Saladin: All-Powerful Sultan and the Uniter of Islam [Paperback]

Stanley Lane-Poole (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0815412347 | ISBN-13: 978-0815412342 | Publication Date: June 25, 2002 | Edition: 1

Celebrated in romances from the Middle Ages to the Victorian Era—and the subject of contemporary studies and novels—Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, also known as Saladin (c. 1138-1193), is best known in the West for his battles with Richard the Lionheart during the Third Crusade. More than a powerful and chivalrous warrior, Saladin was also a skillful leader who forged a unified empire from the squabbling nations of the Middle East, turning the Muslim armies into a fighting force that retook the Kingdom of Jerusalem from the Crusaders. Lane-Poole's biography of the storied sultan analyzes records by Saladin's Christian and Muslim contemporaries to reveal the man behind the many legends. The portrait Lane-Poole creates is of a ruler who avoided luxuries, showed remarkable mercy toward his enemies (with the exception of the Knights Templars and the treacherous Reginald of Chatillon), and was openly admired even by the Crusaders who warred against him. Saladin covers Saladin's boyhood as a Kurdish outsider in Egypt, his astounding victory at the Battle of Hittin (which turned the tide of the Crusades), and his subsequent melees with Richard in the Holy Land. Though originally published in 1898, Lane-Poole's insightful and open-minded book remains the definitive work in the English language on Saladin.

Editorial Reviews

Review

An informed and informative biography of the great warrior, statesman, and faithful believer in Islam ... Saladin: All-Powerful Sultan and the Uniter of Islam is the life story of a truly unique leader who deservedly earned his legendary status. (Midwest Book Review )

An informed and informative biography of the great warrior, statesman, and faithful believer in Islam ... Saladin: All-Powerful Sultan and the Uniter of Islam is the life story of a truly unique leader who deservedly earned his legendary status. (Midwest Book Review )

About the Author

Stanley Lane-Poole (1854-1931) was the author of The Story of the Moors in Spain, The Speeches and Table Talk of Muhammad, and other books on the history of the Islamic world.

Stanley Lane-Poole (1854-1931) was the author of The Story of the Moors in Spain, The Speeches and Table Talk of Muhammad, and other books on the history of the Islamic world.

Product Details

• Paperback: 504 pages
• Publisher: Cooper Square Press; 1 edition (June 25, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0815412347
• ISBN-13: 978-0815412342
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #902,598 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The life story of a truly unique leader, October 7, 2002

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Saladin: All-Powerful Sultan and the Uniter of Islam (Paperback)

Written by the late British historian Stanley Lane-Pools (1854-1931), Saladin: All-powerful Sultan And The Uniter Of Islam is an informed and informative biography of the great warrior, statesman, and faithful believer in Islam, Salah ad-Din ibn Ayyub, more commonly known as Saladin (A.D. 1138-1193). From his early years in a Kurdish military family to the beginning of his military service at age fourteen, to his conquest of Jerusalem marked by an unprecedentedly humane treatment of the citizens within, to his belief and application of civilized justice, Saladin: All-powerful Sultan And The Uniter Of Islam is the life story of a truly unique leader who deservedly earned his legendary status both in the West as well as throughout Islam.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Biography, March 15, 2007

By 

D. A Wend (Arlington Heights, IL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Saladin: All-Powerful Sultan and the Uniter of Islam (Paperback)

Stanley Lane-Poole's biography of Saladin was published in 1898 but remains the best source of information about the sultan. The author has done his research consulting Christian and Muslim contemporary sources - some of which he quotes from - and conveys Saladin's life in beautiful prose. An excellent example is the following except concerning Crusader ambassadors given the unique privilege of seeing the Fatimid Caliph of Egypt.

"They were led by mysterious corridors and through guarded doors, where stalwart Sudanis saluted with naked swords. They reached a spacious court, open to the sky, and surrounded by arcades resting on marble pillars; the paneled ceilings were carved and inlaid in gold and colours; the pavement was rich mosaic. The unaccustomed eyes of the rude knights opened wide with wonder at the taste and refinement that met them at every step; - here they saw marble fountains, birds of many notes and wondrous plumage, strangers to the western world..."

Mr. Lane-Poole provides an invaluable look at the world of Saladin giving us the history of the Seljuk Turks and the First Crusade, and the life of Saladin is presented with no information lacking and with a critical eye for his subject. The struggle between Christians and Muslims is well presented and we are given completed accounts of the Third Crusade from both sides. The book is illustrated with many photographs, maps and drawings; it also includes a list of the principle contemporary historians of the period.
I wanted to know more about Saladin having seen the film Kingdom of Heaven, and this book was perfect.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book., January 21, 2011

By 

Awais Mazhar - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Saladin: All-Powerful Sultan and the Uniter of Islam (Paperback)

It is perhaps the most detailed & well documented book on a legend of a man. The only part it glides over is Salahdin's interaction with the Hashashieen (Assasins) tribes of his time.