Jeanne D'Arc

by W.S. Scott

On 30th May 1431, English soldiers led a 19-year-old girl to a stake in Rouen and burnt her. Already she was the subject of a number of myths: to part of the French nation at least, she was its saviour, to the established Church she was a condemned heretic, and to the English she was a witch.

Since then the myths surrounding Jeanne d'Arc have multiplied as each successive generation has listened to what it was told of her story, and read into it whatever was convenient. Most biographies have had to be based on an examination of her trial and a sifting through of local French legends. No authentic contemporary portrait of her has ever been found.

Dr W.S. Scott has studied the Johannic myths for over 30 years. During that time he has edited an account of her trial, and written numerous scholarly articles. Now he has written the most complete biography of Jeanne to appear in modern times. Going back to the sources, he follows Jeanne's progress through France and describes the attributable detail surrounding the legends. He follows the trial and the rehabilitation that occurred 25 years later.

There are maps, illustrations of places and relics associated with Jeanne, visualizations over the epochs of her appearance and, in a series of appendices, Dr Scott traces the changing images of Jeanne in art and literature.

239 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Dr. Walter Sidney Scott was a British historian focusing on myths related to Joanne D'Arc.

Reviews

[Melanie Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read this prior to reading Vita Sackville-West's 'Saint Joan of Arc' so as to get a general overview. I think this book achieves that. I like the fact that Dr W S Scott writes about Jeanne respectfully and with some awareness of the sexism that Jeanne would have faced, especially emphasising the dangers of her situation once she was captured (if you want to read more on this topic, I recommend the article by Clarissa Atkinson November 25th 2018 https://oldestvocation.com/2018/11/25...).

The appendices are as interesting as the main body of this biography and should be read to gain a broader idea of Jeanne D'Arc and responses to her. There are two areas about which I would like to know more about - firstly, the viewpoints of the French people about Jeanne D'Arc both in the past and currently and, secondly, more about Jeanne's spiritual life and her visions.

[Nick Cox · Rating 2 out of 5]

An old school biography, rather dry and dull until it gets to the appendices which are so interesting you wonder why they weren't included in the main body, while the chapter on the possible route Jeanne took from her arrest to her trial would have made a better appendix than a chapter.

[Merle · Rating 1 out of 5]

It is completly useless because of bad references. He sometimes doesn't even name the source and just comments on the information he found somewhere. I am so frustrated