What's the story behind Saladin?

Hi,

Saladin was the first Ayyubid sultan of Egypt, and famous for having recaptured Jerusalem from the Crusaders.

Saladin managed to revitalize the economy of Egypt, he reorganized the military forces and with the advice of his father, he stayed away from any conflicts with Nureddin, his formal lord, after he had become the real ruler over Egypt. Instead he waited until Nureddin’s death, before he started serious military actions first against smaller Muslim states, before directing it against the Crusaders.

Saladin is one of very few personages of the time of the Crusades that has managed to be positively described in both Western and Eastern sources. With his high position among his Western opponents, he has become a figure that have fascinated Western writers.