Anatole France's second volume picks up after Joan's greatest military triumphs. The tide has turned for the young woman who led armies. We follow her capture by the Burgundians, her sale to the English, and the long, grueling year of her trial. The story focuses less on battlefields and more on the cold, dark rooms where bishops and scholars picked apart her faith, her visions, and her very identity. It’s a detailed, often tense account of how legal and theological machinery was used to break a teenage girl who refused to deny her own experience.

Why You Should Read It

This book changed how I see historical figures. France doesn't give us a plaster saint or a simple warrior. He gives us a complex, stubborn, profoundly faithful teenager caught in an impossible political game. His writing makes the 15th century feel immediate. You can almost smell the damp stone of her prison cell and feel the condescension of her judges. He asks brilliant questions: Was Joan a heretic, or was she a threat to powerful men who needed her gone? The book is less about proving what happened and more about understanding why it happened the way it did.

Final Verdict

Perfect for history buffs who like their heroes flawed and their narratives complicated. It's also great for anyone interested in the intersection of faith, politics, and power. Be warned: this isn't a fast-paced adventure. It’s a slow, thoughtful, and deeply psychological portrait. If you want a clear-cut fairy tale, look elsewhere. But if you want to sit with one of history's most puzzling figures and feel the weight of her final year, this book is a remarkable, haunting experience.