Bound in red goatskin with elaborate blind and gold tooling featuring the Prince of Wales Feathers badge, blue watered silk doublures.

During the battle of Seringapatam in 1799, Indian forces used iron-cased rockets against the British cavalry, with devastating effect.  Back in England, military inventor Sir William Congreve decided that the British army needed to be equipped with superior rocket technology. In about 1800 he developed a rocket that weighed about forty pounds, with a range of 3000 yards. The attached warheads could be incendiary or explosive, or could contain shrapnel or emit poisonous fumes. After successful demonstrations in 1805 the first British Rocket Troop was formed and used in the war against France.  Britain became the world leader in rocket warfare, and continued to use the technology in her new war with America in 1812.

As well as being an inventor, Sir William was a soldier, Member of Parliament and Fellow of the Royal Society. He was also a great personal favourite of George IV, who, on his accession to the throne, made him one of his equerries. These copies of his work come from George IV’s Carlton House library, and complements other military works in the Prince Regent’s library.