ابن قيصر’s Reviews > Saladin: The Life, the Legend and the Islamic Empire > Status Update

Into Chapter 5, introduction of Reginald De Chatillon

Chapter 4 complete.

A brilliant chapter clearing up Salah-uddin’s relationship with the shi’ites. Showing his mastery of how he managed to take Egypt back into Sunni control.

The chapter ended with a beautiful piece on Nur-uddin’s life, speaking on his death and his virtues.

The story is only going to get deeper from here, with Salah-uddin’s new responsibility to fill Nur-uddin’s position in Shaam.

Chapter 3 complete.

This chapter begins to focus more on Salah al-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, Nur-al-Din & Shirkuh - showing the relationship between them & the two major muslim powers at the time, the Abbasid & Fatimid caliphate.

What stuck out most was how Salahuddin & his uncle Shirkuh were both under the shia caliph of the fatimid empire. I didn’t expect that but the 4th chapter goes into more detail.

Having a rough understanding of Sultan Salah-Dd-Din and the ideas around his conquest of Al-Quds, I expected the book to go straight into his life & how he achieved his feats.

I have just finished the Chapter 2 and have been surprised with the concise overview of the world at the time. The scene is perfectly set by introducing the 1st & 2nd Crusade & introducing Noor-Ud-Din, the Emir of both Aleppo & Damascus.