Le François, vaisseau de 5e rang: manuscrit de François Coulomb, Toulon 1683

"In 1680 Colbert gave orders to the administrators in Brest, Rochefort and Toulon to set up a school to teach construction theory to the Navy guards (cadets). At Toulon, François Coulomb was chosen to initiate the future officers, and the lessons he gave from 1680 onwards encouraged him to edit a manuscript, dated 1683 [a manual of construction]. In the present monograph, Jean-Claude Lemineur, after analysis of the manuscript and additional sources, explains the use of drawings, then comments on the 38 plates necessary to define the ship and describe the rigging."--Publisher website.