I'm starting a Master's soon in the subject of the Crusader kingdoms, specifically the Fall of Jerusalem and the return of Muslim rule. I'm hoping to look at mainly Christian sources in order to study how Christians understood the events of the late 12th century.
The trouble is that I'm at a bit of a loss on how to find these chroniclers to begin with. I know that this is part of what I'll work on with my supervisor but I've been trying to get a head start as well.
Who do you think is really interesting to study? What chroniclers have interesting aspects to their works? Are there other primary sources that I should think to look at?
Thanks.
This is more general advice, but if I find a modern source that I like, or that seems well researched, but maybe draws conclusions that don't jive with what I've read before or "prevailing wisdom", I'll just mine the bibliography. The Crusades aren't my expertise, but I just finished Thomas Asbridge's Crusades. Sources he leaned heavily on for the first crusade were the Gesta Francorum, Gesta Tancredi, the Latin Chronicles, the Alexiad (obviously Byzantine source) documents coming from the Papacy and the conventions hosted to garner support for the endeavors. etc.
I've found that books like these introduce me to primary sources in areas that aren't my expertise. https://sites.dartmouth.edu/sourcesforcrusadehistory/third-crusade/ This link is a good collection of primary sources you may find interesting. The first block, continuations of the latin chronicles of William of Tyre, will probably give you the best perspective of Christian sources in the Frankish kingdoms.