Includes bibliographical references and index.

A biography of the fifteenth-century peasant girl who led a French army to victory against the English, witnessed the crowning of King Charles VII, and was later burned at the stake for witchcraft.

"The tale of Joan's military successes at Orleans and elsewhere is here told, accompanied by more than 60 illustrations." "Where previous works have concentrated on the religious and feminist aspects of Joan's career, this is the first to address the vital issue of what it was that made her the heroine she became. Why did the soldiers of France follow a woman into battle when no troops of the Hundred Years War had done so before and how was she able to win? The English called her whore, and believed her to be possessed, but her own troops trusted her without any proof of her abilities. And she did have very great abilities - in particular her remarkable prowess as a military leader of men." "A new angle on one of the most fascinating and enigmatic figures of history, Joan of Arc: A Military Leader is a must have book for anyone interested in the Middle Ages and the phenomenon of the girl warrior."--BOOK JACKET.