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Secondary sourceBook1906

The Story of Joan of Arc

Andrew Lang · 1906

A short 1906 biography of Joan of Arc for young readers, covering her mission, trial and death.

A children's biography retelling Joan's life, mission, trial and death for young readers.

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The Story of Joan of ArcPDF · 150 pages
Andrew Lang, The Story of Joan of Arc, 1906. Scanned book, Internet Archive.

About this source

What it is

This is a popular biography of Joan of Arc written by Andrew Lang in 1906, part of a series aimed at children. It covers her life from her mission through her trial and death.

Why it matters

Lang's preface shows that even by the early 1900s, people still argued over whether Joan really existed or whether she was mad or a fraud. He defends her as a real historical figure and points readers to earlier research, including a scholar's publication of her trial records. The book reveals how Joan's story was being retold for children and how debates about her legacy continued long after her lifetime.

Look closer

  • Why does the author feel he needs to defend Joan's existence and sanity in his introduction?
  • How might writing for children change the way a historical story is told?
  • What earlier sources does the author rely on, and why does that matter?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Joan of Arc on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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