Synopses & Reviews
During the tumultuous Hundred Years' War between England and France, a teenage peasant girl followed her heart and helped save a nation. A vision from God, received in her parents' garden, instructed her to take up arms and help restore the kingdom of France. Without consulting her family, Joan left home on one of the most remarkable personal quests in history. As a young girl in a world of men, she faced unimaginable odds, yet her belief in her mission propelled her forward. Within months Joan was directing soldiers and bravely fighting for her nation. Before long she had become a national hero and was the guest of honor at her king's coronation. Yet fame ultimately became her undoing. The English shrewdly realized that Joan's demise and defamation would disgrace France and provide a more direct route to victory. Captured in war, Joan became a pawn in one of the longest and bloodiest wars in history.
Since her death at the age of nineteen in 1431, Joan of Arc has maintained a remarkable hold on our collective imagination. She was a teenager of astonishing common sense and a national heroine who led men in battle as a courageous warrior. Yet she was also abandoned by the king whose coronation she secured, betrayed by her countrymen, and sold to the enemy. In this meticulously researched landmark biography, Donald Spoto expertly captures this astonishing life and the times in which she lived. Neither wife nor nun, neither queen nor noblewoman, neither philosopher nor stateswoman, Joan of Arc demonstrates that anyone who follows their heart has the power to change history.
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“Spotos new biography is like bringing reality TV into a 15th century courtroom . . .a stunning miscarriage of justice.” Denver Post
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“[An] engaging, and at times gripping, biography.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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“Donald Spoto is one of the best biographers in the world today. “ Acclaimed biographer Mary S. Lovell, author of the national bestselling The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family
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“…a lively, accessible book …with a cogent discussion of faith, mystery and early church politics.” Washington Times
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“A worthy contribution to a renewed understanding of a figure who still speaks to todays realities.” Library Journal
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“Spoto is a surprisingly apt biographer for [Joan] ….” Slate
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“[Spoto] approaches his subject with the sophistication of a historian and the admiration of a true believer.” Washington Post
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“Thought provoking and very readable… Joans story is significant and should be retold….” United Press International
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“A fresh and definitive biography in the context of Joan of Arcs times.” International Herald Tribune
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“I have never read a biography that affected me so deeply as a Catholic or as a woman.” Sr. Joan Chittister, author of Called to Question and columnist for The National Catholic Reporter
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“A magnificent introduction to one of the most misunderstood and controversial of all the saints.” James Martin, SJ, editor of America Magazine, author of My Life With the Saints
Synopsis
A meticulously researched, popular account of the life of Joan of Arc draws on newly discovered transcripts of her trial to offer insight into the factors that contributed to her remarkable achievements, the plausibility of the role of divinity in her mission to serve her country, and the factors that contributed to her discrediting and execution.
About the Author
A prolific and respected biographer and theologian, Donald Spoto is the author of twenty published books, among them bestselling biographies of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Alfred Hitchcock, Tennessee Williams, and Ingrid Bergman. His books have been translated into more than twenty languages. Donald Spoto earned his Ph.D. in theology at Fordham University. After years as a theology professor, he turned to fulltime writing. The Hidden Jesus: A New Life, published in 1999, was hailed by the Los Angeles Times as "offering a mature faith fit for the new millennium." His successful biography of Saint Francis was published in 2002. Spoto lectures worldwide on important topics such as theology, the arts, and social issues.