Isabella cover art

Isabella

The Warrior Queen

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Unlimited access to our all-you-can-listen catalogue of 15K+ audiobooks and podcasts
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Isabella

By: Kirstin Downey
Narrated by: Kimberly Farr
Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £16.99

Buy Now for £16.99

About this listen

 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 Politics & Activism Royalty Women Middle Ages Imperialism Africa Biography Portugal Marriage Ottoman Empire Latin American Italy Ancient History Middle East Crusade Renaissance Spanish History
All stars
Most relevant
Fascinating. Remarkable collation of primary Research from world wide collections of material. Chronological telling made the story easy to follow.

Remarkable Research

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Where does Isabella: The Warrior Queen rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This has to be among the best I have listened to. Well written and narrated history of one of Spain's greatest monarchs

What did you like best about this story?

Surprised how much there was to learn

Which character – as performed by Kimberly Farr – was your favourite?

All of them

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

Highly recommend

A great listen

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Excellent book. Enjoyed the detailed research and broad context given of the times in which it all happened.

Beginning of Spanish Empire

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. What a Queen! Amazing accomplishments, learned so much more about her. Such a shame the Spanish Inquisition blighted her reputation.

Listened to it twice!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I have rarely enjoyed a story this much especially as the author has presented a great story full of little known facts without ever becoming dry and overzealous about unnecessary details. Love the narrator who speaks clearly and with the right amount of expression in her voice.

Magnificent story of a truly remarkable woman

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews