Saladin: The Life, the Legend and the Islamic Empire

Saladin remains one of the most iconic figures of his age. As the manwho united the Arabs and saved Islam from Christian crusaders in the12th century, he is the Islamic worlds preeminent hero. Ruthless indefence of his faith, brilliant in leadership, he also possessedqualities that won admiration from his Christian foes. He knew thelimits of violence, showing such tolerance and generosity that manyEuropeans, appalled at the brutality of their own people, saw him as theexemplar of their own knightly ideals.

But Saladin is farmore than a historical hero. Builder, literary patron and theologian, heis a man for all times, and a symbol of hope for an Arab world onceagain divided. Centuries after his death, in cities from Damascus toCairo and beyond, to the Arabian Peninsula and the Gulf, Saladincontinues to be an immensely potent symbol of religious and militaryresistance to the West. He is central to Arab memories, sensibilitiesand the ideal of a unified Islamic state.

In this authoritativebiography, historian John Man brings Saladin and his world to life invivid detail. Charting his rise to power, his struggle to unify thewarring factions of his faith, and his battles to retake Jerusalem andexpel Christian influence from Arab lands, Saladin explores the life and the enduring legacy of this champion of Islam, and examines his significance for the world today.