Rafael Sabatini

Torquemada and the Spanish Inquisition Rafael Sabatini

Possibly the best account yet of the role of Torquemada in the Inquisition, with particular emphasis in the back half of the book of the notorious "Infante de la Guardia" incident and the role of that affair on Ferdinand and Isabella's decision to expel all Jews from Spain in 1492, right around the time Columbus was heading out to try to discover a new route to the "Indies." Sabatini's account is readable, interesting, and opinionated in all the right places, with just a touch of cynicism when called for. Highly recommended. (Brian Swain)