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Reston has a way of making history come alive through his engaging portraits of these two adversaries, Richard the Lionheart and Saladin during the 3rd Crusade. The author tries to paint an unbiased picture of both. I wanted to root for Saladin, but he comes across as contemplative, very pious and somewhat reticent to defend his territory. On the other hand, Richard is cruel and self-serving. But he is deserving of his moniker through his gallantry, military skill, and leadership. Although outnumbered by the Arab forces, Richard martials the discipline of his soldiers to repel and eventually conquer most of Israel and Syria
He was put in an impossible situation of fighting to restore Christendom to Holy Land while protecting his patrimony in France and England. The end of the 3rd Crusade reads like a draw, where the two combatants are too tired to throw any more punches.