Description
Book Synopsis''Superbly researched and enormously entertaining... One of the outstanding books of the year'' The Times
An epic story of empire-building and bloody conflict, this ground-breaking biography of one of history's most venerated military and religious heroes opens a window on the Islamic and Christian worlds' complex relationship.
WINNER OF THE SLIGHTLY FOXED BEST FIRST BIOGRAPHY PRIZE
When Saladin recaptured Jerusalem from the Crusaders in 1187, returning the Holy City to Islamic rule, he sent shockwaves throughout Christian Europe and the Muslim Near East that reverberate today.
It was the culmination of a supremely exciting life. Born into a significant Kurdish family in northern Iraq, this warrior and diplomat fought under the banner of jihad, but at the same time worked tirelessly to build an empire that stretched from North Africa to Western Iraq. Gathering together a turbulent coalition, he was able to capture Jerusalem, only to t
Trade Review
Superb, highly readable and definitive ... One of the world’s leading crusades scholars ... Phillips's narrative of Saladin's career is vivid and judicious, punctuated by set pieces that charge along like battle scenes from Game of Thrones -- Dan Jones * Sunday Times *
Superbly researched and enormously entertaining ... one of the outstanding books of the year -- Gerard DeGroot * The Times *
An authoritative and brilliantly told account of the life of one of the world’s greatest – and most famous – military leaders. Jonathan Phillips leaves no stone unturned in this impressive and lively history of the genius who was Saladin -- PETER FRANKOPAN, author of The Silk Roads
Outstanding. Jonathan Phillips has written a compelling account of arguably the most inspirational of Islamic military heroes -- CHRISTOPHER DE BELLAIGUE, author of The Islamic Enlightenment
Fascinating, authoritative and intelligent * Spectator *
This illuminating and fascinating biography of Saladin could not be timely. Today political figures often inspire little admiration, but Saladin’s career at the height of the Crusades reminds us that moral charisma and integrity can be recognised and honoured by people on both sides of a vicious conflict. His concluding account of the intense emotion that the memory of Saladin still inspires in the Middle East today reveals the sensitivity and pain that underlies so many of the region’s unresolved problems -- KAREN ARMSTRONG, author of Fields of Blood
Beautifully researched and authoritative, Jonathan Phillips's very fine biography of this fascinating historical character underlines how serious history made accessible to the general reader is invaluable if we hope to understand our world today -- JASON BURKE, author of The 9/11 Wars
Vivid and authoritative, with glistening details on every page. Phillips explains Saladin’s ability to mesmerise not just through the achievements of his lifetime but through his inspiration of Arab leaders, including Nasser, Assad and Saddam Hussein, ever since -- JAMES BARR, author of A Line in the Sand
Jonathan Phillips explores new themes and makes use of various underused or wholly neglected Arabic sources ... vivid and convincing -- Robert Irwin * Literary Review *
More than just a biography ... this book paints a rich, absorbing picture of the 12th-century Middle East ... gives expert accounts of the many hard-fought battles and sieges ... vividly describes the Crusader fightback ... One major lesson of this book is that the facts about the distant past are much, much more interesting than the opportunistic uses made of them by anyone in the present * Telegraph *
Phillips produces an absorbing, readable narrative… an excellent introduction to the life of Saladin by a scholar who is respected around the world for his work on the sultan and the crusades… an invaluable guide -- Helen Nicholson * BBC History *
Phillips’s careful scrutiny of the surprisingly numerous contemporary sources underlies an impressive piece of historical reconstruction -- Michael Prodger * New Statesman, *Books of the Year* *
