Review (PDF)

Saladin: Hero Of Islam

The extraordinary character and career of Saladin are the keys to understanding the Battle of Hattin, the fall of Jerusalem and the failure of the Third Crusade. He united warring Muslim lands, reconquered the bulk of Crusader states and faced the Richard the Lion Heart, king of England, in one of the most famous confrontations in medieval warfare. Geoffrey Hindley's sympathetic and highly readable study of the life and times of this remarkable, many-sided man, who dominated the Middle East in his day, gives a fascinating insight into his achievements and into the Muslim world of his contemporaries.REVIEWS "...Highly recommended for library collections and biographical reading lists."Midwest Book Review 8/07 “…a valuable biography of one of the most attractive figures in Medieval history, a rare example of a leader who was respected on both sides of the religious divide in the Holy Land and one whose reputation has deservedly survived intact across intervening centuries.” History of War, 4/2010

Paperback: 224 pages

Publisher: Pen and Sword; Reprint edition (June 15, 2010)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1848842031

ISBN-13: 978-1848842038

Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.7 x 9.1 inches

Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #454,273 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #75 in Books > History > Middle East > Syria #196 in Books > History > Africa > Egypt #383 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Historical > Middle East

From the very first chapter in the book I was touched to the pit of my soul by this great man and his legacy to the point of near tears. Upon reading the final chapter about Saladin's death, my tears broke free despite my great efforts at the sad death of this extraordinary man and his life long wish to perform the Haj (pilgrimage to Mecca) but dying before that.As for the book itself, I felt that if one wanted to get a brief insight as to who this extraordinary man was, one simply has to read the first and last chapters to realize that. The rest of the book details his ascendancy to power and his climatic legacy. The author uses both Islamic and European references to chronicle Saladin's legacy, as reassurance of accuracy, the author did quote Baha-Din Bin Shadad who was Saladin's biographer and most reliable source into his life (which by the way is a somewhat difficult book to obtain due to the very high demand).I must warn readers despite the author's great research into the subject and knowledge of Islam, there are some misconceptions and general mistakes when it comes to understanding and interpreting certain actions or teachings of Islam. The most notable of which is in the very first chapter where the author attributes Saladin's more than noble treatment of the captured Christians once he had captured Jerusalem. The author attributes his noble and benevolent generosity to his personal character and failed to realize that this was due to Saladin's strict observance of the rules of war dictated by Islam (a counter argument would naturally be that few others were as he was when they were the victors in war, true but just because some people don't follow the rules doesn't make the rules wrong, it simply means that certain people disregarded the rules).

Saladin: Hero of Islam Islam:A very short Introduction,Islam:What the west needs to know,Islam for Dummies,Islam:The straight path 2014 Counted Cross Stitch Pattern: "Flash Boy Superhero" Comic Book Hero For Kids With 9 Alphabets To Personalize Your Hero (Kids Are Heroes Series) Jinnah, Pakistan and Islamic Identity: The Search for Saladin Saladin: The Sultan Who Vanquished the Crusaders and Built an Islamic Empire Una Historia De Dios / a History of God: 4000 anos de busqueda en el judaismo, el cristianismo y el islam/ The 4000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (Surcos) (Spanish Edition) El ala radical del Islam: El Islam político: realidad y ficción (Spanish Edition) This Is Islam: From Muhammad and the community of believers to Islam in the global community (This World of Ours) The Deception of Allah Volume 1 (study in depth of Islam, investigating Muhammad and Islam, volume 1 The Evil Teachings of Islam, Quran & Prophet Muhammad: Irrelevance of Islam Islam for Beginners: Basics of Islam and Muslim Customs (+ Gift Inside) Islam: Beginner's Guide to Understanding Islam & the Sunni Shia Schism ISLAM: The Quick Guide for the Christian to Understanding Islam and Winning Muslims for Christ Bridges to Islam: A Christian Perspective on Folk Islam Hero Dogs: Courageous Canines in Action Macromedia Fireworks MX 2004 Zero to Hero Web Analytics Action Hero: Using Analysis to Gain Insight and Optimize Your Business War Hero: The Unlikely Story of A Stray Dog, An American Soldier and the Battle of Their Lives (Kindle Single) Fatal Passage: The True Story of John Rae, the Arctic Hero Time Forgot A Window Dressing Hero Takafumi Horie (Japanese Edition)