8vo. [8], 70pp, [16]. With an additional etched title page and 20 etched folding plates. Contemporary blind-ruled sheep, later recased with new fly-leaves, with several plates and quires protruding from page-edges. Worn, and rather scruffily repaired to head of cracked spine. Pastedowns sprung, margins shaved, occasional slight loss to text (without loss of sense), numerous plates with naive paper repairs to verso. Recently dispersed from the Cottlesloe Military Library 'probably the most extensive private collection of early printed books focused on military matters', with the bookplate of Thomas Francis Fremantle, 3rd Lord Cottesloe (1862-1965) to front blank fly-leaf.

The first edition of a profusely illustrated treatise of military fortification, commonly attributed to sculptor, master mason, and architect Nicholas Stone (1585x8-1647); likely compiled whilst imprisoned due to his Royalist sympathies using Hexham's translation of Marolois as his primary source.

The plates, beside illustrating the science of fortification, depict various kinds of cannon and bombs, gabions, turnpikes, and a very remarkable bed for officers to sleep upon 'made of leather, wind-tite, and blown up to bear them from the damp, and unwholesome humidity of the earth'. The etchings are early examples of the technique in England, and were likely executed by one of Stone's three sons, also sculptors, who spent time abroad training in the arts.