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Isabella of Castile: The First Renaissance Queen
An artful, sensitive biography A prerequisite for understanding Isabella is understanding the period and Rubin excels at delineating both.-Booklist"Rubin succeeds admirably in recounting the story of Spain's greatest queen and the impact of her reign on her country and the world a first rate exposition."-Kirkus"An excellent, well-developed picture of the complex, often contradictory forces of the European scene from which Columbus sailed."-Washington Times"Classic will make permanent literary history by dispelling many schoolroom myths."-Tulsa World
500 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1991
10 people are currently reading
487 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Rubin Stuart
10 books43 followersNancy Rubin Stuart is an award-winning author and journalist whose many traditionally published books specialize in women, biography and social history.
Her most recently published book is the acclaimed DEFIANT BRIDES; The Untold Story of Two Revolutionary-Era Women Who Married Radical Men, a double biography of the wives of Benedict Arnold and General Henry Knox.This work was a selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club 2 and the History and Military Book Clubs.
She is currently completing a book about Benjamin Franklin’s Women for Beacon Press.
A former journalist, Nancy’s work has appeared in the New York Times, Huffington Post,The New England Quarterly, The Los Angeles Times,The Stamford Advocate, American History , Family Circle , Ladies Home Journal, Parents magazine and other national publications.
She currently serves as Executive Director of the Cape Cod Writers Center in Osterville, Massachusetts.
Earlier books include Nancy’s 2008THE MUSE OF THE REVOLUTION: The Secret Pen of Mercy Otis Warren and the Founding of a Nationfor which she received the Historic Winslow House Book Award. That was preceded by the 2005 publication ofTHE RELUCTANT SPIRITUALIST:The Life of Maggie Foxwhich won the American Society of Journalists and Authors’ Outstanding Book Award in Nonfiction.
Under her previous byline, Nancy Rubin, she published the best-selling AMERICAN EMPRESS; The Life and Times of Marjorie Merriweather Postnow in paperback and available as an audio book on Amazon. Earlier books under that byline were ISABELLA OF CASTILE: The First Renaissance Queen, THE MOTHER MIRROR: How a Generation of Women Is Changing Motherhood in America and THE NEW SUBURBAN WOMAN: Beyond Myth and Motherhood .
Honors include a William Randolph Hearst Fellowship from the American Antiquarian Society; three Telly Awards from the cable television industry, the 1992 Author of the Year Award from the American Society of Authors and Journalists, the Washington Irving Award from the Westchester Library System, a Time, Inc. scholarship from the Bread Loaf Writers Conference and a fellowship from the MacDowell Colony.
Nancy has spoken to hundreds of live audiences as well as on national radio and television. In 2019 she appeared in the History Channel’s “The Food That Built America” in connection withAMERICAN EMPRESS.Among her national media appearances are C-Span's BookTV, the A & E Series “Mansions, Monuments and Masterpieces” and “America’s Castles,” Oprah, CBS Morning News and National Public Radio.
She enjoys speaking to book clubs and colleges because it brings her closer to readers in audiences ranging from the Palm Beach Society of the Four Arts to Manhattan's National Arts Club. During the pandemic Nancy continues to reach readers through Zoom and other internet sites.
Nancy is a graduate of Tufts University and Brown University Graduate School, and holds a Doctorate in Humane Letters from Mount Vernon College, now part of Georgetown University.
Born in Boston, she and her husband Bill returned to Massachusetts from Manhattan in 2008 where she enjoys, dancing, gardening, music, and the cultural life of Boston and New York.
Nancy began writing as a child. Her first book was about the family dog. “It’s not published,” she admits, “ but I still have a frayed foolscap copy of that work.”
Her most recently published book is the acclaimed DEFIANT BRIDES; The Untold Story of Two Revolutionary-Era Women Who Married Radical Men, a double biography of the wives of Benedict Arnold and General Henry Knox.This work was a selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club 2 and the History and Military Book Clubs.
She is currently completing a book about Benjamin Franklin’s Women for Beacon Press.
A former journalist, Nancy’s work has appeared in the New York Times, Huffington Post,The New England Quarterly, The Los Angeles Times,The Stamford Advocate, American History , Family Circle , Ladies Home Journal, Parents magazine and other national publications.
She currently serves as Executive Director of the Cape Cod Writers Center in Osterville, Massachusetts.
