Idées d'un militaire pour la disposition des troupes confiées aux jeunes officiers dans la défense et l'attaque des petits postes

First edition illustrated with a colored vignette at head of the dedication and 11 folding plans drawn by Fossé and engraved in colors by Louis Marin Bonnet. Printed on heavy paper.
Contemporary full fawn sheep binding showing wear. Spine with raised bands, decorated. Beige morocco title-label. Split headcaps. Joints cracked at head and foot. Rubbing and scuffing. Corners cut and worn. Large lack to half-title.
A treatise on military defense and attack strategy. It draws on concrete examples situated on a plain, at a ford, on a bridge, in a castle or a village.
The work concludes with a Summary for representing military plans, dealing with colors appropriate for wash drawings of plans, their use, and a short treatise on the Construction of military perspective.
The book is particularly remarkable for its illustration. Louis Marin Bonnet perfected the process of crayon manner engraving in the 1770s. The instructions given by Fossé for wash drawings are taken into account for the color printing of these prints. Bonnet attributed the invention to himself, calling himself "first engraver of this type"; in fact, he improved upon the process created by his master Demarteau. Nevertheless, Bonnet perfected printing with two crayons (black heightened with white) and printing in miniature or pastel manner, thus becoming a direct competitor to the Gautier-Dagoty.