A review by jobinsonlis
Isabella: The Warrior Queen by Kirstin Downey

4.0

A comprehensive look at Queen Isabella, largely known in the United States as the queen who funded Christopher Columbus in his original expedition. Isabella was a fascinating woman. Historians have tended to broadly lump her together with her fuckboy of a husband Ferdinand, a misconception that was reinforced by her insistence on including his name in all the documents of her decisions. However it was clear that his approval or disapproval was less than a footnote to her in the height of her power. Isabella was a shrewd politician, a devout Catholic, a canny strategist, and a devoted mother. She did many horrific things in the name of her faith and in her desire to protect her legacy, which Downey doesn’t shy away from. But she was unmistakably a powerful woman, a testament to the fact that many women have been ambitious and capable rulers in countries all over the world for as long as people have been around. Very enjoyable to read.