Book Description

A fully illustrated study of the French armies that were inspired by Saint Jeanne d'Arc, reformed under King Charles VII and eventually victorious over England in the Hundred Years' War. Saint Jeanne d'Arc remains a central figure in France's national legend, having ushered the country's flagging military forces into a period of extraordinary reform and revival that culminated – some 22 years after her death – in the French emerging triumphant from the Hundred Years' War. France's 1429 victory at Orléans, which was headed by Saint Jeanne, marked the first major setback to a long series of English successes and led directly to the coronation of King Charles VII, who would transform France's fortunes by making peace with Burgundy, gathering foreign allies and creating permanent armed forces under royal control. In this engaging new study, French military historian Philippe Gaillard examines the events and individuals that brought about such a pivotal shift in the trajectory of medieval France. Combining detailed research with period illustrations, artefact photography and newly commissioned artwork plates, the author brings to life the story of Saint Jeanne d'Arc, the army she revitalized and the structural and tactical changes that carried King Charles VII and France to victory at Formigny and Castillon in the 1450s.