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Joan of Arc: The Image of Female Heroism Paperback – November 4, 1999

by Marina Warner (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 21 ratings
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Joan has a unique role in Western imagination--she is one of the few true female heroes. Marina Warner uses her superb historical and literary skills to move beyond conventional biography and to capture the essence of Joan of Arc, both as she lived in her own time and as she has "grown" in the human imagination over the five centuries since her death. She has examined the court documents from Joan of Arc's 1431 Inquisition trial for heresy and woven the facts together with an analysis of the histories, biographies, plays, and paintings and sculptures that have appeared over time to honor this heroine and symbol of France's nationhood. Warner shows how the few facts that are known about the woman Joan have been shaped to suit the aims of those who have chosen her as their hero. The book places Joan in the context of the mythology of the female hero and takes note of her historical antecedents, both pagan and Christian and the role she has played up to the present as the embodiment of an ideal, whether as Amazon, saint, child of nature, or personification of virtue.
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  1. Print length
    388 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    University of California Press
  4. Publication date
    November 4, 1999
  5. Dimensions
    6.13 x 0.88 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0520224647
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0520224643
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Elegantly written, thoughtful (as one would expect from the author of "Alone of All Her Sex), imaginative, sensitive. Warner ranges through iconographic, allegorical, literary, dramatic, operatic, cinematographic, linguistic, historical, biographical, and political evidence to present a history of Joan and of her subsequent representations."--"Choice

About the Author

Marina Warner is a historian and novelist; among her books are No Go the Bogeyman: Scaring, Lulling, and Making Mock (1998), From the Beast to the Blonde: On Fairy Tales and Their Tellers (1995), and Alone of All Her Sex: The Myth and the Cult of the Virgin Mary (1983). She lives in London.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of California Press; First Edition (November 4, 1999)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 388 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0520224647
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0520224643
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.2 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.13 x 0.88 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 21 ratings

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Marina Warner

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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
21 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Eric Cooper
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2017
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Excellent
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Richard Einhorn
5.0 out of 5 stars An Essential Book For Understanding the "Myths" of Joan
Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2011
As some Joan of Arc fans may know, I composed an entire oratorio, Voices of Light, inspired by Joan's story and by Carl Dreyer's great film, The Passion of Joan of Arc. Marina Warner's book was a major influence on the piece.

I'm writing this to take issue with other reviewers here who have wrongly, in my mind, eviscerated Warner's great work. As I'm not an historian, I can't speak to the alleged inaccuracies. What I can say is that the book is clearly not so much about the historical Joan as it is about the various images and "ideas" of Joan that persisted during her lifetime and afterwards. She first achieved hero status, as Warner states, not in the traditional ways that women did - and often still - do but rather through her achievements as an astonishingly brave warrior. Her experience at the trial transcended even that achievement. Since then, Joan's image has been adopted, co-opted, exploited, modified and transformed by numerous, often mutually antagonistic groups: French nationalists, communists (Joan's icon was found in Vietnamese tunnels); gay American women; right wing extremists; and artists. Warner's book describes and analyses this remarkable after-life and does an utterly brilliant job at it.

