In 1187, Saladin marched triumphantly into Jerusalem, ending decades of struggle against the Christians and reclaiming the holy city for Islam. Four years later he fought off the armies of the Third Crusade, forces commanded by Europe’s leading monarchs. Within months of the campaign ending, Saladin died in Damascus, exhausted and almost penniless.
Yet within his lifetime he had acquired – in both the Christian and Muslim worlds – an unparalleled reputation for courtesy, justice, generosity and mercy: personality traits that brought him remarkable diplomatic success. His chivalrous behaviour was noted by Christian chroniclers and, despite being the nemesis of the Crusaders, he won the respect of many of them including Richard the Lionheart.
Few of history’s heroes can rival Saladin in his enduring and near-universal attraction. After his death, Saladin became two completely different things: in the West, he was turned into a chivalric hero. Across the Muslim world, by contrast, he became the greatest jihadist ever to have lived. He has been invoked by Yasser Arafat, Osama bin Laden, Assad, Qaddafi and Saddam Hussein; but today, he is a cartoon series in Muslim Malaysia and the wallpaper on teenagers’ mobile phones across the Middle East.
Through a unique blend of source evidence and vivid, pacey storytelling, The Life and Legend of The Sultan Saladin brings to life this extraordinary man’s career and legacy. The story of his life reveals many triumphs, failures and serial contradictions and it offers a unique prism through which to view the complex world of holy war and the centuries-long struggle for Jerusalem.