau and Co's [and 4 others, all in London], 1804

About this Item

First edition of this translation, in a handsome contemporary binding. "The book describes in great detail everything an engineer officer needed to know about the principles of defence. [and] was extremely popular with British officers" (Fletcher). Gaudi (1725-1788), a Prussian officer of Scottish extraction, served in the Seven Years War and was present at several of Frederick the Great's major battles. His important treatise on fieldworks was first published in 1767 at Wesel, where he was governor of the citadel, under the title Versuch einer Anweisung für Officiers von der Infanterie ("Attempt at instructions for infantry officers"). An English translation published by a Colonel Pleydell in 1768 was used as the basis for this version. The translator, General de Malortie, an officer in the Bourbon army, later published his own works on fortification. Here he describes Gaudi's work as "universally considered as one of the best that was ever published on the subject" (p. i). Malortie included notes throughout and added six additional chapters: "definitions", "basic maxims", entrenchments, on the glacis and covert-ways, and the attack and defence of fieldworks; and six new plates of his own. The list of 249 subscribers, arranged by regiment, is headed by the dedicatee, the Duke of York, and includes several Waterloo officers, including Sir William Ponsonby, Sir Colin Halkett, and Baron Ompteda. Provenance: Charles William Vane, third Marquess of Londonderry (1778-1854), with his engraved book label (using his former name of Stewart). A brave but not particularly brilliant soldier - although a discerning book collector - Vane served with variable distinction as a cavalry commander throughout the Peninsular War. Ian Fletcher, The Lines of Torres Vedras 1809-11, 2012. Octavo (212 x 130 mm), pp. [18], 284. With 45 engraved plates on 19 folding sheets at rear (erratically numbered but complete), tables in text. Contemporary tree calf, smooth spine stained dark green and gilt-lettered direct, divided by gilt foliate rolls, compartments decorated with a gilt reticulated pattern and trophy of arms, board edges milled in gilt, edges yellow. Small patch of worming on rear board, joints and extremities lightly rubbed, a little marginal finger-soiling internally, some offsetting from plates: a very good copy.

Seller Inventory # 173793

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Instructions for Officers of Infantry, shewing how to trace and construct all sorts of Field Works; as also the best Method to put Church-yards, Churches, Castles, Villages, Towns, &c. in a State of Defence. Translated from the French, and considerably augmented, with notes and supplementary chapters.
• Publisher: London: Printed by T. Gillet for Egerton's, Deconchy's, Dulau and Co's [and 4 others, all in London], 1804
• Edition: 1st Edition