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Isabella

The Warrior Queen

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Isabella

Written by: Kirstin Downey
Narrated by: Kimberly Farr
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An engrossing and revolutionary biography of Isabella of Castile, the controversial Queen of Spain who sponsored Christopher Columbus's journey to the New World, established the Spanish Inquisition, and became one of the most influential female rulers in history

Born at a time when Christianity was dying out and the Ottoman Empire was aggressively expanding, Isabella was inspired in her youth by tales of Joan of Arc, a devout young woman who unified her people and led them to victory against foreign invaders. In 1474, when most women were almost powerless, twenty-three-year-old Isabella defied a hostile brother and a mercurial husband to seize control of Castile and León. Her subsequent feats were legendary. She ended a twenty-four-generation struggle between Muslims and Christians, forcing North African invaders back over the Mediterranean Sea. She laid the foundation for a unified Spain. She sponsored Columbus's trip to the Indies and negotiated Spanish control over much of the New World with the help of Rodrigo Borgia, the infamous Pope Alexander VI. She also annihilated all who stood against her by establishing a bloody religious Inquisition that would darken Spain's reputation for centuries. Whether saintly or satanic, no female leader has done more to shape our modern world, in which millions of people in two hemispheres speak Spanish and practice Catholicism. Yet history has all but forgotten Isabella's influence, due to hundreds of years of misreporting that often attributed her accomplishments to Ferdinand, the bold and philandering husband she adored. Using new scholarship, Downey's luminous biography tells the story of this brilliant, fervent, forgotten woman, the faith that propelled her through life, and the land of ancient conflicts and intrigue she brought under her command. Christianity Europe Historical Ministry & Evangelism Politics & Activism Royalty Women Middle Ages Imperialism Africa Biography Portugal Marriage Ottoman Empire Latin America Italy Ancient History Middle East Crusade Renaissance Spanish History
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Great wealth of information about the period and events surrounding Isabella’s life.
The performer is entertaining but wish she would have been coached on the correct Spanish pronunciation of names and places, specially the correct stressing.
Still, I would recommend the book.

Great book. Entertaining and thorough.

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I was not expecting this book to be as balanced as it was, but as the author does not shy away from detailing the violence in the Islamic conquest of Spain, nor the Ottoman Empire's attempt to subdue Christian Europe, nor the threat of cannibalism in the new world, I was spleasantly surprised. In fact, the book is remarkable similar to Warren H. Carroll's "Isabel of Spain: The Catholic Queen," although Carroll was devoutely Catholic in his writing, while Downey was more secular with a touch of feminism. What I take from this simiarity is that both authors tried to write a balanced biography albeit from different persecptives. Perhaps Carroll's account was a bit more thorough with a better understanding of the nuances of religion, but I thought Downey's book was more readable.

A Balanced Biography

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I liked the author’s objectiveness. The research seemed thorough, and her primary sources very diverse. All and all a very enjoyable listen. I wished that I discovered this one before my trip to Spain last summer. Now I have to go back and see once again all the splendour.

A wonderful historical account!

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impeccable research and detailed insights in history I never knew. Highly recommend this book. Very well read and powerful.

Previously unknown information!

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