Fearless warrior, religious fanatic, fierce patriot: the familiar story of Joan of Arc is remarkably retold in Helen Castor's best-selling account, now presented as an incredible Folio book.

A French peasant girl hears heavenly voices; a disinherited dauphin is close to ceding his throne to the Burgundians; and a decimated army needs motivation to rouse its bloodlust. Joan of Arc’s story is as familiar as it is incredible, but it began long before her religious visions. In her meticulously researched book, Helen Castor begins her tale at the start of the 15th century, in the midst of the Hundred Years War. The long-standing rift between the Armagnacs and Burgundians threatens the stability of the entire French kingdom and is paving the way for an English king to seize control. This fascinating history is essential to understanding the ferocity of Joan’s desire to follow God’s instruction and unite the warring factions of her countrymen in order to turn the tide and evict the English from France.