Joan of Arc

 

  

Jehanne: Portraits of a Saint

 

Rare Books

Joan of Arc is the most documented saint in history. This means amazing reading material dating from the 1400's in beautifully crafted rare and out of print books. Owning a rare book is a treasure and a truly pleasurable experience. Rare books on Joan of Arc are often artistically decorated and brilliantly illustrated using techniques that have gone by the wayside, replaced by mass-produced and less personal cookie-cutter products.

Customer satisfaction is our hallmark.It is our commitment to sell rare books that come highly recommended and in good condition. Please read the descriptions and personal comments to see what piques your interest and helps you make a decision. Remember, you're always backed by our satisfaction guarantee.

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Joan of Arc
by J.S. Foote 1883
$60.00
Publisher:  Boston, Charles H. Whiting
Pages:      111
Size:        16mo (5" x 6.5")
Condition: Good

Gold gilt lettering with a cool script that is still glittery and fresh. Slight bumps with light fraying to the head and tail of spine. Every page is intact with the exception of free-endpaper (first page) which is completely blank but lying loose. This is a completely readable copy.

Comments: This 121 year old book is a very rare find. I've only seen one other copy for sale since I've started collecting. When I first purchased this book, I must admit I was purely enamored with its age. When I read it I was blown away! It's one continual poem of Joan's life, written in lyrical prose, offering exquisite, detailed descriptions. This author caused me to sigh on many an occasion!

SOLD


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The Life of Joan of Arc
by Jules Michelet 1887
$50.00
Publisher: New York John B. Alden
Pages:     94
Size:       12mo (4" x 7.5")
Condition: Very Good

Hard board book with decorative cover blindstamp and gilt lettering. A title blindstamp is on binding as well, and the impression is still fresh. Corners are lightly bumped. Barely visable foxing. Very clean, tight copy.

Comments: This is a biography written by an author obviously devoted to Joan of Arc. It's a good study on the Joan sentiment prior to her Canonization. I was impressed with the detail given its 94 pages. Lots of Joan quotes and good story telling without the dryness of typical biographies.

SOLD


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The Beautiful Story of Joan of Arc
by Viola Ruth Lowe 1933
$35.00
Publisher:  Whitman Publishing Company
Pages:      60
Size:        4to (9.75" x 13")
Condition: Very Good/Good (Book/Dustjacket)

Cloth over boards with paste down pictorial cover, identical to the pictorial dust jacket. Decorated end papers with swords and fleur de lis. Numerous elaborate color plates. Slight bumps and rubs to corners and edges of cover, small tears to dj, some light foxing, but all plates intact with vibrant coloration. A tight, clean copy.

Comments: The story is historically accurate and catchy for young and old readers alike. I think the best attribute is the numerous, elaborate, bright color plates depicting Joan's monumental moments. These prints are illustrated by Frenchmen O.D.V. Guillonnet. The pages are thick and sturdy. This is a well-made book, even for little hands to handle!

SOLD


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Saint Joan of Arc
by Mark Twain 1919
$125
Publisher:  Harper and Brothers
Pages:     32 + xvi + 3 illustrated
Size:        8vo (9.5" x 7")
Condition: Very Good/Poor (Book/Dust jacket)

First Edition (DT), Second State (blank endpapers and an unintentionally inverted illustration). Very Good, tight copy. The dust jacket is present but torn and although intact is in poor condition. Beautifully crisp, bright illustrations by Howard Pyle, including a full color tipped frontispiece and three full-page illustrations. The body of the text is embellished with attractive green tinted decorations by Wilfred J. Jones. Each chapter commences with a decorated capital. The black cloth covered boards and spine are clean and very little worn. Binding is tight and contents complete. There are no loose, torn or damaged pages and no inscriptions. The thick, decoratively rough cut pages show some occasional light foxing.

Comments: Many people don't know that Mark Twain wrote a book about Joan of Arc, let alone this second, less-known piece of art. This book is a rare jewel of a find. I've seen it categorized as a children's book, but in my opinion this isn't at all an accurate category. The book is written with Twain's obvious devotion and scholarly knowledge extolling the virtues and deeds of "this most marvelous child". The impeccable writing of Twain seems perfect amidst the exquisite illustrations and unique sketches upon the margins of each page. The thick, rough cut pages add to the overall charm of the book, making it a one-of-a-kind treasure.

Twain sums up Joan's position with great vigor in the preface, thus, "�Joan of Arc, a mere child in years�found a great nation lying in chains, helpless and hopeless under alien domination� their King cowed, resigned to its fate, and preparing to fly the country; and she laid her hand upon this nation, this corpse, and it rose and followed her. She led it from victory to victory, she turned the tide of the Hundred Years' War, she fatally crippled the English power, and died with the earned title of Deliverer of France, which she bears to this day. And for all reward, the French King, whom she had crowned, stood supine and indifferent, while French priests took the noble child, the most innocent, the most lovely, the most adorable the ages have produced, and burned her alive at the stake."

SOLD


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Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc by The Sieur Louis de Conte (Her Page and Secretary)
by Mark Twain 1899
$60
Publisher:  Harper and Brothers
Pages:      597 -- Two volumes in one binding:
               Volume I (309 pages) Volume II (288 pages)
Size:        12mo (5.75" x 8")
Condition: Good

Good, tight copy. Hardcover in red cloth binding. Front cover design. Stained on the front and back cover with fading on the spine; however, minimum wear inside, slight foxing only on front end paper. Pages are clean with no tears and binding is tight. Illustration plates are in very good condition. Totally readable copy. This rare book is unique in that it has a bookplate on the pastedown dedicated to WWI soldiers. It reads, "This book is provided by the people of the United States...for the use of soldiers and sailors."

Comments: Mark Twain considered this his best work, completed after spending 12 years in research and months in France doing archival research. I would definitely agree! Twain's book is by far the most favorite in my collection. It's extremely well researched and written with fantastic imagery and utmost devotion to Joan of Arc. There are 32 attractive illustrations on plates, printed on one side only, from original drawings by F.V. Du Mond and reproductions from old paintings and statues. The art work is old-school and beautiful. You can find the older editions but many times they are in individual volumes. This is the complete story, two volumes in one book.

SOLD

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