The Maid and the Queen: The Secret History of Joan of Arc by Nancy Goldstone

May 14, 2012 Lyndz rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, i-luff-my-nook-ebook, reviewed

This book reads a bit like a history book, which is appropriate for the subject matter. Lucky for me, I quite enjoyed the prose. I found the majority of the book compelling and very interesting. I learned a lot more than I thought I would about the life of Joan of Arc. I thought I had a pretty firm grasp on the majority of her story but much to my delight, there was a lot that I did not know.

There are a handful of artwork and early depictions of the subjects included in the book which I found...more

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Apr 28, 2012 Orsolya rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, mistresses-royalty, library, religious-spiritual-content

Joan of Arc will most likely be the reigning superhero of women to come for many generations. Displaying courage equal or even surpassing that of her male counterparts; Joan is a role model, inspiration, and compelling historical figure. Nancy Goldstone attempts to look at her hidden motives and connection to Yolande of Aragon in “The Maid and the Queen”.

The first notable characteristic displayed by Nancy Goldstone is “The Maid and the Queen” is an eloquent language/writing style. Goldstone seam...more Joan of Arc will most likely be the reigning superhero of women to come for many generations. Displaying courage equal or even surpassing that of her male counterparts; Joan is a role model, inspiration, and compelling historical figure. Nancy Goldstone attempts to look at her hidden motives and connection to Yolande of Aragon in “The Maid and the Queen”.

The first notable characteristic displayed by Nancy Goldstone is “The Maid and the Queen” is an eloquent language/writing style. Goldstone seamlessly binds flowerly terms with an easy-to-read pace which allows the average reader to “keep up” and remain interested and entertained at the same time. This tactic is necessary as the material can become quite overwhelming if one is new to the topic at hand (mostly French politics during the Hundred Years War). Goldstone passionately explains the figures and events involved which eventually leads to the emergence of Joan and her involvement (the book is split into three sections: before Joan, Joan, and after Joan). Hence, the possibility of becoming overwhelmed by the abundance of information is high. Plus, at times, Goldstone seems to stray on zealous tangents which can become tedious and slow-moving.

Don’t expect the “typical” biography of Joan of Arc or Yolande of Aragon’s influence on the maid. Versus a psyche study of Yolande and/or Joan, “The Maid and the Queen” is more of a background political discussion. However, Goldstone occasionally intertwines personal opinions on the psychological effects of early incidents for both females and they affected future events. These insights are quite compelling and result in several “ah-ha” moments. Even better is that Goldstone doesn’t allow these opinions to overflow too much into the historical tone which thus results in minimal speculation (thankfully). Goldstone’s tone is affirmative, passionate, and yet inquisitive.

The pace beginning with part 2 and the introduction of Joan is much quicker and more compelling containing a satisfying number of direct quotes and annotated sources which opens a window into Joan. These passages take more time to dissect her actions, motives, and court trial resulting in an interesting motive study and scientific breakdown. However, these sections are fleeting and I did not find Goldstone’s conclusions to be exclusive and I had many unanswered questions.

Goldstone’s hypothesis/explanation circles around politically describing the mystique of Joan versus that of religion (comparable to the evolution vs. creation debate) which could deter some readers who associate Joan with saintly traits. However, Goldstone isn’t overly forceful with these observations and merely grazes them.

Although chapter 11 (“The Trial of Joan of Arc”) is climatic and emotionally moving in its facts regarding the terrible way Joan was treated during her trial; “The Maid and the Queen” is less than enthralling. I expected “secretive” events while it was more of a re-telling. Goldstone’s hypothesis is lost as she only mentions the possible connections between Joan and Yolande a few times. Basically, the book is not what the title suggests and I found myself becoming bored at times.

A small annoyance was that the lack of a genealogical chart in the front of the book. It is placed in the back and is easily looked over as I couldn’t initially find it at all. It would make more referential sense in the beginning.

