Saladin

This is the first serious biography of Saladin in over 20 years and the first ever by a non Western scholar. This is the first major biography of Saladin, arguably the greatest figure in Islamic history, for 20 years. As famous today as he was when he drove the Crusaders out of Jerusalem, the real Saladin has dissolved into legend with each retelling of his story. This book seeks to redress the balance.A unique non-Western perspective on the life of a heroic leader who united Sunni and Shi'ite against the infidel, this is the first biography of Saladin by a Muslim historian in EnglishOffers a context for today's struggles in the Middle East Contains dispatches and letters of his most trusted adviser and secretary of state, al-Qadi al-Fadil, which reflect Saladin's motives and ideals Who Was The Real Saladin? To Answer This Question, A. R. Azzam Argues, It Is Essential To Appreciate The Age Saladin Lived In. The First Major Biography Of Saladin For Twenty Years, A. R. Azzam's Account Is Essential Reading For Anyone Interested In The Medieval Crusades, Islamic History And The Origins Of The Modern Middle East.--book Jacket. Separating The Man From The Myth -- The Weakening Of The Abbasid Caliph And The Sunni Revival -- The Turning Of The Tide -- The Young Saladin -- The Battle For Egypt -- The Unlikely Vizier -- Master Of Egypt -- The Prize Of Syria -- The Meddlesome Priest: Saladin And Al-khabushani -- Saladin And The Leper King -- Sailing Close To Disaster: Saladin's Illness At Harran -- Victory At Hattin -- The Return Of Jerusalem -- The Arrival Of Richard -- A Bitter Diege Of Attrition: Saladin, Richard -- Death In Damascus: Saladin's Last Days. A.r. Azzam. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 243-265) And Index.