Joan of Arc: A History

Helen Castor, author of She-Wolves, presents a retelling of Joan of Arc's life. The narrative follows the peasant girl from Domremy who reports hearing voices from God, leads the French army to victory, is executed for heresy, and is later canonized. Unlike traditional accounts shaped by hindsight, Castor's approach moves forward through fifteenth-century France chronologically. Rather than presenting an icon, she portrays a living woman navigating questions of faith and doubt. Joan's military actions are situated within the context of a broader civil conflict in France. The account emphasizes that neither Joan nor those around her—princes, bishops, soldiers, or peasants—could predict what would unfold. The book places Joan's life within the larger political and religious conflicts of fifteenth-century France. The edition includes an 8-page color insert.