Beyond The Myth: The Story Of Joan Of Arc Read Free Books and Download eBooks
The king was going mad . . . So begins Polly Schoyer Brooks's account of one of history's most compelling stories and one of the world's most popular heroines-Joan of Arc. Brooks tells us of a fifteenth-century France ravaged by war, plague, and religious conflict; of a king who suffered fits of madness and his weak son who made a disappointing successor; and of a peasant girl from the countryside who accomplished what appeared to be miracles by rallying the dispirited French nation with her desire to see the rightful king rule. Little more than a year after her astounding triumphs-uniting the nation and securing the throne for Charles VII with her victory over the English at Orlean-nineteen-year-old Joan was imprisoned on charges of witchcraft and sorcery, tried for heresy, and burned at the stake. Polly Schoyer Brooks's detailed narrative unveils the spirited young woman who became a patron saint and continues to inspire courage and faith.
Lexile Measure: 1100L (What's this?)
Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers; First Paperback Edition edition (October 25, 1999)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0395981387
ISBN-13: 978-0395981382
Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.5 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #375,511 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #19 in Books > Teens > Biographies > Religious #62 in Books > Teens > Historical Fiction > Biographical #126 in Books > Children's Books > Biographies > Religious
Age Range: 12 and up
Grade Level: 7 and up
In "Beyond the Myth: The Story of Joan of Arc," Polly Schoyer Brooks provides a biography for young adults that makes a point of separating historical facts from popular legends. One of the main strengths of the volume is how Brooks establishes the situation in 15th-century France which involved a king who suffered fits of madness and his weakling son and then tells the story of a peasant girl from the countryside who accomplished what appeared to be miracles in rallying the French to her banner. The result is a book about Joan of Arc that captures her humanity as well as her heroism.Brooks neatly divides the story of Joan in half, with the first six chapters starting with Joan's life in the village of Domremy and ending with the crowing of Charles the Dauphin as King of France, and the last six depicting Joan's fall from glory, trial, and execution. Brooks emphasizes that the situations that brought about her martyrdom were beyond Joan's control and details the political calculations that ended up putting her in the hands of the English. However, as Brooks emphasizes, though the English burned Joan's body to ashes they could not wipe out the memory of her deeds from the French people. I appreciate that Brooks makes it clear to her readers how the effort's to restore Joan's name and honor after the English left France were just as politically motivated as the trial that condemned her.This young adult biography is illustrated with historic prints and paintings, including a sketch by a clerk of his idea of Joan drawn in the margin of his report, as well as contemporary photographs of historic sites, such as Joan's stone-and-rubble house in Domremy and the statue on the post were she was burned at the stake in the marketplace at Rouen. Brooks has also written similar biographies of Eleanor of Acquitaine and Cleopatra. However, as Brooks notes, although more books about Joan have been inspired than any other women in history, she remains an enigma. In "Beyond the Myth," Brooks tries to answer the key questions concerning Joan's life and to restore her humanity, which in the final analysis, Brooks sees as being her greatest virtue. For students who are ready to get beyond your basic juvenile biographies of Joan of Arc, this is a thoughtful volume to which to turn next.
Like many females, I enjoy learning about female historical figures. I want to know as much truth as I can find. The author does exactly that for the reader. This book is a detailed account of the events that triggered Joan d'Arc's dedication to her country and its rightful king. The author traces the history based on documents and other works that have been carefully researched. She provides the reader with the personality traits and beliefs of the time which drove the events that led to Joan's trial and death. Accusations of witchcraft and sorcery were used by church and secular leaders to destroy the young life of a heroic woman because of jealousy, superstition, and shady business surrounding the church and state. In addition, health and medical issues of the times are revealed that are shocking and entertaining. Read this book to learn about Joan, but also about the way people lived. Just learning about the reasons for the need for all those castles made the read worth the time.
The book Beyond the Myth: the True Story of Joan of Arc gave much information and many facts. For those of you that want to find out who Joan is, what her personality is like, what she did, etc., this book would be perfect for you. I felt like I knew Joan by the time I was finished. The book is very descriptive and adds lots of detail, which is great. This book portrays Joan very well and doesn't leave out anything. It starts from her childhood to the time she died. At the end in the Afterword, the book even goes on to tell a little about what happened after Joan dies. This book is excellent if you want information about Joan. The book is entertaining at most parts, but it did get boring at times, so that is why I gave it a four star rating instead of five. Overall, this book is very good and provides a lot of information, not only on Joan, but on France and that time period. This book is great!
The book Beyond the Myth: The True Story of Joan of Arc was quite good. It provided many facts about Joan: including information on the battles she fought, the people she met, her personality, and her trial. The book also contained facts about the time period in which she lived. With many illustrations and photographs, this book made an interesting and educational read. The only reason why I did not give this book five stars is because in some parts it got a little dull, but overall it was really great. I do recommend you read this book, it's super!
While this book is written for the young adult, I read it recently as a "older" adult and loved it. I have limited spare time so it was great to be able to finish this book in a day or 2. It is simply written yet gives the reader a clear, comprehensive guide to the life of a brave, determined peasant girl. All important facts of Joan's life are included, her childhood, her goal to defeat the English and secure the French throne for Charles VII and her capture and death at the hands of the British. After reading this book I now have a clearer insight into the life of this popular heroine, her call from God and her amazing accomplishments.
This was a read aloud book with my 8 and 10 year old children. I chose to read this book because we all loved Ms. Brooks's biography of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Before reading the book we thought of Joan as just a peasant girl that lead an army. After reading the book, we know Joan was so much more. She was intelligent, confident, valorous, and brave. Her life was difficult and filled with challenges that tested her beliefs and patriotism. We appreciate knowing the motivations behind her actions, and her single aim of restoring King Charles to the throne of France. We all would highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about Joan and her life.
Beyond the Myth: The Story of Joan of Arc Who Was Joan of Arc? DK Biography: Joan of Arc Joan of Arc Girls Who Rocked the World: Heroines from Joan of Arc to Mother Teresa The Trial of Joan of Arc Joan of Arc: By Herself and Her Witnesses Who Was Joan of Arc? (Who Was...?) Who Was Joan Of Arc? (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) The E-Myth Architect (E-Myth Expert) Myth-ion Improbable: Myth Adventures, Book 11 The E-Myth Financial Advisor (E-Myth Expert) Sex Swinger Murders : The True Story of Joan Shannon Puella Magi Tart Magica, Vol. 1: The Legend of Jeanne d'Arc Through the Arc of the Rain Forest ARC OF LOVE: An Anthology of Lesbian Love Poems The Irregular at Magic High School, Vol. 1: Enrollment Arc, Part I - light novel Best Pictures of Paris: Top Tourist Attractions Including the Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, Sacre-Coeur Basilica, Arc de Triomphe, the Pantheon, Orsay Museum, City Hall and More. Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age Off Balance: Getting Beyond the Work-Life Balance Myth to Personal and Professional Satisfaction
