x, 175 pages : 25 cm

It began with voices -- St. Michael, St. Catherine, and St. Margaret speaking to an ordinary farmer's daughter. Inspired to aid the future King Charles VII, whose right to the throne had been denied by the English in the Hundred Years War, Joan of Arc made her journey clad in male attire. Theologians testified to the veracity of her divine claims, and she was furnished with a host of troops. But how did she achieve the military feats that made her a legend? Stephen W. Richey offers a unique look at this remarkable woman. Joan of Are rapidly matured into a true battle commander who spoke forcefully in war councils, made decisions, and gave orders that were obeyed -- resulting in a stunning series of victories for her army. She achieved this feat by virtue of her unschooled but intuitive genius for war, a charismatic personality that inspired her soldiers to heroic feats, and her ability to exploit a unique set of lucky circumstances. Drawing on eyewitness accounts of Joan's comrades-in-arms and the author's own military experience, Richey goes beyond what Joan did in her amazing career, analyzing how she performed her martial feats. The first study in English to dig deeper into the mechanics of Joan's military career, and the first English treatment by a professional soldier with battle-field experience, this vivid account explores Joan's achievements in winning the loyalty of her men

Includes bibliographical references (pages 167-170) and index

Two key questions about Joan of Arc's military career: "What" and "how" -- Story of Joan's story: Review of the literature -- General situation prior to Joan's arrival on the public stage -- Joan's military career: Preliminaries -- Joan's achievement in raising French morale: First part of "what" -- Joan's achievement as a military commander: Second part of "what" -- Joan's Leadership Qualities: First part of "how" -- Joan's lucky circumstances: Second part of "how" -- Summation -- Appendix A: Joan's four key missions or prophecies -- Appendix B: Joan of Arc at the movies -- Appendix C: Joan's personal appearance -- Notes -- Selected bibliography -- Index