Earlier books include Nancy’s 2008THE MUSE OF THE REVOLUTION: The Secret Pen of Mercy Otis Warren and the Founding of a Nationfor which she received the Historic Winslow House Book Award. That was preceded by the 2005 publication ofTHE RELUCTANT SPIRITUALIST:The Life of Maggie Foxwhich won the American Society of Journalists and Authors’ Outstanding Book Award in Nonfiction.
Under her previous byline, Nancy Rubin, she published the best-selling AMERICAN EMPRESS; The Life and Times of Marjorie Merriweather Postnow in paperback and available as an audio book on Amazon. Earlier books under that byline were ISABELLA OF CASTILE: The First Renaissance Queen, THE MOTHER MIRROR: How a Generation of Women Is Changing Motherhood in America and THE NEW SUBURBAN WOMAN: Beyond Myth and Motherhood .
Honors include a William Randolph Hearst Fellowship from the American Antiquarian Society; three Telly Awards from the cable television industry, the 1992 Author of the Year Award from the American Society of Authors and Journalists, the Washington Irving Award from the Westchester Library System, a Time, Inc. scholarship from the Bread Loaf Writers Conference and a fellowship from the MacDowell Colony.
Nancy has spoken to hundreds of live audiences as well as on national radio and television. In 2019 she appeared in the History Channel’s “The Food That Built America” in connection withAMERICAN EMPRESS.Among her national media appearances are C-Span's BookTV, the A & E Series “Mansions, Monuments and Masterpieces” and “America’s Castles,” Oprah, CBS Morning News and National Public Radio.
She enjoys speaking to book clubs and colleges because it brings her closer to readers in audiences ranging from the Palm Beach Society of the Four Arts to Manhattan's National Arts Club. During the pandemic Nancy continues to reach readers through Zoom and other internet sites.
Nancy is a graduate of Tufts University and Brown University Graduate School, and holds a Doctorate in Humane Letters from Mount Vernon College, now part of Georgetown University.
Born in Boston, she and her husband Bill returned to Massachusetts from Manhattan in 2008 where she enjoys, dancing, gardening, music, and the cultural life of Boston and New York.
Nancy began writing as a child. Her first book was about the family dog. “It’s not published,” she admits, “ but I still have a frayed foolscap copy of that work.”
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
June 10, 2025
I read this some years back. It was a long read with a very tiring small print, making it a slog to get through even with having a pair of younger eyes then.
It fulfills all the basics as far as who, what, and when, but I believe I gained more insight into this warrior Queens personality through reading what her contemporaries had to say about her.
Still a good book.
It fulfills all the basics as far as who, what, and when, but I believe I gained more insight into this warrior Queens personality through reading what her contemporaries had to say about her.
Still a good book.
June 15, 2019
I feel very churlish about giving this well-written and adequately researched biography about a woman who exercised leadership at a time when such a thing was virtually forbidden by law and custom. My problem is that author, Nancy Rubin, is neither an expert in Spain nor even an historian in the strict sense of the word. Her specialty is writing about women of achievement. Thus, Ms. Rubin has produced a superb book about Isabella I of Castile that lacks depth in the history of the era.
Ms. Rubin should be commended for drawing the attention of the North American public to Isabella I of Castile who stands as one the great figures of European history. Isabella through her marriage to and close collaboration with Ferdinand II of Aragon paved the way for her grandson to Carlos I to found the unified kingdom of Spain in 1516. She recaptured Granada thus putting an end to over 700 years of Muslim presence on the Iberian peninsula. She reformed government and the administration of justice. She purged the Spanish church of corruption and gross licentiousness. She presided over the Inquisition expelling all Jews and Muslims from Spain who refused to convert to Roman Catholicism. Finally, against much opposition, she funded the explorations of Christopher Columbus.
Ms. Rubin provides a fabulous account of the War of Castilian Succession which brought Isabella and Ferdinand to power. She also does a good job of explaining how Ferdinand's desire to prevent the French from stealing territory from Aragon delayed the reconquest of Granada so eagerly desired by Isabella.
While Ms. Rubin exercises admirable restraint in her descriptions of the mistreatment of Spain's Jews under the Inquisition she fails to provide any new insight into the matter. Similarly, she provides anecdotes rather than any systematic explanation of Cardinal Cisneros' reforms of Catholic Institutions during the era. In her discussion of Catholic Reconquista of Granada, she has virtually nothing to say about the fate of the Spanish Muslims except that some chose to convert while others left Spain.