I strongly recommend this book.
13 people found this helpful
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Vanessa McHale
3.0 out of 5 stars commentary but often wrong
Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2021
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not so sophisticated in its treatment of transvestism, but also wrong in other places... plenty of context/commentary/sources but... still wrong.
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spinoza
5.0 out of 5 stars Still the best biography of Jeanne d'Arc
Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2000
If you want more a straight documentary history of Joan's life then read Pernod's Her Story. Marina Warner's book--and this is probably the reason why the other reviewers do not like it--is more an analysis of the evidence that may be demanding for the lay reader. I would still consider it, by far, the best biography of Jeanne d'Arc, which is demonstrated by this reprinting. If someone were to ask me which single book on Joan's life, of all the 100s that one has access to today, should one read to gain some background of her life and significance, I would recommend this one without hesitation.
17 people found this helpful
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Julia Walker
4.0 out of 5 stars fair play and the interpretation of a legend
Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2000
Warner's book has more archival material and historical background detail than any other single work in this price-range or level of reader-access. Yes, Warner also presents opinions, as scholar/critics tend to do.
If, however, you turn to Regine Pernoud for an "unbiased" version of Joan's life -- whatever that might be -- you are on much more dangerous ground. Pernoud conveys opinion by omission; if a document is at odds with her reading of Joan's life or actions, she simply ignores it, leaving it unmentioned. An example of this is a crucial letter Joan dictated on the necessity of taking Paris. Yes, Pernoud IS French (or rather, she was), and she writes as though she has on-line access to 15th-century feelings and personal opinions -- a big problem, in my view. But Pernoud's relentlessly pro-Charles interpretation of events is much more distorting and misleading than anything generated by Warner's British feminism, which is fairly presented as the lense through which the material will be viewed.
If you want another good book on Joan, try Charles Wood's study of Joan and Richard II.
No one scholar is going to write a book which satisfies everyone on such a complex figure. But Warner is a good place to start reading and/or thinking about Joan of Arc.
29 people found this helpful
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R.L. Holly
4.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful and challenging examination of Joan of Arc
Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2000
It's good to see this title back in print again, and I can only hope that this new edition also includes the illustrations of the eighties original. Warner discusses many aspects and offers new interpretations of France's most celebrated warrior-mystic. Whether or not one always agrees with her conclusions, her style is engaging and her depth of research and passion for the subject seem unimpeachable. We can probably never fully comprehend the elusive mystery of Jeanne d'Arc, but this book does an admirable job of looking at and evaluating her life and career and placing them in historical and cultural contexts. Regine Pernoud may offer superior histories, and with less of a feminist agenda (some of which now seems rather awkward and dated), but as a series of extended essays and thought-provoking analyses, this book comes highly recommended.
11 people found this helpful
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Jeanette Romee
1.0 out of 5 stars Begging to Differ
Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2005
One wonders by what process a review gets chosen for featured status. I must concur with the unfavorable reviews. Warner treats the condemnation trial transcript as a privileged text. She accords it all the authority of a definitive verdict from an impartial court. It was neither.

It is unsound scholarship to attempt an uncritical reading of any trial whose conviction was later overturned on appeal. Abundant evidence confirms that the original verdict was rigged and that parts of its transcript were falsified. Warner barely acknowledges the retrial and offers little pretext for disregarding it. This is the reverse of proper analysis.

If the twenty-five year gap between trials is an excuse for Warner's preference, then consistency demands that Warner accord still higher value to surviving letters from Joan of Arc's own lifetime. She is not consistent.

A newcomer to Joan of Arc biography would do far better with Regine Pernoud's "Joan of Arc by Herself and Her Witnesses." Pernoud's approach is to offer the reader relevant excerpts from original historic documents. Organized thematically, Pernoud summarizes leading debates and invites readers to reach their own conclusions. The work is admirably impartial. Pernoud is perhaps the most respected twentieth century scholar of Joan of Arc.
18 people found this helpful
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Ali Alizadeh
4.0 out of 5 stars Deconstructing Joan
Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2000
Warner writes for the post-modern reader, and the nature of her task is questioning. She questions everything that's ever been knwon or assumed about Joan (except her chasity), which makes for a disorienting but challenging read.She may, in fact, be able to lead us to a better understanding of this incredible historical figure altogether.
8 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Pale Jesson
5.0 out of 5 stars The ultimate study of Joan of Arc
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 11, 2011
Verified Purchase
This book has long been acknowledged as a classic of scolarly investigations into the life, history and myth of Joan of Arc. Marina Warner is a cultural historian and the strength of this book is in her realism, depth and understandinga corss multiple disciplines. We do not just get a potted chart of Joan's achievements - these are placed in their rightful context: medieval history, French society, the mythology of women, classical imagery, religious inspiration and so on. It is typical of Warner's erudition and brilliant writing style that, despite the wealth of learning and research on display, this book could be read, understood and enjoyed by anyone interested in this or any of the aforementioned related subjects. An absolute triumph... now goa nd read Warner on fairytales (From The Beast To The Blonde), monuments (Monuments and Maidens) and a host of the other diverse topics she is interested in and an expert on!
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