The Dogs of God: Columbus, the Inquisition, and the Defeat of the Moors

By: James Reston Jr.

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Synopsis: Set against the fury and strife that arose from the cinders of medieval Europe, The Dogs of God chronicles one of the most savage epochs in human history. In an effort to consolidate their powers on the Iberian Peninsula and free themselves from the yoke of the Vatican, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella turned to the priest Tomas de Torquemada, who argued that an Inquisition would strengthen the sovereigns' authority throughout Spain, particularly in the coming campaign against the Moors of Granada. When Granada fell, tens of thousands of Muslims were given the choice of converting to Christianity or facing death or banishment. Torquemada then turned his ferocity on Spain's Jews, forcing upon them the same grim choice . . . Reston's compelling narrative brings all of the horrors of the Spanish Inquisition into a terrifyingly brutal focus. But Reston looks beyond the dark deeds of 1492 as well, capturing the excitement of exploration and promise of the future that were born in the same year as Ferdinand and Isabella turned their eyes toward the creation of a modern empire - and a young sea captain named Christopher Columbus.