The biggest weakness "Isabella of Castile, The First Renaissance of Queen" might be that she fails to explain how Isabella's actions contributed to the great success and longevity of the Spanish Habsburg dynasty founded by her grandson Carlos I.
A real strength of the book , is Ms. Rubin's treatment of Columbus' expeditions. In particular, I enjoyed her account of the discussions that preceded the voyages. Rubin explains that for several centuries, scholars had understood that the world was round and that its circumference could be calculated by dividing the discussion between two points in the compass by 1/360. Columbus however had his own new measurement of the distance between two points in the compass which was too low by 25% which reduced the world's circumference by 25% and thus placed China where the unknown North American continent was. Isabella, however, chose to ignore the objections of the academics because she was excited by the idea of spreading the Catholic faith and gave Columbus the funding he needed.
"Isabella of Castile, The First Renaissance of Queen" is a book with many merits. It is very readable and always sensible. I suspect, however, that better books with more depth might be available. Research other titles before launching into this one.
Ms. Rubin should be commended for drawing the attention of the North American public to Isabella I of Castile who stands as one the great figures of European history. Isabella through her marriage to and close collaboration with Ferdinand II of Aragon paved the way for her grandson to Carlos I to found the unified kingdom of Spain in 1516. She recaptured Granada thus putting an end to over 700 years of Muslim presence on the Iberian peninsula. She reformed government and the administration of justice. She purged the Spanish church of corruption and gross licentiousness. She presided over the Inquisition expelling all Jews and Muslims from Spain who refused to convert to Roman Catholicism. Finally, against much opposition, she funded the explorations of Christopher Columbus.
Ms. Rubin provides a fabulous account of the War of Castilian Succession which brought Isabella and Ferdinand to power. She also does a good job of explaining how Ferdinand's desire to prevent the French from stealing territory from Aragon delayed the reconquest of Granada so eagerly desired by Isabella.
While Ms. Rubin exercises admirable restraint in her descriptions of the mistreatment of Spain's Jews under the Inquisition she fails to provide any new insight into the matter. Similarly, she provides anecdotes rather than any systematic explanation of Cardinal Cisneros' reforms of Catholic Institutions during the era. In her discussion of Catholic Reconquista of Granada, she has virtually nothing to say about the fate of the Spanish Muslims except that some chose to convert while others left Spain.
The biggest weakness "Isabella of Castile, The First Renaissance of Queen" might be that she fails to explain how Isabella's actions contributed to the great success and longevity of the Spanish Habsburg dynasty founded by her grandson Carlos I.
A real strength of the book , is Ms. Rubin's treatment of Columbus' expeditions. In particular, I enjoyed her account of the discussions that preceded the voyages. Rubin explains that for several centuries, scholars had understood that the world was round and that its circumference could be calculated by dividing the discussion between two points in the compass by 1/360. Columbus however had his own new measurement of the distance between two points in the compass which was too low by 25% which reduced the world's circumference by 25% and thus placed China where the unknown North American continent was. Isabella, however, chose to ignore the objections of the academics because she was excited by the idea of spreading the Catholic faith and gave Columbus the funding he needed.
"Isabella of Castile, The First Renaissance of Queen" is a book with many merits. It is very readable and always sensible. I suspect, however, that better books with more depth might be available. Research other titles before launching into this one.
December 10, 2013
Not being an expert on the Spanish Empire or Isabella of Castile, I can only rate this book based on how much I enjoyed reading it. Every time I've tried to read a biography in the past, I have gotten bored half way through and quit, but this one kept me fully engaged. I felt as I really got to 'know' the 'characters' and got a pretty good idea what was going on both in Castile and Europe in general. The only complaint was that after their marriage, Rubin talked very little about Ferdinand and Isabella's relationship, which seemed worthy of a lot of discussion considering the unique respect they had for each other and the unprecedented partnership they forged.
All things considered, it was a good read, one that added to my belief that a great TV mini-series is just waiting to made from Isabella's life. :)
All things considered, it was a good read, one that added to my belief that a great TV mini-series is just waiting to made from Isabella's life. :)
August 22, 2007
Good solid introduction to the time period. Not as much information specific to Isabella as I had hoped, but I learned interesting things about the Moors and the Jews of Spain. It turns out many of the classical texts that have survived only managed to survive through the intervention of the Moors. The Moors cherished and saved the ancient writings. And Moors and Jews translated them. Society owes quite a debt for this service.
