Il Generale in Campo

ossia Trattato di Grande Tattica raccolto dall'Opera di Guibert ed altri Celebri Autori, con XV Tavole de Monovre, il Tutto applicato alle Attuali Teorie e Pratiche dall' I.R. Capitano Pensionato. Fifteen folding engraved plates. Very good in full contemporary red morocco, handsomely gilt, emerald green shantung doublures, two matching silk page-markers, a.e.g. 110pp. [2pp.] Table, 128pp. [German text with separate title page]. Guissepe Picotti, Venice,

Scarce, sole copy traced at the Austrian National Library.

Coltelli, a retired Hauptmann, Captain, in the Austrian Army - thus the bi-lingual text - explains in his introduction "to his Colleagues" that he has compiled this work from the "most famous Texts [berühmtesten Scriften [sic]"] and "established authorities [gegründeten Quellen]" as a "expression of the lessons of his own experience [als eine Aeusserung der Lectionen - die ich mir selbst gab]."

The work, and its translation, had the imprimatur of Baron Maximillian Wimpffen on behalf of the Army Council and as Commander of the Austrian Army at Venice. Having seen the manuscript he commends it for its "excellent aim" [guten Absicht]" and supports the "well-earned acclaim [verdiente Lob]" that it has received. Wimpffen served with distinction at the Siege of Valenciennes, and at Maubeuge and Arcoli in the Revolutionary Wars, and was one of the Archduke Charles's Chief Staff Officers, severely wounded at Austerlitz, led a Division at Leipzig.

An extremely appealing work in terms of text, context and presentation. In light of its scarcity it seems unlikely that it received wide distribution, perhaps being more of a vanity publication circulated only among Coltelli's immediate officer cadre, or perhaps in the pursuit of patronage. The binding of this copy certainly gives all the appearances of having been intended for presentation.

Stock Code: 90790