Book Review - The Maid and the Queen

The Maid and The Queen - The Secret History of Joan of Arc by Nancy Goldstone - This is a fascinating background history of a woman who was deeply involved in the events surrounding the Maid of Orleans,  Yolande of Aragon, Queen of Sicily.  Yolande was one of the great powers "behind the throne" in the closing decades of the Hundred Year War.  Without her Joan would not have had the circumstances she needed to inspire France to victory at Orleans and posthumously over the English.  Yet Yolande has been largely forgotten by history.  This book will do much to return her to her proper place in the history of that time.
  Inevitably such a history will diminish Joan at least a little.    While Goldstone never dismisses Joan's visions entirely she is quick to point out how the Maid could have ended up where she did through the help of the Queen and others.  At the same time she recognizes that Joan served as an immensely important symbol for France and that without that inspiration the Hundred Years War likely would have had a very different outcome.  The reader can make up their own mind about the intersection of the Divine and the political.
  The section detailing Joan's treatment in the hands of the English leading up to the foregone conclusion of her burning is disturbing.  As was common in that time (or perhaps any time if we're honest) rules were made to be followed only when convenient.  The English examiners knew what they wanted from Joan and pressured and abused her till they got what they wanted.  In the end she was burned for largely for wearing men's clothes and consorting with faeries.  Seriously.
The first question for me when someone recommends a history is "Did a writer or an historian write it?".  The difference is readability.  Some historians are good story tellers but too often the historian's version is done in a very academic style and format that works for the technical needs of historians but it just a struggle for the regular reader.  Goldstone is a fine story teller and that makes the history something you WANT to read.
(It's worth reading Goldstone's bio for the fascinating story of how she became an author.  Really amazing)
A truly enjoyable read and a great addition to the history of the age.
Rating - ****Recommended Read