From historian James Reston comes an account of the pivotal events of 1492, a year when towering political ambitions, horrific religious excesses, and a drive toward adventure and conquest changed the world forever. This book chronicles one of the most savage epochs in history, the years of the Spanish Inquisition. In an effort to consolidate their power on the Iberian Peninsula, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella turned to the priest Torquemada, a member of the Dominican order. Torquemada urged an Inquisition that 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. Reston also looks beyond the dark deeds of 1492, capturing the excitement of exploration and the promise of the future that was born in the same year.--From publisher description.