Although I was not completely captured by Goldstone’s work nor did I find it to cover the topic (the relation between Joan and Yolande) sufficiently; I do heartily recommend it for those interested in the politics of the Hundred Years War (plus, I now have a sparked interest in Rene of Anjou). Furthermore, I would read more works from Nancy Goldstone so the book was suitably enjoyable.
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Sep 30, 2012 Ellen Ekstrom rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was not so much a biography or history of Joan of Arc, as a chronicle of the role Yolande of Aragon played during this part of the Hundred Years War between England and France, and her determination to have her son-in-law, Charles, crowned King of France. The research was excellent but alas, I didn't learn anything new, anything I already didn't know. Joan's mockery of a trial and her execution didn't change the war or its outcome; they had no effect save that the English and Burgundians go...more

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Apr 21, 2012 Margaret Sankey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Having enjoyed Goldstone's previous work on the Provencal family and Joanna of Sicily, I was wary about this new "secret history" aspect. While we will never be able to ascertain the extent to which Joan of Arc might have been groomed and sponsored by insiders at court, Goldstone presents the case for Yolande of Aragon taking advantage of Charles VII's insecurities, the existence of prophecies and some slick PR moves to leverage things in favor of the Armagnacs and the king. Although the middle...more

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Mar 28, 2013 Jaime rated it 5 of 5 stars

It's completely obvious Goldstone is a genius when it comes to telling tales of predominant historic figures, and this book is no exception. She captures the essence of Joan of Arc and Yolande of Aragon to a tee. The author's work is flawless, and this well-written biography almost teaches us readers reminiscent to a textbook explaining who and why they are significant hundreds of years later. It's tough enough to highlight one heroine, but the addition of a second in this book is just an extra...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Cheryl rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am familiar with the story of Joan of Arc but not the back story of how she received a strong push from a woman named Yolande of Aragon. Yolande is a mystery to me. She was strong, smart, convincing, and a great chessmaster. I call her a chessmaster because in order to play the game of chess you have to be strategic, patient, have a good game plan and anticpate your opponent's moves. Also as the saying goes "Behind every great man is a great woman".

However as much as I liked learning about Yo...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Ann rated it 3 of 5 stars

I picked up this book as I've always been intrigued by the story of Joan of Arc ... and was intrigued by the "secret" part of the title of this particular book ! The author chronicles as much of the life of Yolanda of Aragon Queen of Sicily whose daughter, Marie, was married to France's Charles VII, as she does of Joan of Arc. The reason being that their lives were so intertwined at a most important part of the history of France. Charles VII started out as a weak timid king whose kingdom was be...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Nikki rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history, non-fiction

I'm not sure why people are tagging this as historical fiction, because it's being marketed as non-fiction and was certainly in the library and bookshop as non-fiction. Nor is it written as though it were fiction, and it has a wealth of footnotes and a bibliography which suggests a great deal of research. Certainly I can understand being a little dubious about some of the claims made -- it's really hard to figure out what exactly people thought and said to each other back during the Hundred Year...more

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Aug 12, 2012 Louise rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: france-bio-hist, biography

Queen Yolanda illustrates how women in the middle ages wielded power. Coming from a childhood of privilege, she married into an even more wealthy and powerful family. In her husband's absence she managed estates, collected rents and resolved disputes among other nobles all the while raising children to assume thrones and leadership roles. When her husband died she took a larger diplomatic role, advising the would be king (even when he ignored the advice) negotiated marriages and worked to free a...more Queen Yolanda illustrates how women in the middle ages wielded power. Coming from a childhood of privilege, she married into an even more wealthy and powerful family. In her husband's absence she managed estates, collected rents and resolved disputes among other nobles all the while raising children to assume thrones and leadership roles. When her husband died she took a larger diplomatic role, advising the would be king (even when he ignored the advice) negotiated marriages and worked to free a son taken as a hostage. By contrast, Joan's life was simple and uncomplicated until her voices compel her to action. Despite their regional proximity and their shared aims, the two women do not meet.

This book is a marked improvement in readability over Goldstone's The Lady Queen: The Notorious Reign of Joanna I, Queen of Naples, Jerusalem, and Sicily. The text is much smoother and for those not steeped in French history, and its descriptions make the story easier to envision. For instance, the total disaster of the reign of Charles VI, is told through a description of his madness. The reader sees how he was incapacitated and how this made him easy to manipulate. Goldstone shows how the Bavarian roots and reputation of his Queen, Isabeau, spawned rumors as to the legitimacy of their third son who eventually inherited the throne. All of this gives the context you need to understand the role Yolanda had in raising that third son, and why Joan is so pivotal in motivating him and his supporters to take his rightful role.

