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Joan of Arc
With Ten Illustrations
157 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 24, 2005
84 people are currently reading
202 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 1, 2015
Very lengthy but very detailed.
A very godly woman who was persecuted by very evil men. Just like many men of God including Jesus himself evil has always tried to snuff out the good.
A very godly woman who was persecuted by very evil men. Just like many men of God including Jesus himself evil has always tried to snuff out the good.
November 7, 2020
Interesting but...
In the general sense this is an interesting story. However I had trouble with the way Jesus and Mary were given such equal footing that Mary was essentially worshipped like God. I was bothered how Joan was portrayed as sinless; it made the account look fairy taled in nature. " And I will not give My
glory to another. ". Isaiah 48:11.
In the general sense this is an interesting story. However I had trouble with the way Jesus and Mary were given such equal footing that Mary was essentially worshipped like God. I was bothered how Joan was portrayed as sinless; it made the account look fairy taled in nature. " And I will not give My
glory to another. ". Isaiah 48:11.
April 2, 2019
Brilliant but can't seem to get the O.M.D track out of my head since I started reading it ?
Lol . . .
Lol . . .
January 2, 2020
This was quite and interesting and educational book about Joan of Arc.
January 26, 2012
There is no doubt that Joan of Arc is a figure who raises questions and inspires historians to find out more about her and the challenges she faced. In this book, Gower attempts to describe her life and achievements, but does so without any great understanding of writing a history.
This not a terrible book, but not what I’d call exactly good. It gives a reasonable overview of events as a narrative. The history it consists of is lacking depth. The author talks of a lack of sources then later of a fund of information although biased either for or against Joan of Arc. The task of the historian is to look past bias and extract the facts. He spends a lot of time listing names of those present at her trial and then at the ‘rehabilitation’ but gives us little more than their name, age and position. At times he tells us that someone gave testimony and it was important, but fails to elaborate. He then tells us that someone gave testimony but it was nothing of interest. Then why mention it at all?
He at one point says “and doubtless the reader will be glad to come to the end of this interminable procession, as is the writer”, which leads me to think he found examining the detail and evidence was not important and even a bore to him.
Gower clearly has an admiration for the heroine, understandably, but because of this his account is anything but unbiased. He seems to see her in the same romantic vein as Malory saw Arthur and his knights. The difference of course is that one was a real historical figure, the other a fictitious re-invention of someone that may or may not have lived and of whom there would be no detail anyway.
Reading this book, I felt as though I was listening to someone half asleep telling me something they’d been taught by someone else many years ago. It has a drowsy quality to it and is much like watching though semi-opaque glass. He passes over facts that could be given in more depth in a way reminiscent of a child’s school history report. To sum it up it has the impact of ‘and they fought a battle, and Joan of Arc got hurt but kept fighting, and they won, then they all went home. They had another battle a bit later as well.” Really, in a history of only 131 pages, you feel the butter is spread rather thin.
Were I Gower’s editor, I’d have him condense the book to an essay or treatise where his scant information would seem less threadbare. If not condense, then elaborate on the facts alluded to as being in his possession, but never examined.
Joan of Arc was a courageous young lady, who whether divinely or at least spiritually guided, or deluded in a very practical way, had great impact during the Hundred Years War, leading the French to some important victories. She deserves admiration, but she also deserves a less shallow history than this, or indeed for this to be described as a narrative and not a history at all.
This not a terrible book, but not what I’d call exactly good. It gives a reasonable overview of events as a narrative. The history it consists of is lacking depth. The author talks of a lack of sources then later of a fund of information although biased either for or against Joan of Arc. The task of the historian is to look past bias and extract the facts. He spends a lot of time listing names of those present at her trial and then at the ‘rehabilitation’ but gives us little more than their name, age and position. At times he tells us that someone gave testimony and it was important, but fails to elaborate. He then tells us that someone gave testimony but it was nothing of interest. Then why mention it at all?
He at one point says “and doubtless the reader will be glad to come to the end of this interminable procession, as is the writer”, which leads me to think he found examining the detail and evidence was not important and even a bore to him.
Gower clearly has an admiration for the heroine, understandably, but because of this his account is anything but unbiased. He seems to see her in the same romantic vein as Malory saw Arthur and his knights. The difference of course is that one was a real historical figure, the other a fictitious re-invention of someone that may or may not have lived and of whom there would be no detail anyway.
Reading this book, I felt as though I was listening to someone half asleep telling me something they’d been taught by someone else many years ago. It has a drowsy quality to it and is much like watching though semi-opaque glass. He passes over facts that could be given in more depth in a way reminiscent of a child’s school history report. To sum it up it has the impact of ‘and they fought a battle, and Joan of Arc got hurt but kept fighting, and they won, then they all went home. They had another battle a bit later as well.” Really, in a history of only 131 pages, you feel the butter is spread rather thin.
Were I Gower’s editor, I’d have him condense the book to an essay or treatise where his scant information would seem less threadbare. If not condense, then elaborate on the facts alluded to as being in his possession, but never examined.
Joan of Arc was a courageous young lady, who whether divinely or at least spiritually guided, or deluded in a very practical way, had great impact during the Hundred Years War, leading the French to some important victories. She deserves admiration, but she also deserves a less shallow history than this, or indeed for this to be described as a narrative and not a history at all.
July 28, 2013
I read this because I was planning a trip to France. It was interesting, but it was written in the 1800s and was somewhat difficult to read. Was glad it was on my Kindle where I could look up unfamiliar words. I accomplished my goal of learning a lot about Joan, an absolutely fascinating story.
Want to read
February 16, 2015I just couldn't read this. The author had such a strange way of writing that I couldn't get into it.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews