1492 - Softcover

Frohlich, Newton

3.7

46 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0843931965 ISBN 13: 9780843931969

Publisher: Leisure Books, 1991

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"Captivating, extraordinarily vivid." --Publishers Weekly

"Rollicking, readable, and fascinating." --St. Louis Dispatch

"Shows a fine gift for storytelling." --Booklist

Fifteenth-century Spain was a terrifying place. It was the time of the Inquisition a time of torture, betrayal, and unexpected courage. The Muslim world was struggling to keep the West in an economic vise, the Christian world was fighting back against their control of its trade routes, and the Jews were caught in the middle tortured if they assimilated, expelled or killed if they clung to their heritage. Into this turbulent scene step a unique combination of strong-willed characters, brought to life with stunning realism by award-winning novelist Newton Frohlich.

Cristoforo Colombo, ingenious sailor and explorer with one foot in the Jewish world and one in the Christian, is determined to reach the East via the West if only he can find a way to finance his voyage. His Christian wife, Filipa, offers him social acceptance and valuable contacts while the beautiful and talented Beatriz reminds him of his true identity, one he's been forced to hide. The influential Santangel family, converted Christians, risk their fortunes to finance the voyage of discovery and risk their lives when they resist the Inquisition. And the imperious Queen lsabel, who holds the power to change all of their lives, must choose at last whether to sponsor the grand scheme set before her.

A vivid tapestry of passion and political intrigue, fanaticism and economic ambition, 1492 depicts a crucial moment in world history with sobering parallels to today when human tragedy and human triumph were inextricably intertwined.

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About the Author:

Newton Frohlich is the award-winning author of the historical novel The Shakespeare Mask as well as 1492: A Novel of Christopher Columbus, the Spanish Inquisition & a World at the Turning Point and Making the Best of It: A Common-Sense Guide to Negotiating a Divorce. A former lawyer, he devoted eight years to the research and writing of 1492. He has lived in Washington, D.C., the south of France, and Israel and now makes his home on Cape Cod with his wife.

Review:

"Captivating, extraordinarily vivid first novel.... Frohlich, an attorney, spent eight years researching his book and brings remarkable realism to his chilling depiction of the fanaticism fueling the Inquisition.... This is a convincing, detailed re-creation of the Old World on the brink of discovery."
--Publishers Weekly

"A rollicking, readable, and fascinating story.... For a grand, sweeping tale of the history of Spain at the end of the 15th century, 1492 is hard to beat."
--St. Louis Post Dispatch

"Frohlich...shows a fine gift for storytelling.... Columbus himself emerges as a man of great talent with an almost mystical self-confidence.... The sheer power of the historical events is likely to keep the reader engaged."
--Booklist

"1492 is a novel. And a very fine one.... Newton Frohlich labored for eight years in the creation of this well-spun tale.... Impressive scholarship supports Frohlich's fiction.... I read this excellent novel until the wee hours several nights successively until the final page. The presence of terror is keenly conveyed. The sense of injustice is breathtaking. The characters of queen and inquisitor and explorer take form and walk the pathways of your mind."
--National Catholic Reporter

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