Books for Prep | |
 - Second only to Twain's book.I've read Saint Joan of Arc by Sackville-West, Beyond the Myth by Brooks, and of course Twain's book....but I must say this was my favorite. It's entertaining, factual, and quite a pleasure to read. I highly suggest this one! Rating: - Terrific book of a SaintJoan of Arc was a 19 year old woman who accomplished what many men older and wiser couldn't. France was on the brink of collapse when she emerged into history. Half of the country was occupied by the savage English troops under the Kings Edward V and Edward VI. They took advantage of the civil war that ravaged France. The Burgundians were allied to England and against the dauphin. The city of Orleans was the last bastion to hold the English from taking the other half of France and was under siege for 8 months when Joan arrived on at Orleans. Joan's confidence in God and her voices of Saints helped achieve the impossible. She lifted the siege of Orleans, defeated other Enlish forces and paved the way for Charles of Ponthieu, to become King Charles VII. She was later caught and sold by the Burgundians to the English who wanted her burned. Her trial was a travesty of injustice. The clergy tried to trick and humiliate this uneducated woman, but could come up with nothing better than trying her as a heretic who wore men's clothes. Many of the people who wished her dead cried as she was burned. They realized, only too late, that they had killed a holy woman. She was created a Saint in 1920, 500 years after she was burned to death. Rating: - Great book, bad translationAbsolutely wonderful by a first rate historian in the French style. Historically rigourous, gripping, complete. This is the full historical record with no embellishment or fluff. I found the translator's notes and additions rather detrimental, and frankly out of place. It is not the translator's place to reinvent the wheel. The comments were over the top, and not in line with what the author intended, which is obvious from the content. I would highly recommend the book, just not the translation. Rating:  - Great history book!I studied Joan of Arc for my college senior seminar, and found this book to be one of the most useful books on the subject of her life. Pernoud did an amazing amount of research on J of A's life and times, and had a great amount of information to share. She is also usually one of the more readable historians I have read; every now and then she becomes dry, but this is rare. She has written many books on J of A; this one is the best general reference. It has information on J of A, several people in her life, her time, etc. I would definitely recommend this book (and this author) to those interested in reading about history. Rating: - One of the best books on Joan of ArcThis is one of the definitive biographies on Joan; and Regine Pernoud is one of the foremost experts. This title is pretty comprehensive and very readable. I have read over a dozen books on Joan, and Pernoud is definitely one of the top three author-experts. I liked her other book a little better: "Joan of Arc: By Herself and Her Witnesses." But it does not include as much historical material (background, events, commentary). The telling of the story from Joan's own words and the testimony of those who knew her puts "Joan of Arc: By Herself and Her Witnesses" on the top of my list. If you really want to feel like you walked with Joan, read Mark Twain's fictional diary, "Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc," told from the point of view of her childhood friend-later-scribe. One of the greatest reads of my life! A Book that really changed my perspective on a lot of things. In association with Amazon.com | |