Isabella’s first great political move was to marry Ferdinand of Aragon and unite their two kingdoms, even though they were ruled separately. It’s impossible to know if Juana was illegitimate or Enrique’s actual daughter but Tremlett makes a convincing case that she was legitimate. She quickly neutralized Enrique’s daughter Juana la Beltraneja to take power. Isabella’s gutsy seizure of the throne after the death of her half-brother King Enrique IV had me on the edge of my seat. Tremlett gives us a well-organized and well-thought-out, chronological, presentation of Isabella’s life, from the reign of her father to her death. įrom the first page of this book, I was hooked. ‘No woman in history has exceeded her achievement’ from Hugh Thomas, “Rivers of Gold: The Rise of the Spanish Empire” and ‘Probably the most important person in our history’ from Manuel Fernández Á lvarez, “Isabel la Católica”. Tremlett’s opening page has two quotes about this formidable queen. I’ve had this volume on my shelf for some time and having recently decided to do some research on Isabella, finally read it. The Freelance History Writer has previously reviewed two other biographies of Isabella of Castile: Here and Here.
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