The Life of Joan of Arc

What it is

This is the first volume of a biography of Joan of Arc written by the French author Anatole France, translated into English by Winifred Stephens. It was published in the early twentieth century.

Why it matters

Anatole France was a major literary figure, and his biography shaped how later readers understood Joan's life. As a secondary source, it reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its own time rather than Joan's own voice.

Look closer

• Why might a famous novelist choose to write a history of Joan of Arc?
• How might a biography written centuries later differ from an eyewitness account?
• What might the preface's mention of 'errors corrected' tell us about historical research?