December 12, 2015
Isabella of Castile is a very intriguing figure in Medieval/Renaissance/Early Modern history for a variety of reasons, and any biography of her necessarily has to explore the contexts and historical events that she operated in during her lifetime. This includes the issues that the Kingdom of Castile had with the Jewish population, the campaigns against the Muslims during the reconquista and the sponsorship of Christopher Columbus' destructive exploration of the 'New World'.
Obviously Isabella is an extremely unique figure for the time period, given her status and gender, meaning that her interactions with her husband Ferdinand in the field of politics are necessary to explore. However, she was not necessarily constrained by this. Often biographers who take extra-ordinary people as their subjects can be subject to over-rapturous bias of the character. In this work, that bias seems to be minimal. There is a tendency to moralise some of Isabella's less savoury decisions with reasoning that runs along the lines of 'she probably felt very bad about having to do this...' however this is not distractingly frequent. There is no attempt to play down Isabella's more negative aspects.
One does come from reading this with something of a positive impression of the Castilian Queen, and one can argue that it is impossible not to; she does present a rather intriguing and dazzling figure due to the exceptional nature of her rule. In the hands of a less capable historian, the image around Isabella may sway them. However, Isabella's decisive rule; her commitment to family; her religious devotion are all contrasted with factors such as her streak of ruthlessness; her sponsorship of Columbus' imperialistic ambitions etc... You feel that you've got a full picture of the woman and the queen.
One thing that perhaps could have been improved was a longer epilogue. The reader is given a short briefing in the activities of her husband Ferdinand, and daughter Juana (and much briefer, Catherine - nothing is said of Maria) following the death of the Queen. There is a very small amount of what happened to the political atmosphere in Spain following her passing, and something more detailed would be more satisfying.
The book is structured in a way that makes it a cogent read. Most events that happen in Isabella's life are described in appropriate detail and the chapters are segmented frequently and appropriately. The book is both chronological, but it does not adhere to this completely in order to attain a topical structure rather than a completely linear one.
I would recommend this book especially to those who are interested in Medieval/Early Modern or Renaissance history due to the time period it falls in. Also, Tudor history fans might find interest her. Also, those who are interested in gender history will find much of interest here when reading about Medieval/Early Modern queenship. A worthy read.
Obviously Isabella is an extremely unique figure for the time period, given her status and gender, meaning that her interactions with her husband Ferdinand in the field of politics are necessary to explore. However, she was not necessarily constrained by this. Often biographers who take extra-ordinary people as their subjects can be subject to over-rapturous bias of the character. In this work, that bias seems to be minimal. There is a tendency to moralise some of Isabella's less savoury decisions with reasoning that runs along the lines of 'she probably felt very bad about having to do this...' however this is not distractingly frequent. There is no attempt to play down Isabella's more negative aspects.
One does come from reading this with something of a positive impression of the Castilian Queen, and one can argue that it is impossible not to; she does present a rather intriguing and dazzling figure due to the exceptional nature of her rule. In the hands of a less capable historian, the image around Isabella may sway them. However, Isabella's decisive rule; her commitment to family; her religious devotion are all contrasted with factors such as her streak of ruthlessness; her sponsorship of Columbus' imperialistic ambitions etc... You feel that you've got a full picture of the woman and the queen.
One thing that perhaps could have been improved was a longer epilogue. The reader is given a short briefing in the activities of her husband Ferdinand, and daughter Juana (and much briefer, Catherine - nothing is said of Maria) following the death of the Queen. There is a very small amount of what happened to the political atmosphere in Spain following her passing, and something more detailed would be more satisfying.
The book is structured in a way that makes it a cogent read. Most events that happen in Isabella's life are described in appropriate detail and the chapters are segmented frequently and appropriately. The book is both chronological, but it does not adhere to this completely in order to attain a topical structure rather than a completely linear one.
I would recommend this book especially to those who are interested in Medieval/Early Modern or Renaissance history due to the time period it falls in. Also, Tudor history fans might find interest her. Also, those who are interested in gender history will find much of interest here when reading about Medieval/Early Modern queenship. A worthy read.
September 4, 2014
A book both interesting and frustrating in equal parts.
Start with the interesting: Nancy Rubin Stuart has obviously done her homework. This book is packed full of dates and places and people, and in most parts reads like a novel as much as a work of history. For me this was a positive thing.
