Saladin
The author sets the complicated scene before beginning the story of Saladin, who is fortunate to be born into the right family with the right connections. He has his first chance of command at thirty-two, which leaves him with the aims of controlling Egypt and Syria in a union against Christian invaders. Saladin’s subsequent achievements reveal a remarkable combination of qualities: an intellectual Islamist with a powerful and attractive personality, vision and determination; ruthless in battle, frequently, but not invariably, merciful in victory. Saladin persists in arduous negotiations with enemies who believe treaties are made to be broken. Frankish Reynald, an unmitigated scoundrel has a whole chapter to himself. Plagued by sickness, Saladin dies worn out in his fifties, leaving his reputation to the mercy of the future.
I liked this timely book so much I would have started rereading it immediately, but promised to lend it. The author has the gift of showing events as they would have seemed at the time while making clear the long ago pre-enactment of contemporary tragedy. Readers will learn the true meaning of jihad.
