Joan of Arc: Her Story - Softcover

Régine Pernoud; Marie-Véronique Clin

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0312227302 ISBN 13: 9780312227302

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin, 1999

Synopsis

In an exquisite English translation from the bestselling French edition, Joan of Arc: Her Story now appears for American readers. From the French peasant girl who led an army to the icon burned at the stake, Joan has been a blank slate on which thousands have written. Pernoud and Clin clear away the myths so that modern readers can see Joan as she was and include a glossary of important individuals, historical events and interpretations of Joan through the ages. Joan of Arc: Her Story is the thrilling life of a woman who obsesses us even to this day.

About this title

Review:

The peasant girl who led an army against the English and placed Charles VII on the French throne has inspired countless books since her death at age 19. While others have claimed Joan the Maid (as she called herself) for every cause from feminism to working-class radicalism, this meticulous volume by two French scholars sticks close to the known facts. The authors make extensive use of contemporary documents that bring to life the turbulent political scene in which Joan operated as well as her forceful personality. Joan followed the directives of voices she believed were sent to her by God; her deep piety, self-assurance, decisiveness, and shrewd intelligence radiate from her letters and from her responses to hostile questioning at the rigged trial that resulted in her being burned alive as a heretic in 1431. General readers may be intimidated at first by a detailed narrative studded with lengthy quotations, but those who persevere will discover a story all the more moving because it is not manipulated to make a modern-day point. This English translation updates the 1986 French volume's bibliography, supplements the biographies in part 2 with sketches of historical figures less familiar outside of France, and generally makes the book more accessible for English-language readers. --Wendy Smith

From the Publisher:

"A vivid portrait of the young woman whose intelligence, courage, determination and unshakable faith astonished all of Europe" --Publishers Weekly

"The work of Pernoud and Clin brings into focus all the information about Joan that is available today...truly an exemplary biography. This Joan of Arc makes you want to be there to witness it all!"

--Le Monde on the French edition of the book

"A useful and innovative documentary history of the 15th-century French insurrectionist....Intriguing..." --Kirkus Reviews

"Historian Adams has performed a great service by translating and revising this best-selling French chronicle of the life and legacy of Joan of Arc."

--Booklist (starred review)

About this edition

• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0312227302
• ISBN 13: 9780312227302
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 336