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Historical Warriors of God: Richard the Lionheart and Saladin in the Third Crusade by James Weston, Jr. $27.50 / Doubleday / 2001 Warriors of God examines the lives of the two most prominent figures to emerge during the Crusades-Saladin and Richard the Lionheart-and provides insights into the world at the time of the Third Crusade. The book begins with an introduction to Saladin and his world. Although as a young Kurdish boy Saladin was inclined more to prayer and poetry, he grew up to become the Emperor of both Syria and Egypt and the titular leader of the Middle East, as the caliph of Baghdad. Not only did he recapture Jerusalem in 1187 and send the Franks reeling back in defeat, but he did so with true nobility. For in a time of bloodshed and vengence, he showed mercy to his western enemies, who were known for their atrocities. The author does a wonderful job of exploring Saladin's motives, values, and thoughts, as well as discussing the actions of the Crusaders. The life of Richard the Lionheart is the examined, including the various scandals and maneuvers of his parents King Henry and Queen Eleanor. Richard's personality is portrayed through anecdotes that reveal a ruthless and arrogant but charismaic and larger-than-life medieval king and warrior. Warriors of God manages to give us enough of the big picture to allow us to relish the humanity and foibles of the players, including Philip of France, Frederick Barbarossa, and Eleanor of Acquitaine. The battles are also discussed in detail, with attention given to terrain and logistics, as well as to psychological and political factors. But perhaps the most interesting aspect of the author's approach is the way he incorporates quotes from contemporary sources, such as passages from the Koran, eyewitnessed events, quoted conversations taken from various chronicles of the time, and, best of all, the words of contemporary troubadours. Although his treatment of Muslims is fair and often flattering, unfortunately it lacks the detail found in his description of the European Crusaders. But with that said, the portrayal of the Muslim side of the Crusades is more complete than most books on this topic. —Robert Nelson, PhD.

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