A magnificent atlas in its finest and rarest grand paper form. The introductory text outlines the availability of the work in three different versions: on grand paper 50 livres, medium 40 livres, and on small paper 36 livres. This clearly is the large paper version complete with early wash colour, ornate engraved borders and descriptive text panels. The medium issue lacks the outside engraved frame but retains the descriptive text panels. The small paper issue is just the map. A key map of France numbered 14 is inserted which is not called for in the list of plates. Despite the title being dated 1770 and most maps bearing dates in the 1760s, this atlas was not issued until the following year as all the additional 15 maps of the French provinces are dated 1771.

The maps are provided by Brion de la Tour and the descriptive text by Jean Charles Maclot. Whilst the double-hemispheric world map and American continental map include a large Sea of the West, the more detailed one of North America excludes it referring to the discoveries of the Russians. The Australian continent includes a conjectured east coast as is to be expected at the time. Louis Charles Desnos (1725-1805) was a noted mapmaker, globe maker, and publisher in Paris. Desnos was not the most successful of Parisian publishers, he went bankrupt in 1784. Despite being appointed globe maker to the King of Denmark he spent most of his life in Paris. He had a particular penchant for road books producing several of France. Louis Brion de la Tour (fl.1756-1803) was a military engineer and Geographer to the King. Jean Charles Maclot (1728-1805) was a professor of mathematics, cosmography, and history. Phillips (1909-) 645.