The king and the sultan

Two important historical figures died on August 31st, one of whom I find quite intriguing and one whom I do not. On this date in 1422, Henry V died at the age of 35, his premature death dramatically changing the course of English history, for he was succeeded by his young son, the hapless Henry VI, who would find himself caught up in the Wars of the Roses. Henry V is considered to be one of England’s great warrior kings, but I have never been drawn to this man. I acknowledge he was a superb soldier, but I have never had any inclination to write about him. On the other hand, I find the other man who died on August 31st (1218) to be quite intriguing: al Malik al-Adil, the younger brother of Saladin, who would later become Sultan of Egypt. He was a very competent commander, better than his more celebrated brother, and a very shrewd politician, an astute practitioner of the most dangerous game of all—the pursuit of power. He made a few appearances in Lionheart, having become very friendly with Richard, who called him “my brother.” Richard even knighted one of al-Adil’s sons! He will appear again in Outremer. Already he has gotten two important scenes, one with Balian d’Ibelin and one with his favorite wife as Cairo braces for the planned invasion by the army of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Because he is so much fun to write about, I am sure he’ll have much more time on center stage. But if you are still determined to read about Henry V, you can find him in Bernard Cornwell’s brilliant novel about his most famous victory, Agincourt.