Search Results for: Joan of Arc

The Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc

Posted on December 12, 2014 by smellincoffee

The Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc © 1896 Mark Twain 455 pages         In 1428,  a young French teenager arrived at the court of Robert Baudricourt and announced that she and he were to be allies in … Continue reading →

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Joan of Arc

Posted on November 20, 2014 by smellincoffee

Joan of Arc: A Spiritual Biography© 1998 Siobhan Nash-Marshall176 pages In 1429, France in her darkest hour was startled by the sudden appearance of a shining star — a teenage girl from a minor village, wielding a standard and claiming … Continue reading →

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Joan of Arc: the Legend and the Reality

Posted on March 16, 2010 by smellincoffee

Joan of Arc: the Legend and the Reality© 1959 Frances Gies306 pages Few historical characters, and no women, are more famous than Joan of Arc. Her name and story are known throughout the world. In the Middle Ages there were … Continue reading →

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Saint Joan

Posted on September 28, 2015 by smellincoffee

Saint Joan© 1924 George Bernard Shaw160 pages              In the darkest hour of the Hundred Years War, a teenage girl re-inspired both a defeated nation and a despondent king to fight again for what was … Continue reading →

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Wednesday Blogging Challenge: Favorite historic personage to read about?

Posted on March 15, 2023 by smellincoffee

….favorite historic personage to read about, eh? That’s a tough one. There are a few people I’ve read several biographies about, including Joan of Arc and John Adams. I’ve found Joan fascinating since watching a CBS drama based on her … Continue reading →

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An English shield-maiden and England’s army

Posted on April 20, 2020 by smellincoffee

Time for two mini-reviews! First up, The Making of the British Army.   Retired brigadier Allan Mallinson  traces the history of Britain’s army to the creation of the New Model Army during the English civil war. Unlike armies of old, the … Continue reading →

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1899 Questionnaire (via Classics Considered)

Posted on November 17, 2019 by smellincoffee

Last week Marian of Classics Considered posted a survey which Sir Arthur Conan Doyle participated in — a Victorian meme, if you will.  (He didn’t participate in her survey, because he’s dead, but — you know what I mean.)  Its … Continue reading →

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What I Read in 2010

Posted on July 27, 2018 by smellincoffee

At last we come to 2010, the last year I never kept a list for.   At 184 items, it’s my second-highest year. This was the year historical fiction really arrived, driven by Bernard Cornwell and C.S. Forester. but with a … Continue reading →

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The Birth of Britain

Posted on April 16, 2018 by smellincoffee

History of the English Speaking Peoples, Vol 1: The Birth of Britain521 pages© 1956 Sir Winston Churchill I’ve been reading from Sir Winston Churchill’s History of the English Speaking Peoples the last few Read of Englands, but didn’t previously have … Continue reading →

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My Life with the Saints

Posted on September 15, 2017 by smellincoffee

My Life with the Saints© 2007 James Martin, SJ414 pages The church I grew up in consistently referred to Rome as the whore of Babylon, so needless to say I didn’t learn anything about saints. I knew Biblical personalities, sure, … Continue reading →

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