1884 Map Of Paris

[Oliver]

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File ... A8tres.jpg

Hello all, Just a quick hello. I was just searching for material on Vauban and stumbled across this map. The key in the top left suggests that the older more complex star forts were considered ancient by 1884. I've yet to check this against Colm's KMZ file. I'm just trying to work my way through the posts here so as to avoid repeating material that's already house within the forum. My plan is to come at the subject via Sébastien Le Prestre De Vauban, France's (and history's) principle engineer of star forts. From the little I've read it appears that from scratch builds were far less common than working with the pre-existing star forts already in place.

Anyway, a pleasure to be here. I'm enjoying catching up on all your posts.

[Fenton]

Hey Oliver - Colm and I are, shall we say - a little sceptical of the Vauban story for various reasons.

Here's a few more Paris maps for you to have a look at -

PARIS10.jpg (5.65 MiB) Viewed 2482 times

PARIS LARGE.jpg (6.15 MiB) Viewed 2482 times

PARIS8.jpg (872.74 KiB) Viewed 2482 times

[Oliver]

Thanks for the maps. What parts of the story are you skeptical about? Any information/links would be appreciated. I figure being versed on the mainstream version of events will be useful in detecting where the holes lay and comparing his claimed designs against the information we now have of star forts from across the world.

[Fenton]

Hey Oliver -

The Vauban story is rife with holes - we have many maps and drawings, showing constructions that are clearly stars - from the time period before Vauban was even born. Then there are the costs and time involved with Vaubans alleged work - each star (certainly the larger ones) contain millions, if not tens of millions of bricks - and have intricate and superbly finished underground passage systems that we would find difficult to replicate today. Vauban would have been lucky to have built one or two large stars in his lifetime, let alone the hundreds that exist. Also, the Vauban tale doesn't take into account the satellite structure system, the canal system and the field system - all parts that integrated within the greater whole. Also, many stars show signs that they were once much larger than the remnants that are left today, particularly along the coastlines, where it's clear that large parts of the star have simply been indundated and washed away - of which there is no historical record to account for.

He may have 'upgraded' a few existing stars, but to accredit him with their conception and construction is a joke. On us.