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Rating: 
Summary: Towers over baseless criticisms
Review: A well-researched and documented account of Isabel of Spain and her times. Despite the wild and ignorant condemnations by a very few biased and unhistorically-minded individuals, this book is very honest, well-argued (if one considers the use of logic and reason as the key to effective argument or propositioning) and historically sound. Walsh makes no statement which is not at least supportable using the historical documents available to us. Contrary to one statement I have heard, the book was in fact appreciated and recognized by the professional historical community, though it is true that some had criticisms of it on this point or that (the case for almost any good work of history.) One particular case of this is the La Guardia case, which Walsh's treatment of came under fire from Dr. Roth. Walsh, however, defended himself brilliantly in a published article afterwards and maintained the probability (or at the very least the possibility) of his own position regarding that much disputed case. Any serious and honest researcher of the period could, regardless of personal biases and viewpoints, vouch for the essential faith to and adherence to the available primary sources by Walsh. Once upon a time, during research for my B.A. in history, I had occasion to closely study many of the documents relating to this Queen and which Walsh made use of, and can safely say that I never found anything contradictory to a single one of Walsh's important propositions. The charge of anti-semitism, which those same few whom I have mentioned already above level against him, fails for two main reasons. 1) Walsh's already mentioned historical soundness and integrity (i.e.- straightforward use of the availabe information...thats what history is!!). This is to say, that Walsh does not twist or manipulate the documentary evidence in any way so as to present a false picture of the conversos or Jews or anyone else. His account does not mismatch with the facts that we know. 2) Walsh's own attitude towards the Jewish faith and it's adherents, has been well published and can be seen collectively as definitely not anti-semitic (see particularly his essay on Moses in 'Characters of the Inquisition' and others of his works.) One must understand that, yes, Walsh was a practicing Catholic and that entails a certain theologic viewpoint towards the Jewish faith (which, incidentally, includes a recognition of its unique and important character and mission in history) but to assert that a believing Catholic (that is, one who believes that what his Church teaches is true..such as regarding its teaching towards those who reject the divinity of Christ) cannot write accurate history is itself pure prejudice and indefensible bias. For the record, it is also important to note that Walsh detested Nazism, as a hateful, irreligious, and violent force. He and it had nothing in common.
I recommend this book as an excellent full-length study of Isabel whose only comparable rival is Dr. Carroll's much newer 'Isabel of Spain'. Good reading.
Rating:
Summary: Review from the Publisher
Review: Called by her people Isabella la Catolica, she was by any standard one of the greatest women of all history. A saint in her own right, she married Ferinand of Aragon, and they forged modern Spain, cast out the Moslems, discovered the New World by backing Columbus, and established a powerful central government in Spain. This story is so thrilling it reads like a novel. Makes history really come alive. Highly readable and truly great in every respect!
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Summary: Anti-Semitic Tract Has a Life of Its Own
Review: My wife received this revolting 1930 text as a Christmas present. First browsing, then reading it, I found myself back in a world of blood libels, religious hatred, and cultural prejudice, retold with great relish and approval by the author. Walsh revives and gives complete credence to tales of Jewish ritual torture of Christian children and desecration of Catholic religious artifacts, tales which the Church itself has disowned for centuries.All the problems of 15th century Spain are laid at the feet of Jews. Walsh concludes that their subsequent torture, massacre and expulsion from Spain were only their just desserts. Although this book is widely admired in neo-Nazi circles (just search the Web), it was scorned by reputable historians and critics, even in the prejudiced time of its publication.
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Summary: Review from the Publisher
Review: One of the most amazing books I have ever read. It is extremely accurate and very well sited. It is exciting and enjoyable read.
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Summary: An accurate perspective history of Queen Isabella's life
Review: One of the most amazing books I have ever read. It is extremely accurate and very well sited. It is exciting and enjoyable read.
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Summary: Couldn't put it down!
Review: The author has done an excellent job of writing a highly readable history. This book is based on original source material, and where the author's conclusions or comments differ from those of other historians he explains the differences and why he has come to the conclusion he holds. I would strongly recommend this to anyone with an interest in Spanish or European history of this time period, as well as those interested in Queen Isabella.
Rating:
Summary: Towers over baseless criticisms
Review: William Thomas Walsh's, Isabella of Spain, was a well-written, informative and interesting novel. Even though it was not fiction, but a biography of a queen of Spain, it was nonetheless very involved with dramatic and suspensful aspects of history. The setting of the book is in Spain during the 15th and 16th centuries. Spain has been split by civil war for many years when this young girl ascends to the throne. Walsh's tone of the book is that, this country has been tearing itself apart for so long, that when this new ruler comes to power, he shows her as a savior to her disraught country. Walsh shows Queen Isabella as to be a very round and dynamic character. First of all, she is deeply religious with a strong sense of fait. With that she sees the Islamic Moors a significant threat to European Christianity. With that she carries out her campaigns against the Moors and even the Jews of her own country in her defense for the Faith. She uses brutal tactics to attempt to convert and also exterminate the other "threatening faiths". The ture irony of this story is that in all of her years of study, she knows that the true sense of Christianity is respect and love of thy neighbor, not war. Although this novel is set in Renaissance Spain, Walsh uses the Old English dialect to tell the story of a Spanish queen, and also indirectly impart the Enlish power on all of Europe. Finally, the theme of this biography is one of faith. Queen Isabella carries out all of her wars and crusades no matter what the cost is. She, in all honesty, believes that what she is doing is for the good of men and for the good of Christianity. She stands by her beliefs when the whole of Europe claims that she is immoral and unjust in her actions. This is how Queen Isabella became to be known as, "The Last Crusader".
Rating: 
Summary: Isabella I of Spain
Review: William Thomas Walsh's, Isabella of Spain, was a well-written, informative and interesting novel. Even though it was not fiction, but a biography of a queen of Spain, it was nonetheless very involved with dramatic and suspensful aspects of history. The setting of the book is in Spain during the 15th and 16th centuries. Spain has been split by civil war for many years when this young girl ascends to the throne. Walsh's tone of the book is that, this country has been tearing itself apart for so long, that when this new ruler comes to power, he shows her as a savior to her disraught country. Walsh shows Queen Isabella as to be a very round and dynamic character. First of all, she is deeply religious with a strong sense of fait. With that she sees the Islamic Moors a significant threat to European Christianity. With that she carries out her campaigns against the Moors and even the Jews of her own country in her defense for the Faith. She uses brutal tactics to attempt to convert and also exterminate the other "threatening faiths". The ture irony of this story is that in all of her years of study, she knows that the true sense of Christianity is respect and love of thy neighbor, not war. Although this novel is set in Renaissance Spain, Walsh uses the Old English dialect to tell the story of a Spanish queen, and also indirectly impart the Enlish power on all of Europe. Finally, the theme of this biography is one of faith. Queen Isabella carries out all of her wars and crusades no matter what the cost is. She, in all honesty, believes that what she is doing is for the good of men and for the good of Christianity. She stands by her beliefs when the whole of Europe claims that she is immoral and unjust in her actions. This is how Queen Isabella became to be known as, "The Last Crusader".
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