Besides editing various sections of the Dictionnaire des Arts et Metiers, from which this work on Real Tennis is extracted, François Alexandre Pierre de Garsault (ca. 1691- ca. 1776) published various books from 1733 onwards on horses, carriages, geography, plants, animals and medicine, and was captain "des haras de France." Although not of great length, his Art du Paumier-Raquetier was the first account of Real Tennis to follow the publication of the laws by C. Hulpeau in Le Jeu Royal de la Paume, 1632 (reprinted in 1659 in La Maison Rustique). It is described by Noel & Clark as "one of the most important links between past and modern Tennis," and by Mars as "one of the most valuable works available on the early history of Tennis. At the time of its publication this book contained the most detailed descriptions available on every aspect of the game. This French first edition contains five excellent folio plates which have appeared in many later works on tennis."