Joan of Arc

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 Arc 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.

STEPHEN W. RICHEY is a freelance researcher. Born and raised in Rochester, New York, he enlisted in the U.S. Army as a tank crewman in 1977. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1984 as a Second Lieutenant of tank troops. He has served out his military career in numerous places around the world, to include Germany, the Persian Gulf War of 1991, humanitarian de-mining operations in Ethiopia, and earning his parachutist's wings at Fort Benning, Georgia. His most recent overseas tour of duty was in Iraq from April 2004 to April 2005. He presently serves as the Commanding Officer of the 141st Military History Detachment of the Washington Army National Guard.