The life of Saladin: from the works of ʻImād ad-Dīn and Bahāʼ ad-Dīn,

Saladin, the Kurdish founder of the Ayyubid Dynasty, conquered Jerusalem in 1187 and repelled the Crusaders. Though England’s Richard I later defeated him, Saladin’s legend has become enshrined in European as well as Middle Eastern lore.Sir Hamilton Gibb produced this short biographical account by drawing from two chronicles written by well-placed contemporaries of the fabled leader. Meticulously annotated, Gibb’s classic is an essential reference for historians as well as an excellent introduction to a fascinating historical figure.