Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Joan of Arc:
A different kind of spiritual warrior.
Quick synopsis:
The story of St. Joan of Arc and her times.
Fact for Non-History People:
Joan of Arc never killed anyone. Yes, in battle or otherwise.
Fact for History Nerds:
Joan of Arc was killed by the English AND French.
My Take on Joan of Arc:
After reading Helen Castor’s magnificent The Eagle and the Hart, I knew I had messed up by not reading her previous books. My first effort to rectify my failure is Joan of Arc. I wanted to start there because I have yet to find a book on the Maiden which left me feeling like I knew who she was better than when I started. As expected, Castor finally delivered that story. The strange part is that she did so by not writing a traditional biography of St. Joan. In fact, she is only in about a third to half of the book. Yes, it is counterintuitive, but hear me out!
It seems the secret to unlocking Joan is to describe in detail the world around her both before and after. A book which starts from her bursting onto the scene would be hard pressed to describe the Hundred Years’ War in a short explanation. The war (which I will shorten to The Hundo) is what makes her story possible. The people of the continent were exhausted, lacking in leadership, and then this 18ish year old shows up with a mission from God (yes, I wanted you to hear it like they say it in The Blues Brothers). Was she bipolar? Did God send her to whack a whole bunch of Englishmen? Unclear and beside the point. Joan certainly thought it was God and she definitely got results…until she didn’t. The trial (and then the OTHER trial) would cement her immortality on this earth. Castor digs into all of this by somehow keeping Joan at arms length, but simultaneously more clear to the reader.
The book is nearly 10 years old at this point, but Castor’s easy prose is just as good as it is today. I have read about the Hundo before. It is very often boring to the point of wishing everyone involved could lose. I was never bored and, more amazingly, I finally think I have a handle on it. Probably. Don’t ask too many questions. I know a heck of a lot more about Joan, though! Definitely!
Verdict:
A must read. Buy it here!
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