Joan of Arc: Historical Overview and Bibliography

Few individuals in the annals of world history have had so lasting an impact as Joan of Arc, who rallied a country behind her and continues to inspire people today. Although she began life as a peasant, she became a key figure in the latter stages of the Hundred Years' War. As a teenager she experienced visions from God calling her to aid the French king. Her confidence and bearing, along with her fervent adherence to God and her Catholic faith, belied her age and so influenced the monarch that he made her commander of one of his companies. She helped lead the French forces in battle against the English, in turn becoming a national icon. However, she was eventually captured and tried by the English in a trial rife with ecclesiastical and political overtones. Convicted as a heretic, Joan was sentenced and burned at the stake. As a martyr, she gained mythic status and the Roman Catholic Church made her a saint in 1920. This book presents a fascinating study of Joan of Arc's life based on excerpts from John A Mooney's gripping 1919 biography. The overview is augmented by a substantial and selective bibliography, featuring access provided through author, title, and subject indexes.