When the Dutch entered the French entrenchments despite suffering heavy casualties de Quincy was proud not to see any soldiers of his regiment flee; Except one called Le Rouge.

This clearly embittered Joseph, who writes on page 73 of volume II of his Mémoires: "I can assure you that the journals I kept of my campaigns, and which I sent to him very precisely, contributed not a little to help him compose this history; he did not show me the slightest gratitude.

It amazes me all the more, that he gives praise to many general officers, in truth who hardly deserved them, and whose actions should be buried forever.

[e] The fact that the biography turned out to be based on the memories of two participants in the actions described, contributed to the value the work has as a primary source for the history of the War of the Spanish Succession, perceived from the French side.

Another quote from Joseph, describing the unveiling of the equestrian statue of king Louis by François Girardon on the Place Vendôme (then called Place Louis-le-Grand) in 1699, at which he was present together with his brother, may let us better understand the attitude required of historians in the age of Louis XIV.

In the Preface he furthermore describes the scheme he consistently follows for the description of the several battles and sieges treated in the book (such as strength of the opposing forces; dispositions; identity of commanders; manoevres executed; officers mentioned in dispatches; losses on both sides; and trophies captured; accompanied by the appropriate engraved battle and siege maps).

[15] Though Sevin writes in his Preface that "...my principal care has been to rid myself of all spirit of partiality, and to give the most sincere account of what has passed during so long a reign, without increasing the advantages, nor diminishing the losses of one or the other party,[g] the work was written from the French perspective.