Joan of Arc stands alone—history gives us no other person whose life and deeds can be compared with hers. Yet, so simple was she, and so lovable, that we can still feel her charm across the long centuries.

What was the secret of this uneducated little farm girl who, as she herself said, didn't "know A from B"? What gave her so much self-assurance, even in the face of ridicule and rebuffs? What made her think that she, of all the people in the world, could lead the armies of France to victory against their English and Burgundian enemies? By what strange power was she able to bring peace to France when hardened professional soldiers had failed?

For hundreds of years, people have been pondering these questions. Some find one answer, some answer—but all agree in their admiration for Joan's extraordinary courage and truthfulness.

In this book by Nancy Ross, we see Joan as she really was, and as she appeared to those who lived and fought with her. We hear her speak, we marvel at her courage, and we smile at her quick wit. We are happy when Joan is victorious, and our hearts ache when she fails.

Yet, although Joan was so real and so very human, something mysterious and strange set her apart from all others. Miss Ross tells us how various people have explained Joan's secret. She makes us understand, too, why not only France, but the whole world, has taken Joan the Maid to its heart.

From the dust jacket