There is interesting material on how it was that Joan eventually got an audience with Charles, and how she lived while waiting for his response, what she did between battles and Charles's responses to her at the various points. After the persecution of Joan and the natural death of Yolanda there is a chapter on Joan's rehabilitation an epilogue on the significance of the two women.

I am not certain which parts of this are the "secret" history. Perhaps the subtitle refers to the previously neglected role of Yolanda. I'd have liked a bit more on Yolanda and the Naples and Sicily situations. For instance, how did Yolanda govern Sicily from afar, and more specifically what were the issues in Naples? Also the title Queen of Jerusalem is curious. What was her governance role there? While this is a book on France, a few pages on these lands might help the reader understand Yolanda's situation a bit more.

While you can see the weaving of these lives and how both worked towards the same goal, the p. 249 conclusion "Without Yolanda there would have been no Joan." is not fully drawn. Given Yolanda's influence on Charles as a boy, the support she gave him as a mother-in-law (even when he did not heed her advice) she was a major source of influence and support. A more accurate statement is "Without Yolanda there would have been no Charles."

I highly recommend this volume for the general reader. For those more knowledgeable about this period, I believe they will find the sections of Yolanda worthwhile. (less)

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Jun 13, 2012 Lori rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: history

Goldstone sets the life and influence of Joan of Arc in the context of the life of Yolande of Anjou, probably the most powerful woman in France toward the end of the 100 Years War. The authors main thesis is that we cannot understand Joan until we grasp Yolande's influence in the court of the French king Charles VII. Charles was losing the war badly and needed a divine sign to feed his superstition and encourage him in the battle, so apparently Yolande set the stage for the appearance of a divin...more

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Apr 02, 2013 Sheila rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 14th-century, 15th-century, history, wi-library, powerful-women, reviewed

This is a work of both historical fact and historical conjecture set in the 14th and 15th centuries. The main focus is on the queen of the title, Yolande of Aragon, Queen of Sicily, and mother-in-law to "the Dauphin of France." ("The Dauphin" was later crowned Charles VII of France.) Joan of Arc is "the Maid" of the title, and the author's conjecture revolves around how an illiterate peasant girl was able to gain an audience with the Dauphin of France, much less become his champion against the...more This is a work of both historical fact and historical conjecture set in the 14th and 15th centuries. The main focus is on the queen of the title, Yolande of Aragon, Queen of Sicily, and mother-in-law to "the Dauphin of France." ("The Dauphin" was later crowned Charles VII of France.) Joan of Arc is "the Maid" of the title, and the author's conjecture revolves around how an illiterate peasant girl was able to gain an audience with the Dauphin of France, much less become his champion against the English and the Burgundians. The author's hypothesis that Yolande of Aragon heard about Joan's (Jeanette's) visions and maneuvered her into an audience before the Dauphin is the central point of this work.

Although Joan of Arc (her name in French is Jeanne d'Arc) is a well known name, Yolande of Aragon has been lost in the mists of time. Yolande, born in 1381, was the daughter of King John I of Aragon and his queen, Yolande of Bar. She married Louis II, King of Sicily, Duke of Anjou, and Count of Provence. Together, Yolande and Louis II, King and Queen of Sicily, had five children: one daughter, Marie, who became the Queen of France by marrying Charles VII while he was still dauphin. As you can see, Yolande of Aragon was intimately involved in the royal family of France. She also had French territories to protect from the English and the Burgundians, who not identifying themselves as being French had allied themselves with the English. The overarching conflict of the time was the Hundred Years War, involving all of these parties with the English Kings Henry V and his son Henry VI (during Yolande's life) claiming lands in France. (One source in the UK states the time of this conflict as 1337 to 1453.) And, just to make it interesting, King Charles VI (b.1368 d.1422), was apparently schizophrenic for most of his life, with at least one pyschotic episode in which he attacked his own troops. For the main of his life, Charles VI had disabling episodes which rendered him unable to rule, and in which his queen, Isabeau of Bavaria, and others, spent extravagant sums of money and generally took advantage of the government and the people of France. Mix this all together and you have an unstable central government, invading English, civil war, and the nobility murdering each other. And Yolande had both a husband and a son spending years and a tremendous amount of money trying to retake their hereditary interests in Sicily.

