Second, revised and much enlarged edition of what is easily the most influential fireworks manual of early modern Europe, first published in 1706.
 
Divided into three parts it subsequently treats the ingredients, the production, and finally the display of fireworks. Frezier "was an all-round military expert and fortified San Domingo and other places. His book describes coloured fires, Roman candles, set pieces, fireworks burning under water, etc. and is particularly detailed on rockets, incl. those of repeated flight [...], i.e. the prototype of the modern stratosphere rockets and also military rockets containing devices which caused them to rotate in flight" (Partington).

In 1741 Jean Neaulme published a pirate edition; this prompted Frezier to issue the present, augmented second edition, as he writes in the preface.