Joan: The Mysterious Life of the Heretic Who Became a Saint

By Donald Spoto

Since her death at the age of nineteen in 1431, Joan of Arc has maintained a remarkable hold on our collective imagination. She was a teenager of astonishing common sense and a national heroine who led men in to battle as a courageous warrior. Yet she was also abandoned by the king whose coronation she secured, betrayed by her countrymen, and sold to the enemy. In this meticulously researched landmark biography, Donald Spoto captures her astonishing life and the times in which she lived. Neither wife nor nun, queen nor noblewoman, philosopher nor stateswoman, Joan of Arc demonstrates that everyone who follows their heart has the power to change history.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Oct 13, 2009
• ISBN: 9780061870552

Donald Spoto

Donald Spoto (1941-2023) received his PhD from Fordham University in 1971. He is author of twenty-nine books published in more than twenty-six languages.

Reviews for Joan

[sigmundfraud · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Joan: The Mysterious Life of the Heretic Who Became a Saint is written by the unlikely Donald Spoto. I found the book fascinating. We all know the story of Joan of Arc but all most know is that she won the battle of Orleans in France and was burned at the stake. But there is much that happened in between those events and you will learn it all here. In this day and age it is difficult to believe that one heard voices from God but she was a most courageous warrior who took on the powers that be. She lost in the end because the trial was rigged. And so she was needlessly burned at the stake, a very painful death. She refused to recant her story though she knew the consequences.

[lynnb_64 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Like many people, I pretty much knew about Joan of Arc -- who hasn't heard of her? But I wanted to deepen my knowledge and this short biography did an excellent job of describing her life, the trial she faced and the times in which she lived. Well researched, well written.