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Title details for Isabella by Kirstin Downey - Available

Isabella

The Warrior Queen

by Kirstin Downey
Kimberly Farr
Audiobook
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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.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    October 28, 2014

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780553398489
      • File size: 610920 KB
      • Duration: 21:12:44

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Controversial, powerful, and insightful, Isabella of Spain, the Warrior Queen, was inspired as a child by women of strength and surpassed even her own dreams. Narrator Kimberly Farr adds strength to this fascinating history of an extraordinary ruler. Farr provides pace and clarity as she describes Isabella's struggles with males--a difficult brother and Ferdinand, her fiery husband--as she rose above them in stature. While Isabella has been underestimated over time, the author reminds listeners of her vast accomplishments: Her sponsorship of Columbus's exploration, establishment of Spanish control over most of the New World by way of partnerships with Pope Alexander VI and the Borgias, brilliant strategy to bring Muslims and Christians together, unifying influence over millions of Catholics, and ability to ward off invaders. Farr's performance provides an elegance and poise that are appropriate for Isabella's biography. B.J.P. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      September 8, 2014
      The reserved, devoutly Catholic Isabella seized the Castilian throne in 1474, when she was just 23 years old. Having relegated her unwise husband Ferdinand to consort status, Isabella enjoyed major military successes, popularity with both her advisors and her subjects, and significant territorial acquisitions in the New World. Downey (The Woman Behind the New Deal) argues that Isabella served as a true paragon of Machiavelli’s good prince; from her demonstrations of political and battlefield strength in quelling the Ottoman Empire’s efforts at expansion to negotiating treaties and her offspring’s politically fraught marriage contracts. Downey shows how Isabella’s reign prepared Renaissance Spain’s rise to superpower status by consolidating multiple, often ineffectually led, kingdoms into one, all the while patronizing exploration and art. Perfect for both historical novices and experts in European history, this solidly-researched, engaging description of Isabella’s achievements also humanizes her through discussion of her intricate relationships with combative family members and allows readers to see Isabella’s fingerprints on Renaissance culture and religion.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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