Yolande of Aragon was an intense and highly intelligent woman. A master diplomat and tactician, she readily took over running their lands in France when Louis went to war to retake Sicily. She had a master network of spies as well as a fortune with which to spend to make things happen. Over her lifetime, she gained power within the kingdom of France rarely achieved by any man of her time. Author Nancy Goldstone makes the case from contemporary sources that Yolande strategically manouvered Joan of Arc into the court-in-exile of the Dauphin to bolster his flagging ability to fight the English. It is clear that Yolande had the expertise, as well as the personality to look out for her daugter and son-in-law's interests for most of her life.

Goldstone also makes a strong case from contemporary sources about how Joan of Arc was essentially purchased by the English from the Burgundians who captured her. The English proceeded, with the full knowledge and assistance of the Catholic Church, to treat her very brutally when compared to the ongoing laws of chivalric behavior toward a captive that had been established. The English wanted her dead so they could hold the French throne in a dual kingdom of England and France. High ranking members of the Catholic Church obliged while lining their own pockets with gold. Joan was pronounced a witch and a heretic and burned at the stake, an unusual punishment for one who had been a military leader. But then she had worn men's clothes when riding into battle, and that became one of the strongest arguments for her execution. From Goldstone's recitation of medieval sources, it sounds like that was an even greater sin at that time than hearing the voices of female saints who urged her to rescue France from the English.

I was not well acquainted with French history but this book is well researched and written with an occasional seasoning of wry humor. The author has added to the back a very necessary diagram of the genealogy of the French royal family, as well as Notes and a Bibliography. Also included are contemporary maps and illustrations. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Joan of Arc or in Medieval French history. (less)

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May 06, 2012 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

WOW! I thought I had a half way decent understanding about the French monarchy, but I was wrong! When it comes to Joan of Arc, most of the history books focus on her, but this book really puts her into the larger picture. As much as Joan's story is tragic, her accomplishments and her downfall, were partly politically allowed to happen, as it suited those with power in their hands. She was a catalyst for change in France. And I really like the way the author finished off the stories of some of th...more

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Aug 19, 2012 Christina rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really learned a ton from this book, which was well-written and researched. I confess I've never read much about French or English history and didn't know much about Joan of Arc. I still don't know what to make of her and her visions and voices, though I do admire her courage and adroitness in the face of her inquisitors.

What I found most fascinating was understanding the culture of those times -- ransoms, chivalry codes, nobles surrendering and being held in relative comfort while awaiting ra...more

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May 31, 2012 Rebecca Reid rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: b-nonfic-history

The Maid and the Queen by Nancy Goldstone (March 2012, Viking) is subtitled “A Secret History of Joan of Arc,” but this subtitle fails to encompass the scope of the book. Because much is unknown about Joan, her unique story and her impact on French history is only understood by considering the French political situation, the locale in which she lived, and the political leaders who supported her, thereby enabling a poor peasant (albeit one who spoke with angels) to rise to power in the French mil...more

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May 12, 2012 Claire McAlpine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction, france

It was interesting to learn of the role of Yolande of Aragon, her mother in law Marie of Blois and how women were used as pawns in the negotiation of peace between those detined to inherit these lands of Europe, so women were the peacemakers in more ways than one and Joan of Arc's way quite different from that of the nobility.

However, in between the things that interested me and stood out in terms of learning was some drudgery in trying to get through it. Actually, I ended up wishing that the st...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, medieval-history, french-history, joan-of-arc

It is pretty remarkable when you have the "I didn't want to put it down" feeling with a history book, but this book falls into that category. Fantastic overview of the surrounding political environment into which Joan appeared - detailed enough to get a true understanding, but not too detailed to get lost in the trees. I specifically enjoyed the many direct quotes from the main players.

If you have been wanting to read a book about Joan of Arc and the Hundred Years War, this is your book.

