Baldwin IV, Leper and crusader, was one of the outstanding commanders of his age, and during his life, posed a worthy challenge to the courageous Sultan Saladin. In this titanic struggle, Saladin had considerable advantage – he controlled the territory around Baldwin’s tiny kingdom, and he had far larger armies at his disposal. What’s more, the young King also suffered from a grave illness – leprosy. Despite his disease, and despite the fewness of his men, the brave Leper King rode at the head of his knights, sword in hand, battling Saladin’s legions on more than one occasion. This is Real Crusades History – the life of King Baldwin IV, the Leper King of Jerusalem.

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Sources:
-Arab Historians of the Crusades, trans. Francesco Gabrieli, (Barnes and Noble Books, 1993)
-Baha ad-Din ibn-Shaddad - The Rare and Excellent History of Saladin, trans. D.S. Richards, (Ashgate, 2002)
-Barber, Malcolm - The Crusader States, (Yale, 2014)
-Ehrenkreutz, Andrew - Saladin, (State University of New York, 1972)
-Hamilton, Bernard - The Leper King and His Heirs, (Cambridge, 2005)
-Ibn al-Athir - The Chronicle of Ibn al-Athir for the Crusading Period, Part 2, trans. D.S. Richards (Ashgate, 2005)
-William of Tyre - A History of Deeds Done Beyond the Sea, Vol. II, trans. Emily Babcock and A.C. Krey, (Columbia University Press, 1943)

Credits:
Written and edited by: J Stephen Roberts
Animated maps by: Daniel Weiss
Narrated by: Tom Wylde

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