I'm considering discussing his genius military tactics vs. his barbaric torture methods in an essay. However, I haven't been able to find many primary sources, which will be vital. Secondary sources aren't exactly easy to find either, from any era but especially from closer to his lifetime.
Do any of you happen to know of any sources, or anywhere I might be able to find some good ones for my topic? Thank you.
Do you understand the distinction between a primary and secondary source?
Primary sources would be contemporary legal records, letters, and other (near) contemporary accounts such as annals or chronicles from the period, while secondary will typically be much later historians or antiquarians discussing the evidence from the period.
Ie. I might read a letter from Vlad to one of his officers, this is a primary source. Last year a scholar might have produced a study of all of Vlad's letters to his officers, this would be a secondary source.
If you can build a list of good secondary sources then you will be able to construct a reading list of primary sources from the footnotes (although be warned they will not necessarily be in translation).