The Book of Saladin

This book has changed a few of my thought processes. I am not a fan of historical fiction by any means, in fact I bought this book on a whim as I had an interest in the Muslim world hit me without warning, and I don't regret it in the least. Not because it is historical fiction, but because it has help to expand my mind. I've always been interested in the Crusades since I was a very young child, but I've never stopped to think about the Islamic side of the story. I've always concentrated on the Western histories and legends of this time. This book allowed me to see how Western people could be viewed as barbaric, and how the Islamic culture was really very more advanced in many ways to the stream of warriors coming out of Europe. In this book we follow the tale of a fictional Jewish scribe as he journeys with Salah al-Din from Cairo through to the retaking of Jerusalem and finally to his death. Along the way we are exposed to many characters and customs of that noble society. I admit, I don't know how much of it was fact and how much was the author's prerogative, but it has definitely made me want to read more of Tariq Ali's works, and to study the Islamic culture a little closer. By all means read this book if you've only studied one side of the Crusader Coin.

Tariq Ali's "The Book of Saladin" is the second in his "quintet" about Islam. Don't let that put you off, though, as there is no set order to read the series in - no characters carry over from one book to the next and the continuity throughout is in fact the relationship between Islam and other religions during times of upheaval. As the name suggests, "The Book of Saladin" is about that famous adversary of the Crusaders, the Kurdish Yusuf Salah-ad-din Ibn Ayyub who founded the Ayyubid dynasty of Egypt. The basis of this novel is that Saladin has hired a Jewish writer to record his life and times as he leads the battle to re-take Jerusalem from the "Franj" (Crusaders, one of the many Arabic words used in the book and explained in the glossary). The reader is therefore treated to a series of stories-within-stories, and knowing Ali's sense of humour (he is an electric public speaker) the parallel to the "Arabian Nights" is probably more than a fortuitous coincidence. Our narrator leads his own life over the years of his acquaintance with Saladin, along with its attendant highs and lows while recording Saladin's memories and hearing stories from his loyal retainers and members of his harem. All of these strands combine and separate in various ways to create a narrative experience quite hard to describe in words. While the novel ends on a somewhat pessimistic note, this is probably only to be expected, as this was hardly a glorious time for either side involved in the conflict. While certain characters - particularly Maimonides, who makes a cameo appearance - suffer from being relatively two-dimensional, the central characters are all eminently believable. In the case of Saladin, this is quite a feat as the volume of ink devoted to him over the centuries is quite spectacular and separating the man from the myth is a difficult task. The reader will almost certainly find themselves cheering when the Sultan wins a victory, whether on the battlefield or in the court chambers. Ali's eye for detail is also deployed to great effect here. Ayyubid Cairo is evoked lovingly, as are the other locations which play important roles in the plot. Similarly, while the court intrigues of the time are confusing at best, Ali makes a noble attempt at simplifying things for the casual reader without an interest in the politics of the time. The frequent use of Arabic terms for events and places can be disconcerting to the reader with no background in the history of the region, however the glossary will help to overcome that - and the terms become easy to understand soon enough. His sense of humour, too, plays an important part in this novel. Ali has a particular fondness for what can sometimes be described as "dirty jokes", as his description of Richard I of England clearly demonstrates. His dialogue between a heretical (Cathar, I believe) crusader and Saladin is hilarious, even to the extent of offensive comments being made in perfect Latin. In short, this is a book whi

Two thumbs up, Tariq Ali ! This is a story , wonderfully told,of Salah al Din's maturation, comming to power , becoming acharismatic leader and finally , conquering Al Kadisiya (Jerusalem) from the hands of Crusades in 1187. Among other colourful characters is the Sultana Jamila, extremely educated, intelligent and enlightened, unlike all the rest of the women in the harem. Respected and admired for her virtues, Jamila questions the surpressed position of women in the world of Islam. The story is told by an outsider - a Jew in the service of the Sultan. A typical sympathetic scribe, he observes and listens attentively , and talks little. In the heart of the novel is the sad tragedy of muslims being so quarelsome among themselves, and being unable to unite against the enemy when the need arises....Salah Al Din is up to this day an awe-inspiring and much admired for his military and princely virtues character in the Muslim world...HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS NOVEL TO ALL ,ESPECIALLY THOSE INTERESTED IN THE HISTORY OF THE MIDDLE EAST.!

This is a satisfying novel, told, despite its exotic settings, in sparse prose carrying a ring of authenticity reminiscent at times of Naguib Mahfouz. The book deals in complex and subtle people who question the nature of the relationship between body and soul and ponder the purposes of war, not in easy steretypes or generalisations, even in an area which has been traditionally replete with them. It is illuminationg to have the Saladin story told by a writer who has immersed himself in the 'other side'. Tariq Ali's novel creates an authentic-seeming court, full of intrigue, dominated by a man who is charismatic yet not a hero of romance, a rather hesitant, limping figure, a Sultan whose preferred diet is soup and beans. In Saladin's entourage are strong and intelligent women, the Sultana Jamila and her female lover, and their story is interwoven with that of the Sultan's public life. It may be controversial to assign such dominance to the women in a harem, but these are characters in a convincing story with a reality beyond that of historical cliche.