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Newton Frohlich
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1492: A Novel of Christopher Columbus, the Spanish Inquisition, and a World at the Turning Point Kindle Edition

by Newton Frohlich (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 35 ratings
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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.

“1492 is a novel. And a very fine one.... Impressive scholarship supports Frohlich’s fiction." —National Catholic Reporter

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  1. Print length
    383 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Adventures Unlimited Press
  5. Publication date
    November 4, 2016
  6. File size
    3347 KB
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Who was the real Christopher Columbus? In Frohlich's captivating, extraordinarily vivid first novel, the white-haired widower and sea captain who alternately called himself Colombo, Colomo and Colon (never Columbus) was a Marrano, or converted Jew, an idealist who believed it his destiny to be "a light to the Gentiles." Frohlich, an attorney, spent eight years researching his book and brings remarkable realism to his chilling depiction of the fanaticism fueling the Inquisition. Queen Isabel is a merciless, sadistic, money-mad anti-Semite, and King Fernando henpecked. Among the other compelling characterizations are Beatriz, Columbus's outspoken Jewish mistress, cousin of the Grand Inquisitor Torquemada; and Boabdil, a weakling who deposes his own father to become sultan of Granada. Except for some patches of self-conscious dialogue, this is a convincing, detailed re-creation of the Old World on the brink of discovery.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

As much a story of the Spanish Inquisition as of Columbus's famous voyage, Frohlich's first novel ends with the three ships sailing from Spain. In this telling, the explorer uses various versions of his name and is vague about his origins in order to disguise his status as one of the new Christians (nominal Jewish converts) singled out by the Inquisition in part so that their assets may be acquired for the government. Spanning more than 15 years, the novel moves from warring Arabs to Queen Isabella to highly placed new Christians, but none of the characters is well developed. Neither is the storyline: the fragmented narrative, divided into short scenes only minimally connected to each other, makes it difficult to sustain interest. The author's thorough research is evident, but as a novel, 1492 is only average. Acquire where appropriate.
- Ellen Kaye Stoppel, Drake Univ. Law Lib., Des Moines
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01M1VJI48
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Adventures Unlimited Press (November 4, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 4, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3347 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 383 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0996048456
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 35 ratings

About the author

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Newton Frohlich

Newton Frohlich

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Newton Frohlich is a former attorney and the author of the novel "1492: The World of Christopher Columbus," published by St. Martin's Press, and the nonfiction guide "Making the Best of It: A Common Sense Guide to Negotiating a Divorce," published by Harper & Row. He spent fifteen years traveling and researching for "The Shakespeare Mask" and is a member of the Shakespeare Oxford Society and the DeVere Society. He has lived in Washington, DC, the south of France, and Israel. He now makes his home on Cape Cod with his wife, Martha, a musicologist.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
35 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Charlottekrn Bookfair
5.0 out of 5 stars In The Time Of Columbus
Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2017
Verified Purchase
Frohlich’s novel covers not the historic voyage of Columbus in which he discovered the New World which led to settlement, but rather illuminates the era in which Columbus lived and navigated. The complexities of cartography in seafaring routes, the calculations and charting of the globe, the politics of business in trade and the dangerous political climate of the day in which Columbus had to maneuver to succeed in procuring ships for his long awaited voyage, the voyage that would free Europe, with new trade routes, from the Muslim stranglehold.
Although written as a fast-paced novel, Frohlich stays within the bounds of history, which offers a richly interesting and informative story. Through a vast cast of lively, colorful characters, of both historic personages and conflated characters, the author describes the frustrations and difficulties for Columbus as he relentlessly promoted the quest for his historic voyage, Isabel’s war against the Moors, and of life in Spain under the terror of the Inquisition for New Christians and Jews.
The author lists an impressive index from which he compiled his novel. The writing, though descriptive, is clear and precise. Frohlich depicts graphic scenes of torture, taken from the manual of Inquisitors.
2 people found this helpful
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edward webster
4.0 out of 5 stars quite good.
Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2015
Verified Purchase
political, historical, romance, evil priests, quite good.
One person found this helpful
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Jim Z
5.0 out of 5 stars I highly recommend it.
Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2017
Verified Purchase
Fast-faced, intriguing, and well-written. I highly recommend it.
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Jennifer Cameron-Smith
4.0 out of 5 stars ‘Cristoforo Colombo sat on a stool at a tavern in Lisbon, sipping red wine in the afternoon sun, waiting.’
Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2016
1492. The Iberian Peninsula. Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon (later termed The Catholic Monarchs by Pope Alexander VI in 1494), are determined to expel all non-Christians. Even those who had converted to Catholicism were not safe: many were accused of secretly practicing Judaism or Islam. The Muslim world controls many of the trade routes, the Christian world is looking to break this control, the Jewish people are viewed with suspicion.

Enter Cristoforo Colombo, convinced that he can reach the East by sailing West. He looks for a backer to finance his voyage. Colombo is viewed with suspicion by some who consider him overconfident. Colombo is also viewed with suspicion by those who believe that he is a ‘New Christian’ (as a convert from Judaism). His plan is brought to the attention of Queen Isabella, and he has to wait for her to make up her mind whether or not to support him.

In the meantime, the Inquisition is underway, and many lose their lives. Then in 1492 Isabella and Ferdinand issued the Alhambra Decree, which gave the Jews in their kingdoms four months to either convert to Catholicism or to leave.

In this novel, while Cristoforo Colombo is the major character, it is his life before 1492 rather than his voyages that is the focus. His wife, Filipa, is a Christian who provides him with valuable contacts as well as social acceptance. Later, Beatriz reminds him of his past. And there’s a tension here: will Isabella support his voyage if she knows he is a New Christian? Will he ever get to make the voyage given the parlous state of Ferdinand and Isabella’s finances?

I enjoyed this novel. While it gave me a new and different look at Cristoforo Colombo, it also reminded me of the less comfortable aspects of the 15th century history of the Iberian Peninsula. It’s not a novel about Cristoforo Colombo’s voyages, instead it’s more about the reasons why those voyages were undertaken. And who wouldn’t want to escape the Inquisition?

Note: My thanks to Blue Bird Press and NetGalley for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith
4 people found this helpful
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raytess3@yahoo.com
3.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good book
Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2000
I bought this book hoping to read about Christophers trip to the new land, but instead got details about Queen Isabel's inquisition against the Jews, the war against the Arabs, and Christophers life and efforts to hide his Jewish background. His trip and discoveries were mentioned briefly in the last three pages.
This book however was enjoyable, and I do recommend it. It follows the efforts of Queen Isabel to finance her war, the problems the Inquisition caused, the war against the Arabs,and Christopher Columbus's efforts to get approval for his voyage. Too bad it's out of print.
6 people found this helpful
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