Reference Material on Saint Joan of Arc

My dream, when I started writing Maid of Heaven, was to cover in a poem the life of Saint Joan in a way that would give the reader a sense of what I have learned after studying her life for years and reading literally tens of thousands of pages about her. In today's modern hectic society, most people have neither the time nor the inclination to devote to such study so I felt a poem was the only way to reach many people with this incredible story. It was a tremendous challenge that took over a year to write but I think that Maid of Heaven does succeed in covering the life of Saint Joan of Arc. That said, I know as a historian that it is impossible for any one work to completely cover a subject. The best way to learn history is to read as many sources as possible to try to get as complete a view as possible about the true history. I hope that Maid of Heaven will give the reader a passion to want to know more about Saint Joan of Arc and will serve as a great starting point. To aid the reader in learning more, I included a Bibliography at the end of the book, which is also listed below.

Primary References used to write Maid of Heaven

Paine, Albert Bigelow. Joan of Arc, Maid of France. New York: Macmillan, 1925.
My favorite biography about Saint Joan of Arc. Very comprehensive and well written.

Pernoud, Régine. Joan of Arc by Herself and Her Witnesses. New York: Stein & Day, 1966.
Biography that relies on actual quotes by Saint Joan and her contemporaries.

Pernoud, Régine. Joan of Arc: Her Story. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1998.
Well researched biography by one of the renowned experts on Saint Joan of Arc.

Twain, Mark (Samuel Langhorn Clemens). Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc. New York: Harper's, 1897.
Mark Twain's biography brings out Saint Joan's personality better than anything else I have read. Click Here to Read Mark Twain's Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc online at MaidOfHeaven.com

Winwar, Frances. The Saint & the Devil. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1948.
Well researched biography that covers some lesser known aspects about the life of Saint Joan.

Additional Online Resources
You can also find plenty of information online about Saint Joan of Arc but be careful because not everything you read is historically accurate. Listed below are some of the better websites that I have found:

Saint Joan of Arc Center- Albuquerque, N.M.
Excellent site containing a vast array of resources on Saint Joan of Arc.

Jehanne D'Arc Center
Comprehensive site containing biographical information.

International Joan of Arc Society
Online collection of scholarly material related to Joan by Professor Bonnie Wheeler.

Books Online
There are many old biographies about Joan of Arc that are now in the public domain and available for free online.

Mark Twain's Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc
If you can't afford to buy a copy you can read Mark Twain's wonderful biography here for free.

The Girl in White Armor by Albert Bigelow Paine
This is an abriged version of Paine's great biography Joan of Arc--Maid of France

The Trial of Jeanne d'Arc by W. P. Barrett
Excellent resource containing the transcript of Joan's trial translated into English.

The Maid of Orleans by Friedrich Schiller
Excellent play about Joan of Arc by famed political philosopher Friedrich Schiller.

The Maid of Orleans Opera by Tchaikovsky
Renowned opera about Joan of Arc by famous Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky.

Saint Joan by George Bernard Shaw
Famous play by George Bernard Shaw in six scenes with an introduction about the life of Joan of Arc.

The Song of Joan of Arc by Christine de Pisan
Famous poem written in 1429 by Christine de Pisan who was a contemporary of Joan's.

Jeanne! God's Holy Warrior by Virginia Frohlick
Historical novel by the founder of the large online website Saint Joan of Arc Center

The Life of Joan of Arc, Vol. 1 and 2 (of 2) by Anatole France
The author won the Nobel Prize in literature in 1921 and one of his last important works was his biography about Joan of Arc but the biography has been criticized for trying to explain Joan's supernatural Voices as being derived from a psychological neurosis brought about by religious fanaticism.

Shakespeare's Henry VI Part 1
Most people are unaware that Shakespeare wrote about Saint Joan because it was not one of his better works. In fact, the historical accuracy is so bad that some have tried to claim that Shakespeare never actually wrote it.

Shakespeare's Henry V
provides excellent coverage of the famous Battle of Agincourt which was a crushing defeat for the French and created the desperate conditions in France that necessitated the miracle that Joan of Arc provided. Understanding the negative effects that this battle had upon France is essential to understanding the huge role that Joan of Arc played in helping France to ultimately win the Hundred Years War.

Joan of Arc Play
by J.A. Sargant is a play in five acts written in 1840 that is entertaining and covers the basic history of Joan of Arc.

Voltaire's La Pucelle d'Orléans
Voltaire was another famous writer to cover the life of Saint Joan but his epic poem IS NOT HISTORICALLY ACCURATE. In fact, it is complete fantasy and has been charitable labeled as satire. This link contains a page explaining Voltaire's motives as well as part one of La Pucelle d'Orléans.

Monk of Fife: A Romance of the Days of Jeanne d'Arc by Andrew Lang
Interesting fictional story involving the Scottish soldiers that fought with the French and Joan of Arc.

