The Ta’rikh al-Mansuri of Ibn Nazif is one of the more intriguing minor histories from the middle Ayyubid period. After Ibn Nazif’s fall from grace there are none of the documents that characterize the previous period of historical writing. Presumably access to such documents was lost for Ibn Nazif when he no longer held power. From a cultural point of view, he viewed himself as continuator of the great Arabic Muslim heritage, in letters and to some extent in poetry. His lack of emphasis upon Islamic religious codes is highlighted by his continual descriptions of the Ayyubids’ drinking, in which he presumably participated. Frequently Ibn Nazif extols what he refers to as “resolve” or “decisiveness” in an exemplary ruler.