Salah al-Din Yusuf was born in Tikrite, Iraq in 1138. Today he is known as Saladin. His father, Ayyub, was promoted to head of the Damascus militia. Saladin grew up at the center of the stage where major political decisions regarding the Crusades were made. With his religion and education grew his reputation for his politics and leadership over the militia and his people. With these Saladin would hold many positions in the government and army, and would eventually conquer Jerusalem and defeat the Third Crusade. In the Middle Ages, life expectancy was low, so men were given responsibilities early in their adulthood. Saladin married at the age of fourteen and was sent to his uncle Shirkuh, a senior command officer in the Aleppo military establishment. Once he learned military lessons at the hands of his uncle, he was appointed as his assistant on an expedition to save Egypt from an invasion by Amalric in 1164. They succeeded in defending Egypt but were brought back in 1169 to defend it once again. . The difference in this expedition is that he was second comma...