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Vauban under Siege: Engineering Efficiency and Martial Vigor in the War of the Spanish Succession. By Jamel Ostwald. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill, 2007. ISBN 978-90-04-15489-6. Maps. Appendixes. Notes. Bibliography. Index. Pp. xii, 390. $159.00.
2007 is the tercentenary of Vauban's death and is being marked all over France and beyond by exhibitions and conferences. Vauban (1633-1707) was on active service almost continuously from the age of eighteen. By 1703 when he was created Marshal of France (and then sidelined) he had worked on at least 160 fortresses, directed more than forty sieges, and been wounded five times. Many places have reason to mark his anniversary. Amidst all the celebration, Jamel Ostwald's book is very welcome because, without taking away from Vauban's achievements, it directs a critical spotlight on the reality and legacy of his approach...