April 2008: This, the fifth article in the series on the French Riviera, complements the preceding one on Old Antibes .

Vauban (1633-1707)

You may be forgiven for not recognizing his name today, but he was one of the most important men in military history, probably as important to France 300 years ago as Nelson was to England a century later. Vauban was a soldier’s soldier, humanitarian, social thinker, and engineer extraordinaire. He joined Louis XIV’s army in his mid-twenties, rose swiftly, was appointed Governor of ... (more)