Saladin: The Sultan and His Times, 1138–1193

by Hannes Möhring

Known in the West as a "noble heathen," the great Muslim sultan Saladin led Muslim forces in the reconquest of the Crusader kingdoms and captured Jerusalem in 1187. This concise history traces Saladin’s role in the contest between Islam and Christianity during the twelfth century.

Following the Sultan's life from the rise of the Crusader states through his triumph over the Franks to the Third Crusade, Möhring elucidates the sultan's accomplishments in uniting much of the Middle East, his enlightened relationship with European opponents, and the unique legacy of his rule in the Middle East and beyond.

This faithful English-language translation also includes an introduction that places Saladinin his geographic, political, and cultural context.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published September 4, 2008

About the author

Hannes Möhring, Historiker und Orientalist, lehrt bis März 2016 als Privatdozent an der Universität Bayreuth. 2010 und 2012 war er Visiting Fellow am Internationalen Kolleg für Geisteswissenschaftliche Forschung der Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg. Für seine Forschungen zu mittelalterlichen Endzeit-Erwartungen in Christentum und Islam wurde er mit dem Stauferpreis ausgezeichnet.

Reviews

[Will Tell · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 Sterne

Ich habe gemerkt, dass komplexe historische Themen in diesem kompakten Format für mich nicht so gut funktionieren. Dennoch ein in Teilen guter Einblick zu Saladin und seine Wirkung und Kriegsführung.

[Jane]

Interessant

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Le vicende storiche narrate sono molto complesse e in gran parte ignorate, la mia conoscenza storica è indubbiamente "europocentrica" e a parte Saladino e i capi crociati non conoscevo nessuno dei papabili musulmani di cui è stato scritto.
Interessante notare che all'epoca delle crociate i cristiani guardavano ai musulmani con notevole diffidenza e sospetto (basati soprattutto su grandissimi pregiudizi di fondo) più o meno come ora noi occidentali guardiamo ad essi.
La storia non ha proprio insegnato nulla?

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok review of Saladin's life. It does throw water on all the fantasy chivalry stuff that grew up over time around him.