This boo...more

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Apr 20, 2013 Annie Leonard rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history

You may think you know the story of Joan of Arc, the simple medieval peasant girl who led the French army to victory against the invading English, but was later tried for heresy and burned as a witch. But, as Goldstone carefully lays out, that is not the whole story. Joan, or Jeanne D’Arc as she was known, did lead an army, but she was much more than a simple peasant, and she was supported by Yolande of Aragon Queen of Sicily, one of her time’s most influential politicians. This is the tale of t...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Val Sanford rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: european-history, history, womens-history

Yolande of Aragon features prominently in this book, as she did in setting Joan of Arc on a path to an historic victory at Orleans, a searing death at the stake and later the course of French history. The story of the 100 Year's war cannot be told without telling the story of Yolande of Aragon and Joan of Arc. This book dives into the political intricacies of the struggle for control of France, as well as the personal courage of each of these women. Goldstone also picks up the thread of Joan of...more

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Apr 14, 2012 Wicked ♥ (Wickedly Bookish Reviews) aka Bat-Jess rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, arc-or-galley, biography, history, netgalley, spring-reads, stand-alone

Reviewed for Wickedly Bookish
http://www.wickedlybookish.blogspot.com/

I was not aware at the time I took this on for review that it was a non-fiction history book rather than a novelization of historical events. I normally don't take on biographies or other works of non-fiction for my blog, however I must say, throughout the course of the book, I became captivated with the story Goldstone so eloquently revealed in the pages of The Maid and The Queen.

The book is split into three portions; Before...more Reviewed for Wickedly Bookish
http://www.wickedlybookish.blogspot.com/

I was not aware at the time I took this on for review that it was a non-fiction history book rather than a novelization of historical events. I normally don't take on biographies or other works of non-fiction for my blog, however I must say, throughout the course of the book, I became captivated with the story Goldstone so eloquently revealed in the pages of The Maid and The Queen.

The book is split into three portions; Before Joan, Joan of Arc, and After Joan and chronicles the intertwined lives of Joan and Yolande of Aragon, Queen of Sicily. I was very interested to see just how Yolande of Aragon influenced Joan's journey and how Yolande in turn seemed to fade into the recesses of history. What I found was the much larger portrait of Joan's life and death that the small picture I already had fit into. The things I was taught about Joan through history teachers, documentaries, and films didn't even begin to cover what actually happened to this amazing girl. Goldstone manages to give readers the facts as objectively as possible while still staying respectful to Joan's religious beliefs and claims. While I would have expected a non-fiction book to attempt to explain away Joan's visions and voices as delusions or schizophrenia, The Maid and The Queen points out the events that were pushed along by Yolande of Aragon while gracefully allowing for Joan's piety.

You must be wondering why I have given it only three stars after having enjoyed it so much. Although it is beautifully written, there are points within the book that seem bogged down with political dealings and war strategy. While these details are important to the overall understanding of the events of the Hundred Years War, they dry up the lushly told history and slow down the read exponentially. A reader who is only looking for the tale of Joan of Arc would easily get frustrated fishing through the political intrigues, rivaling parties, and genealogies. That being said, I still enjoyed learning about these two strong women.

If you are a fan of non-fiction, Joan of Arc, and are interested in learning in depth about the Hundred Years War, I would recommend picking this one up. As a reader of mostly fiction, I enjoyed it very much and feel it has been a good introduction for me into reading more books like it. (less)

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Jan 13, 2012 Diane S. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Amazing facts about two women who played such a prominent part in history yet could not have been more raised more differently. Yolande, who becomes the Queen of Sicily, married for 17 years had been educated as men were at that time. Joan had no education at all. Yolande lived a privileged wealthy life, Joan was from an impoverished background yet these two women come together to affect history. Book is well written, interesting and very well researched. Fascinating to read about the madness of...more

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Jun 02, 2012 Naomi rated it 3 of 5 stars

I read this book because I thought it would be interesting to find out how Joan of Arc was helped greatly by a Queen. Yolanda of Aragon was the queen of Sicily and mother-in-law of Charles VII, the dauphin of France which we have always heard about. In her efforts to get the dauphin crowned, Joan was politically aided by Yolanda. Both women were strong in character and Yolanda was said to have the soul of a man in the body of a woman. Her life was one of great influence and she used her riches t...more

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Apr 08, 2012 Sandra rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-netgalley, 2012-book-challenge, bios-or-historical-figures, non-fiction

A well-researched and rather interesting account of the life of Joan of Arc, and how a peasant's daughter, uneducated and unwise in the ways of her world, became the leader of the French Army that drove the English away.

