Customer Reviews

Beyond the Myth: The Story of Joan of Arc

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In "Beyond the Myth: The Story of Joan of Arc," Polly Schoyer Brooks provides a biography for young adults that makes a point of separating historical facts from popular legends. One of the main strengths of the volume is how Brooks establishes the situation in 15th-century France which involved a king who suffered fits of madness and his weakling son and then tells the story of a peasant girl from the countryside who accomplished what appeared to be miracles in rallying the French to her banner. The result is a book about Joan of Arc that captures her humanity as well as her heroism.

Brooks neatly divides the story of Joan in half, with the first six chapters starting with Joan's life in the village of Domremy and ending with the crowing of Charles the Dauphin as King of France, and the last six depicting Joan's fall from glory, trial, and execution. Brooks emphasizes that the situations that brought about her martyrdom were beyond Joan's control and details the political calculations that ended up putting her in the hands of the English. However, as Brooks emphasizes, though the English burned Joan's body to ashes they could not wipe out the memory of her deeds from the French people. I appreciate that Brooks makes it clear to her readers how the effort's to restore Joan's name and honor after the English left France were just as politically motivated as the trial that condemned her.

This young adult biography is illustrated with historic prints and paintings, including a sketch by a clerk of his idea of Joan drawn in the margin of his report, as well as contemporary photographs of historic sites, such as Joan's stone-and-rubble house in Domremy and the statue on the post were she was burned at the stake in the marketplace at Rouen. Brooks has also written similar biographies of Eleanor of Acquitaine and Cleopatra. However, as Brooks notes, although more books about Joan have been inspired than any other women in history, she remains an enigma. In "Beyond the Myth," Brooks tries to answer the key questions concerning Joan's life and to restore her humanity, which in the final analysis, Brooks sees as being her greatest virtue. For students who are ready to get beyond your basic juvenile biographies of Joan of Arc, this is a thoughtful volume to which to turn next.

Like many females, I enjoy learning about female historical figures. I want to know as much truth as I can find. The author does exactly that for the reader. This book is a detailed account of the events that triggered Joan d'Arc's dedication to her country and its rightful king. The author traces the history based on documents and other works that have been carefully researched. She provides the reader with the personality traits and beliefs of the time which drove the events that led to Joan's trial and death. Accusations of witchcraft and sorcery were used by church and secular leaders to destroy the young life of a heroic woman because of jealousy, superstition, and shady business surrounding the church and state. In addition, health and medical issues of the times are revealed that are shocking and entertaining. Read this book to learn about Joan, but also about the way people lived. Just learning about the reasons for the need for all those castles made the read worth the time.

The book Beyond the Myth: the True Story of Joan of Arc gave much information and many facts. For those of you that want to find out who Joan is, what her personality is like, what she did, etc., this book would be perfect for you. I felt like I knew Joan by the time I was finished. The book is very descriptive and adds lots of detail, which is great. This book portrays Joan very well and doesn't leave out anything. It starts from her childhood to the time she died. At the end in the Afterword, the book even goes on to tell a little about what happened after Joan dies. This book is excellent if you want information about Joan. The book is entertaining at most parts, but it did get boring at times, so that is why I gave it a four star rating instead of five. Overall, this book is very good and provides a lot of information, not only on Joan, but on France and that time period. This book is great!

The book Beyond the Myth: The True Story of Joan of Arc was quite good. It provided many facts about Joan: including information on the battles she fought, the people she met, her personality, and her trial. The book also contained facts about the time period in which she lived. With many illustrations and photographs, this book made an interesting and educational read. The only reason why I did not give this book five stars is because in some parts it got a little dull, but overall it was really great. I do recommend you read this book, it's super!

While this book is written for the young adult, I read it recently as a "older" adult and loved it. I have limited spare time so it was great to be able to finish this book in a day or 2. It is simply written yet gives the reader a clear, comprehensive guide to the life of a brave, determined peasant girl. All important facts of Joan's life are included, her childhood, her goal to defeat the English and secure the French throne for Charles VII and her capture and death at the hands of the British. After reading this book I now have a clearer insight into the life of this popular heroine, her call from God and her amazing accomplishments.

Ms. Brooks concise biography of Joan, marketed toward "young adults," makes me feel sure that I must be young again! It exactly suits me.

The Joan that emerges from these pages is an entirely believable, if extraordinary, human being. It is written at a perfectly intelligent level, is measured in its judgments, provides historical and social context, and is never dogmatic. It seems careful throughout and provides a bibliography. And it is ~very~ engaging. What's not to like?

I proudly place this work for "young adults" on my shelves and will, in the future, look more deliberately for work in this category.

I have an interest in French history but a regular life as well, not endless expanses of time for huge historical tomes. I was extremely pleased with the return this book gave me for a modest investment of time. And nobody has accused me lately of not being a full-fledged adult ;-)

The author, Polly Brooks does an excellent job setting the stage for Joan of Arc's remarkable life. The books opens up describing the King of France Charles VI descent into insanity. His Queen Isabella is unfaithful. She is sleeping with the King's younger brother Louis of Orleans. Louis and King Charles are the cousin of John the fearless, the powerful Duke of Burgandy. John and Louis want to take advantage of the king's insanity to futher their ambitions. The rivalry between John and Louis becomes so intense that John has Louis assinated. Louis' friends have John killed. The English see an opportunity to secure the kingdom of France and choose to renew the Hundred Year War. The French suffer a catastrophic defeat at the Battle of Agincourt. Under the terms of the treaty, the heir to the French throne, the future king of France Charles VII is disinherited. The vitorious English King, Henry V is given the daughter of the French king in marriage. Burgandy allies itself with England and the combined forces are threatening to overrun the rest of France. The main obstacle to the complete conquest of France is the stategic City Orleans.

The common people of France look up to the King as their protector, even in areas that the English and their Burgandy allies control This is where an unlikely savior of France enters the scene, the Maid Joan of Arc. The author describes the ascendency of a peasant girl who becomes the savior of France. Mark Twain commented that Joan of Arc was the most remarkable person to ever live so this is where that I will stop my review.

I don't generally read non-fiction (I have the non-fictionattention span of a gnat). I'm glad I got my hands on this book. Itwas very well written, and so interesting that I ended up retelling it to several friends. Joan had a fascinating life and the author recaptures it very well.

Excellent Book. The details of Joan's life and her short 2 years of fame are almost too much to take in. The English are really pigs and cutthroats as is the Catholic Church. The author did a very fine job in taking alot of facts and condensing them into a very readable book. More - More - More.

Good read and easy to follow. This is a well balanced book if you want to get a general feel of Joan of Arc.