The enduring political interests of the western world in the politics and resources of the Middle East have a long history. Perhaps no Arabic ruler is better known in the western imagination as El-Melik en-Nasir Salah-ed-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, known by his abbreviated name, Saladin. The gentleman-adversary of crusaders, Saladin has a vivid fantasy image, largely based on Sir Walter Scott’s romanticization of his life. Lane-Poole’s biography of Saladin was the first historic biography written in English. A thoroughly researched biography by a reputable scholar, this work retains its readability and interest for the reader interested in this major Islamic leader during the unsettled and unsettling period of the twelfth century.

Stanley Lane-Poole (1854-1931) was a British Orientalist and archaeologist. He began his career in the British Museum, but moved to Egypt where he worked as an archaeologist. He later became Professor of Arabic Studies at Dublin University.