Paul Hoste

Born at Brest in 1652, he was trained by the Jesuits and became Professor of Mathematics at the Royal Seminary at Toulon where he died in 1700, aged 48.

Hoste claims to have described all major sea battles from the time when galleys were supersede by broadside ships of the line.

In the preface to the first edition, Hoste declared that without evolutions, fleets were like barbarians who waged war without knowledge, without order, everything depending on caprice and chance.

Hoste detailed the navigational methods required to allow each ship in the fleet to reach these formations effectively.

[4] This section of the book focuses strongly on defense rather than attack which reflects the strategic position of the French Navy in the late 1690s.