It's a long, long book covering a fascinating and pivotal period in history, and I enjoyed the final summing up showing how, after the death of Isabella, the light that was shone in Spain began to slowly fade.
The frustrating parts? Well - originally I thought this must be self-published because of the idiosyncratic formatting and typos, but discovered at the back that no, it's a traditionally published work. Which means there are no excuses for paragraphs that halt mid-line then continue on the next, nor the frequent occurrences of numbers suddenly appearing in some words. Li7e th9s!
However, because of the amount of information presented and the very readable style I've marked the book up to a 4.
Start with the interesting: Nancy Rubin Stuart has obviously done her homework. This book is packed full of dates and places and people, and in most parts reads like a novel as much as a work of history. For me this was a positive thing.
It's a long, long book covering a fascinating and pivotal period in history, and I enjoyed the final summing up showing how, after the death of Isabella, the light that was shone in Spain began to slowly fade.
The frustrating parts? Well - originally I thought this must be self-published because of the idiosyncratic formatting and typos, but discovered at the back that no, it's a traditionally published work. Which means there are no excuses for paragraphs that halt mid-line then continue on the next, nor the frequent occurrences of numbers suddenly appearing in some words. Li7e th9s!
However, because of the amount of information presented and the very readable style I've marked the book up to a 4.
June 2, 2013
It was interesting to read Isabella s path from the princess that no one gave a second thought to, to the most prominent Monarch in the 15th century. it provides understanding for why the inquisition occurred, her conflicted feelings about it and the real reason Columbus voyages were financed. If only one of her other children had survived, one wonders how different history might have been.
March 24, 2012
This book had lots of detail with lots of information. It was easy to read and was a very detailed account of the Spanish Renaissance. I feel like it was more about Spanish history than just Isabella.
October 23, 2014
A sound, if dry and distant, biography of the Spanish queen. A serviceable source for a school report, but little more.
December 30, 2017
I read this slowly over the course of a year, but enjoyed it immensely each time a picked it up. The author does an excellent job of portraying the time, place and fascinating people and events of this critical era in Spanish history.
April 23, 2021
I had to skim through many of the 400+ page book as I found it a little tedious. Interesting take on the love story of Isabella and Ferdinand. I also learned many not too attractive things about Colombus
February 7, 2022
It took me a long time to get through this book. There is a lot of information and much more detail than I expected given the time period that it relates too. Unfortunately, the text doesn't flow, and I had trouble concentrating on it. I could only read short portions at a time.
August 15, 2016
I read this book about a year and a half ago and had to Inter-Library Loan it to re-read some portions for something I was writing whose underpinnings I wanted to be factual correct. Of the books on Isabella of Castile, this is probably the best. (I read another biography that was horribly dry and a historical fiction that got the early part of her life correct.)
People remember her for expelling the Moors and the Jews from Spain, for letting the Inquisition into Spain AND for getting Christoper Columbus on his road of discovery. But Isabella was responsible for the first Military Field Hospitals and she funded the first University Chair for a woman and recruited women to teach in Spain.
She was always Queen of Castile once crowned, Ferdinand was her consort. Iberia was not a single kingdom until more than a few hundred years had passed.
People remember her for expelling the Moors and the Jews from Spain, for letting the Inquisition into Spain AND for getting Christoper Columbus on his road of discovery. But Isabella was responsible for the first Military Field Hospitals and she funded the first University Chair for a woman and recruited women to teach in Spain.
She was always Queen of Castile once crowned, Ferdinand was her consort. Iberia was not a single kingdom until more than a few hundred years had passed.
May 10, 2015
I learned so much from this book at Isabella who took Castille from a back water kingdom to a changing the balance of power in Europe and setting the foundation for Spain to become the supreme world power for a couple of centuries to come. Her diplomatic and negotiating skills and bravery as a true warrior queen, her remarkable marriage, her keen interest in education, and education for wormen, show her to be a extraordinarily multi-faceted person. I would have liked to see more insight into her as a mother of five children and can only wonder how history would have unfolded if they had all lived long enough - her only son to unite Castille and Aragon and her daughters to fulfill the alliances she arranged through them.
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September 21, 2010One of my favorite biographies - lively and fun to read and has information about the diverse sides of Isabel's personality and character.
June 16, 2012
Great book.
June 9, 2012
This was OK but there were some really annoying misspellings of Spanish place names. This affects ones confidence in the research!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews