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The Book of Saladin

A Novel
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( 1,833 ratings, 197 reviews)
Brief Description
The Book of Saladin is the fictional memoir of Saladin, the Kurdish liberator of Jerusalem, as dictated to a Jewish scribe, Ibn Yakub. Saladin grants Ibn Yakub permission to talk to his wife and retainers so that he might present a full portrait in the Sultan's... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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Second book of the internationally acclaimed Islamic Quintet

Second book of the internationally acclaimed Islamic Quintet

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The Book of Saladin is the fictional memoir of Saladin, the Kurdish liberator of Jerusalem, as dictated to a Jewish scribe, Ibn Yakub. Saladin grants Ibn Yakub permission to talk to his wife and retainers so that he might present a full portrait in the Sultan's memoirs.

A series of interconnected stories follows, tales brimming over with warmth, earthy humour, and passions in which ideals clash with realities and dreams are confounded by desires.

The novel charts the rise of Saladin as Sultan of Egypt and Syria and follows him as he prepares to take Jerusalem back from the Crusaders. This is a medieval story, but it uncannily points to contemporary events in Cairo, Damascus, and Baghdad.

Series: The Islam Quintet

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  • The Book of Saladin
    The Book of Saladin is the fictional memoir of Saladin, the Kurdish liberator of Jerusalem, as dictated to a Jewish scribe, Ibn Yakub. Saladin grants Ibn Yakub permission to talk to his wife and retainers so that he might present a full portrait in the Sultan's memoirs. A series of interconnected stories follows, tales brimming over with warmth, earthy humour,...
    Paperback
    $3499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
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  • A Sultan in Palermo
    The fourth novel in Tariq Ali's 'Islam Quintet' charts the life and loves of the medieval cartographer Muhammed al-Idrisi. Torn between his close friendship with the sultan and his friends who are leaving the island or plotting a resistance to Norman rule, Idrisi finds temporary solace in the harem; but his conscience is troubled... A Sultan in Palermo is a...
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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781836743729

Publisher: Verso Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 10 February 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Verso Books

Edition: New edition

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 24.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 314g

Pages: 384

About the Author

Tariq Ali is a writer and filmmaker. He has written more than a dozen books on world history and politics—including Pirates of the Caribbean, Bush in Babylon, The Clash of Fundamentalisms and The Obama Syndrome—as well as five novels in his Islam Quintet series and scripts for the stage and screen. He is an editor of the New Left Review and lives in London.

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