Jean Boudriot's (originally Le Vaisseau de 74 canons ) is considered the definitive work on 18th-century naval architecture. This monumental four-volume set details every aspect of a French "74" from approximately 1780—the "pinnacle" of French naval design during the American War of Independence. ⚓ The Four Volumes
– Explains the complex system of spars and sail plans. The Seventy-Four Gun Ship: A Practical Treatise...
– Covers the dockyard, the training of architects, and the structural design of the hull. Jean Boudriot's (originally Le Vaisseau de 74 canons
"I believe that the art of naval architecture in France reached its pinnacle at the time of the American War of Independence... thus I have chosen as my subject a 74, such as were to be found in the French fleet around 1780." — Jean Boudriot the training of architects