The Maid and the Queen: The Secret History of Joan of Arc Paperback – Illustrated, March 26, 2013

The story of Joan of Arc has passed from history into legend, in the process losing many of the details that made her so fascinating. Nancy Goldstone's fine new book is a dual biography of Joan and of the woman who made her career possible: Yolande of Aragon, Queen of Sicily.Fifteenth century France was a land in turmoil. Riven by conflict with England and internecine strife within its borders, France by the late 1420s was on the verge of defeat. At that moment a French peasant girl appeared out of nowhere and convinced the uncrowned King of France to allow her to lead his armies. Winning victory after victory, Joan revived the French fighting spirit that enabled the kingdom to eventually defeat the English and put an end to the long running civil wars, even though she herself was captured and executed only a year or so after her first battle. That's the story that has come down to us over the centuries. Goldstone shows that the story is true, but reveals unexpected dimensions behind it that eliminate some of the more fantastical elements but maintain and enhance the drama.Yolande of Aragon is revealed by Goldstone to have been one of the prime movers behind the career of Joan and the development of France during the fifteenth century. Her long and active life amidst the extraordinarily complex dynastic politics of the period makes for fascinating reading. Goldstone makes the point that while women seemed to live life off stage, they nevertheless often played important roles through their influence on the men who were their sons, husbands, and fathers. Yolande's career definitely proves the point, as does the better known but shorter one of Joan of Arc. Goldstone's ability to tell a dramatic story will ensure that Yolande's life, as well as those of the other women in this story, will no longer go unnoticed.

When I first heard about this book, I thought the author was going to detract from Joan of Arc. Gladly, I was wrong. This book adds a new dimension to her story and introduces the reader to another remarkable woman, Yolande of Aragon. The book starts with an introduction to Yolande and her remarkable life. The middle concentrates on Joan and her connections to Yolande. The last third of the book continues Joan's story after her death. While there is no concrete proof presented in the book about a lot of the connections between the two women, they seem to stretch the possibility of coincidence. The author refers to a medieval story about Mesuline throughout, which she claims shaped many events in the books. Sometimes this seems to be a bit of a stretch but not outside the realm of possibility. The book logically presents events and is well written with a good pace that keeps the reader interested.

She makes the complicated uncomplicated tantalizing and moving. I love the way she writes and I learn so much because of her talent. However the author should use caution when considering association versus correlation.

For me, there is no more intriguing character in history than Joan of Arc. I've read a dozen books seeking answers to the questions of how she managed to achieve what she did, and what role she played in the ultimate French victory in the Hundred Years War (recognizing that the war went on after her death for more years than she lived!).As to the first question, author Nancy Goldstone provides an original (at least for a trade book) and convincing argument explaining how and why Charles VII's mother-in-law, Yolande of Aragon, was able to grease Joan's path into court. I won't belabor the details. Buy the book.As to Joan's impact on the subsequent course of the war, opinions range from move on, nothing to see here (CONQUEST by Juliet Barker), to considerable, because she stopped the French slide and put some oomph in the fighting spirit that the soldiers, at least, never lost. Goldstone holds that Joan's tragic and unjust death had no effect on the war, that if failed to provide a moral turning point one might expect. French politics, that is, French court politics, remained far too poisoned to let the army do its job. This book, by the way, provides an excellent general account of the shifting relationships within Charles' court and with Burgundy, and between France, Burgundy, and Bar. Goldstone makes clear that Joan's hometown may have been on the periphery of France, but its citizens were steeped in knowledge of what was going on.But Joan had by then already made her mark, among the soldiers. She had, by her example, taught the French that the thing could be done. After Joan, they kept the French in the game, bleeding England's finances, until, once the political situation was resolved, they got the job done.

Informative book concerning some little known facts about Jeanne d'Arc and her unlikely ally in Yolanda of Aragon, Queen of Sicily.

Very good book, beautifully written, about a very interesting period in French history and the important role played by Yolande of Aragon, an extraordinary lady, when Joan of Ark decided to fight for the French king and help him regain his crown during the 100 years war.

Well written

I am always wary of titles that include `the secret history' for there is no new evidence in this book that hasn't been around for literally ages. What is good, is that it tackles the times of St Joan of Arc from a sideways angle, looking at some of the players of the day, rather than the familiar well trodden route. The actual book is a bit of a misnomer as it is more `The Queen & the Maid, [the Queen being Yolanda of Aragon] as it is mainly built around her. This suited me as I wanted to know more about her and it pulls many of the details on this remarkable woman into one place.The period around Joan of Arc is a complex one and much has already been written about the warrior saint, but few even know the name of Yolanda. This book is written in a very easy to read style and because the author is generally following a single theme [tying in the events of Yolanda to Joan] it helps to explain those difficult politics and intrigues in a very readable way.The book falls into three almost equal parts, the first and third being much the same length with the middle only marginally longer. The first part is a biography of Yolanda and the background to the later part of the Hundred years wars. The middle deals with the overall story of Joan, whilst the ending looks at what happened once Joan had been betrayed by those around her.Caution should be used for its not entirely a `hard factual' take but contains much `evidence' that is conjectural or hearsay at best. For example, the accusation that the Duke of Bedford [English] spied on Joans virginity test is from a contemporary source by Boisguillaume (aka Maître Guillaume Colles), that actually reads "I heard it said by one I can no longer remember...." so it cannot be entirely relied upon as being `the last word', but it does raise many points that have been neglected. It reminded me a lot of `Holy Blood, Holy Grail'.As they would have said back in the day, "A jolly good yarn." and well worth the read. It's ease and simplicity at giving a credible account is admirable and well deserving of a ***** rating for those who want to know more or those looking for a new angle.

This is the third book I have read from Nancy Goldstone and once again she succeeded in bringing alife medieval history. The book reveals the story behind Joan of Arc and why a little girl from the French countryside became a national hero. Once again Nancy Goldstone looked behind the scenes and worked out who in fact was acting in the shadow and thus tells the story of Yolante of Aragon. This story is wrapped up into the historic context of the war of 100 years between England and France. The book gives good insight why history developed in such a way, leading first to the almost destruction of the kingdom of France until the appearance of Joan of Arc.The book is an easy read, interesting and exciting. The family table of the French Royal house could have been more detailed!All in all, a highly recommendable book for those who are interested in history and who want to dig a little bit deeper into the subject of Joan of Arc, French history, and the mastermind behind - Queen Yolante.