Pangonis, K: Queens of Jerusalem

The Women Who Dared to Rule. The year is 1187 and Saladin's armies are besieging the holy city of Jerusalem. It is only a matter of time until the city will fall. Inside, a last-ditch defence is being led by an unlikely trio: the leader of the church, a single Lord named Balian of Ibelin, and Sibylla, Queen of Jerusalem. Sibylla's husband is Saladin's captive, and for many months now she has witnessed her kingdom slowly crumbling. In this book, Katherine Pangonis explores the role women played in the governing of the Middle East during periods of intense instability, and how they persevered to rule and seize greater power for themselves...