Page "Menno van Coehoorn" Paragraph 4

He borrowed many of the details from the works of his Dutch predecessor Freytag, of Albrecht Dürer, and of the German engineer Speckle, and in general he aimed rather at the adaptation of his principles to the requirements of individual sites than at producing a geometrically and theoretically perfect fortress.

Throughout his career he never hesitated to depart from his own rules in dealing with exceptional cases, such as that of Groningen.

Subsequent editions of Nieuwe Vestingbouw appeared in Dutch ( 1702, and frequently afterwards ), English ( London, 1705 ), French ( Wesel, 1705 ), and German ( Düsseldorf, 1709 ).

Coehoorn's individual assessment of each fortification and focus on existing natural advantages and disadvantages is the main difference in thinking from Vauban, who adhered more strictly to mathematics and standard fortifications.