Saladin

Saladin traces the rise of the Kurdish commander who ended Fatimid rule in Egypt, founded the Ayyubid dynasty and united much of Egypt and Syria against the crusader states. John Man places Saladin within the political world of Nur al-Din, rival Muslim rulers and fragile alliances before following the campaign that culminated in victory at Hattin and the recovery of Jerusalem in 1187.

The Third Crusade brought Saladin into conflict with Richard I of England and helped create the image of two chivalrous opponents that later tradition often preferred to the harsher realities of war. Man examines Saladin’s government, family network, military limitations and reputation in both Islamic and European memory, showing how a historically complex ruler became an enduring symbol of leadership, resistance and religious legitimacy.