World History Biographies: Saladin

Our children's understanding of the Muslim world has never been as important as it is today. As events in the Middle East affect world politics, and the Muslim community grows in the United States, knowledge of Islamic tradition and history are now crucial.

Flora Geyer's informative, accessible book tells the story of the Crusades from a Muslim point of view. The narrative follows Saladin from his birth into a prominent Kurdish family in Tikrit, Mesopotamia, in 1138. His formative military career leads to Saladin's appointment as vizier of Egypt at 31. After revitalizing the Egyptian economy, Saladin initiates campaigns against smaller Muslim states, eventually uniting Islamic forces and dispelling rivalries that had long hampered the Muslim resistance to the Crusades. Inspired by intense devotion to jihad, or "holy war," Saladin's army recaptures the holy city of Jerusalem after 88 years of Christian occupation.

National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.
Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.Flora Geyer studied history at Cambridge University. She lives in England.