The Story of Joan of Arc by Andrew Lang
Published in 1916 as part of The Children's Heroes Series. Andrew Lang was an excellent writer and historian and while this biography was targeted to young people everyone will find it a good read.

The Maid of France: Being The story of the Life and Death of Jeanne d'Arc
Excellent well referenced biography about Joan of Arc by Andrew Lang.

Jeanne d’Arc Her Life and Death
by Mrs. Margaret Oliphant is a well written and researched book that will give any reader a good history of Joan of Arc's life. Published in 1896.

Joan of Arc by Francis C. Lowell
Good biography about Joan of Arc that covers her whole life in a single volume and is a worthwhile read for anyone wanting to learn the history of Joan of Arc. Published in 1896.

The Boken Soldier and the Maid of France
is an entertaining story of Joan of Arc appearing to a WWI soldier. Fictional story. Full book online.

Joan of Arc Biography
by renowned French historian Jules Michelet contained in Michelet's historic and highly acclaimed work History of France.

Joan of Arc
by Ronald Sutherland Gower is an illustrated biography published in 1893 that gives good coverage of Joan of Arc's life and legacy.

Joan of Arc Biography
by Philip Henry Stanhope was published in 1853 and provides good coverage of Joan's life in a well written and easy to read book covering her whole life.

Joan of Arc
Essay by 19th century English writer Thomas de Quincey that provides a good general overview of Joan's life and discusses some interesting details rarely seen elsewhere.

The Voices of Jeanne d'Arc
Esssay discussing the true nature and impact of Joan's Voices by Andrew Lang.

Short Joan of Arc Biography
Short chapter about Joan of Arc from the book Historical Tales: French by Charles Morris providing a short but detailed account of Joan's life.

Joan of Arc Short Biography
Chapter from book Patriots and Tyrants by Marion Florence Lansing that is a good overview of Joan's life and history

Saint Joan of Arc Short Biography
Chapter from book Stories of the Saints by Grace Hall that is a good overview of Joan's history and life.

Short Biography of Joan of Arc
Chapter from book Stories from French History by Lena Dalkeith that provides a good overview of Joan's history and life.

Brief Biography of Joan of Arc
Chapters from book The Story of Old France by H.A. Guerber that serve as a good short biography of Joan of Arc.

Brief Joan of Arc Biography
Chapter from book Famous Men of The Middle Ages by John H Haaren that gives a good short bio about Joan of Arc.

Brief Chapter about Joan of Arc
from book The Story of The Middle Ages by Samuel B. Harding that covers Joan of Arc's part in the Hundred Years War.

Brief Chapter Biography about Joan of Arc
from book European Hero Stories by Eva March Tappan that gives a good overview of Joan's history.

Chapter Biography about Joan of Arc
from book Old Time Tales by Lawton B. Evans is a good overview of Joan's life story

Brief Joan of Arc Chapter Biography
from book The Discovery of New Worlds by M.B. Synge gives a concise overview of Joan's life and story

Joan of Arc & Charles VII Short Biography
from book France: Peeps at History by John Finnemore giving a good overview on the history of France at the time Joan of Arc arrived upon the scene.

Saint Joan of Arc by V. Sackville-West
This biography has been criticized for being too slanted toward the author's own agenda. To read a more complete review Click Here

Jeanne d’Arc by Mrs. Oliphant
is a well written and researched book that will give any reader a good history of Joan of Arc's life

JOAN OF ARC The Warrior Maid by Lucy Foster Madison is a historical novel published in 1919 that does a good job of presenting the established history of Joan of Arc in an entertaining and easy to read manner and contains some beautiful illustrations.

Joan of Arc by Ronald Sutherland Gower
I am not familiar with this book so judge for yourself. Published in 1893.

The Mystery of Jeanne d'Arc by Léon Denis Translated by Arthur Conan Doyle
I am not familiar with this book so judge for yourself. Published in 1924.

A Heroine of France: The Story of Joan of Arc
is a historical novel published in 1903 that is aimed at younger readers but provides a good history about Joan of Arc and is entertaining and easy to read.

St. Joan of Arc The Life-Story of the Maid of Orleans By Rev. Denis Lynch, S.J.
I am not familiar with this book so judge for yourself. Published in 1919.

Blessed Joan of Arc by E. A. FORD
I am not familiar with this book so judge for yourself. Published in 1910.

Life Lessons from Blessed Joan of Arc by Father Bernard Vaughan, S.J.
I am not familiar with this book so judge for yourself. Published in 1920.

My Jeanne d'Arc by Michael Monahan
I am not familiar with this book so judge for yourself. Published in 1928.

The Hundred Years War - Charles VII and Joan of Arc
Chapter from book A Popular History of France by M. Guizot