This small study isn’t only putting some emphasis on the artillery shells or projectiles in use through the centuries since it could give a false understanding of their evolution. I regarded as very important that a short history of artillery, albeit in French, precedes the study of the evolution of the artillery projectiles until the end of the XIXth century. Thus, it should rather be considered as a technological study of the evolution of the “great art of artillery”.
Realizing a shortened synthesis of a decade of research in the domains of artillery and fortifications, the illustrations and documents are essentially issued from my privately owned collections.
Our secondary objective was to provide to the bibliophiles, as well those specializing in matters of artillery and fortifications, a selected critical (e.g. commented) bibliography counting several hundreds of references. The books are essentially ranging from the XVIth to the XXIth century but emphasizing on the publications between the XVIIth and the 1880’s.
For these who aren’t fluent in French, I wrote some short papers which can be accessed in the F.A.Q. chapter. Time permitting, there will be more !

Dr. Balliet J.M.

Histoire artillerie France projectiles, documents historiques, éléments de fortification - French artillery history : history, ammunition, fortifications. Fortification Serré de Rivère. Fort de Razimont - Epinal. Canons. Artillerie de forteresse Gribeauval artillerie lourde alvf field heavy artillery vauban