Les fortifications de la rade de Brest. Défense d'une ville arsenal

Abundantly illustrated by photographs and documents of unpublished archives, this work represents a decisive contribution to the maritime history ofBrittanyin retracing the creation and development of the town-arsenal ofBrest, which owed its prosperity to naval construction. The history of the sciences and techniques applied to the maritime and military fields spotlights a triple evolution: that of vessels, cannons, and forts and coastal batteries.

From the fortifications of Vauban to the blockhouse of the Atlantic Wall, the reader can find a detailed study of the set of elements used to defend the arsenal as well as the related industrial and logistical establishments. It embracesBrestitself, Recouvrance and the periphery of the town, up to almost the isles of Plougastel-Daoulas, Crozon to the South, and the Saint-Mathieu point, the Conquet and the Isle of Ouessant to the West. Sites barely accessible or even unpublished are therefore revealed: the batteries of Le Mengant and de Cornouaille; the blockhouse of Keranroux, the magazine to lions or even the former German submarine base inBrest.

The inscription of thetowerofCamareton the Unesco World Heritage List in July 2008 confirmed, at an international level, the importance of the Vauban fortifications. This measure prompts scrutiny of the future of military heritage linked to the arsenal ofBrestand its evaluation.