It's also a book that delves farther into the mystery of how such an uneducated young woman was allowed access to the Dauphin - with the backing of one of the most influential and politically astute women of that time, Yolande of Aragon, Queen of Sicily.

It's a highly detailed a...more

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Mar 11, 2012 Clare Cannon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adults, non-fiction

A highly detailed and seemingly objective account of the historical and political events surrounding the life and death of Joan of Arc. Some content requires a mature reader – not for graphic detail but for the complex moral questions on politics and the spiritual nature of Joan’s mission – and overall it is probably too detailed to hold younger readers’ interest anyway. It is not written as an inspirational biography and does not consider the saintliness of Joan, but what is written of her spir...more

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Jul 15, 2012 Paul Cool rated it 5 of 5 stars

After reading nearly a score of books on Joan of Arc and this phase of the Hundred Years War, I came across a new and convincing explanation for the initial success of Joan of Arc's mission to see Charles VII (her "Dauphin"), namely that Yolande of Aragon, the mother-in-law of Charles played an essential role in smoothing Joan's path. Yolande herself is a fascinating character. Author Nancy Goldstone expertly weaves family matters, diplomacy, war, literature, fashion, and other matters into her...more

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Feb 17, 2013 Diana H. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography

While the subtitle of this book is The Secret History of Joan of Arc, this in not just her biography. This book delves deeply into the woman responsible for bring The Maid (Joan) to the attention of the rightful French king. That woman was Yolanda Queen of Sicily. This is a well written intriguing biography of woman who had the courage and strength to stand up for what they believed was right.
Some places in the text tend to drag with almost more boring information than is needed for story progr...more

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Aug 11, 2012 Patricia rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book which speaks at length about Yolande of Aragon and her family relationships. her political savy, and her involvement in Joan of Arc making contact with the Dauphin. Goldstone brings the medieval period to life and reveals the capable and complex roles played by these two women. While written from a historical point of view, Joan of Arc's spirituality and her suffering at the hands of the English and their supporters is quite moving. The book makes sense of the Hundred Year War...more

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May 02, 2013 Natacha P rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: review-copy, history

*The book was sent to me for review.*

Having grown up surrounded by the story of Joan of Arc, I’m automatically programmed to be curious about any J-of-A book that surfaces (I kinda love her… a lot!). To cut to the chase: this narrative is all about Yolande of Aragon, the French and English royal families, and the endless feuding of the Hundred Years War, making for a Joan of Arc appearance that feels like a mere ‘5 minutes’ in the larger scope of events. So those wanting to read specifically abo...more

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Nov 28, 2012 Edwinnaarden rated it 3 of 5 stars

What I liked was: I learned more about Joan, Yolande and the 100 years war and the book was fairly easy reading, but on the whole I disliked the book a bit more than I liked it. Why? Well, history is written by the winners and although I am sure Joan was a good person and poorly treated I thought her portrayal was a bit too good to be true, it was too positive and didn't put Joan into a historical perspective enough. She was a martyr but there were many other martyrs and heretics in the period a...more

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Apr 30, 2012 Leah (The Pretty Good Gatsby) rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, biography, dnf, france, for-review-netgalley, history, non-fiction

http://theprettygoodgatsby.wordpress....

Sigh. I was SO ready to love this book. I'm a huge fan of both biographies and history and, while I'm not very familiar with medieval France/Joan of Arc, I was very eager to read it and learn more.

Unfortunately, I was extremely misled by the title. The Secret History of Joan of Arc? Nope. More like, The Secret History of Every King, Queen, and Duke in Medieval Europe. In the introduction, the author mentions that Yolande of Aragon, Joan's biggest supporter...more

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May 20, 2012 Sheree rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, read-in-2012, reviews

3.5 stars

An informative, well researched account and a surprisingly easy read for a work of non-fiction. I have to be honest though and say I was disappointed; the title had me assuming this was Joan of Arc's story but that's slightly exaggerated and whilst the synopsis gives a clearer indication of what the book is about even it seems overstated.

The Maid and The Queen expanded on my familiarity with Joan the Maid's journey from pious peasant girl to leader of the French army and martyr but thi...more

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