▁or ▁Sal ah ▁al - D in ▁and ▁his ▁taking ▁of ▁Jerusalem ▁from ▁the ▁Cr us aders ▁in ▁ 1 1 8 7 . ▁ ▁Syn opsis ▁Writ ten ▁as ▁part ▁mem oir ▁by ▁Sal adin ▁and ▁part ▁bi ography ▁by ▁Jewish ▁scri be ▁I bn ▁Y ak ub , ▁who ▁is ▁given ▁permission ▁to ▁interview ▁the ▁great ▁man ’ s ▁wife ▁and ▁close ▁associ ates , ▁this ▁is ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁Sal ah ▁al - D in , ▁a ▁Kur d ish ▁war rior ▁who ▁became ▁the ▁hero ▁of ▁the ▁Muslim ▁world ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁hero ics ▁against ▁the ▁Cr us aders ▁and ▁was ▁made ▁Sultan ▁of ▁Egypt ▁and ▁Sy ria ▁as ▁a ▁reward . ▁ ▁Par alle ls ▁are ▁drawn ▁between ▁the ▁Egypt ▁and ▁Sy ria ▁of ▁the ▁middle ▁ages ▁and ▁the ▁Middle ▁East ▁ar ena ▁of ▁the ▁present ▁day , ▁with ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁disag re ements ▁and ▁str ife ▁so ▁familiar ▁today . ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁T ari q ▁Ali ▁discuss ing ▁the ▁Third ▁Cr us ade ▁and ▁Sal adin ; ▁BBC ▁In ▁Our ▁Time ▁Radio ▁ 4 , ▁with ▁present er ▁Mel v yn ▁B rag g ▁and ▁Jonathan ▁R iley - Smith , ▁D ix ie ▁Professor ▁of ▁E cc les iast ical ▁History ▁at ▁Cambridge ▁University ▁and ▁author ▁of ▁many ▁books ▁on ▁the ▁Cr us ades , ▁Car ole ▁Hill en brand , ▁Professor ▁of ▁Islam ic ▁History ▁University ▁of ▁Edinburgh ▁ ▁Re views ▁https :// www . k irk us re views . com /