In his lecture Jonathan Phillips examined the career of the Sultan Saladin (Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi, 1137-93) and evaluated how and by whom his image and memory have been used down the centuries.
His lecture was based on his book of the same name published in 2019, which the Times described as ‘Superbly researched… enormously entertaining… one of the outstanding books of the year… Clear, concise and illuminating.’
A national and international renowned authority on the history of the Order of St John, with particular reference to the Crusades, Jonathan gave the eulogy at the funeral of Professor Riley-Smith, in whose memory this lecture is given, in Cambridge in September 2016. Professor Riley-Smith, like Jonathan, was also Head of History at Royal Holloway.
In addition Professor Phillips also starts a new role as co-patron of the St John's Gate Historical Society
