Hello, first time poster that would like to know which books are more suited for the purpose of research for a a project I'm currently developing.
It'll primarily be set around 1355-1359 in Portugal and about the Order of Christ established a few decades before this date.
I would like to you if any of you know which authors/books I should read on this very particular timeline and branch of the Knight's Templar or anythjng about the order in particular that is of high quality.
I'm beginning my studies with a book called "The Knight's Templar" by Helen Jane Nicholson, do any of you know if its worth the read? Or would you recommend another starting point?
Any other forms of media are also welcome, television, movies, comics, etc. I want to fully dive into this subject and learn as many historical details as possible.
Appreciate the help in advance.
Helen Nicholson is one of the leading experts on the Knights Templar (and the Knights Hospitaller as well), so her books are a great place to start. Some other suggestions are:
Malcolm Barber, The New Knighthood: A History of the Order of the Temple (Cambridge University Press, 1994)
Malcolm Barber, The Trial of the Templars (Cambridge University Press, 2006)
Helen J. Nicholson, The Everyday Life of the Templars: The Knights Templar at Home (Fonthill, 2017)
I know there has been a lot of work done about the Templars in Portugal specifically, although I don't know those sources very well, since, of course, they're often in Portuguese. But a good overview for Portugal specifically is:
Clive Porro, “Reassessing the dissolution of the Templars: King Dinis and their suppression in Portugal”, in Helen J. Nicholson, Paul F. Crawford, and Jochen Burgtorf, The Debate on the Trial of the Templars (Routledge, 2010)
Porro's article should point you to other helpful sources, especially if you can read Portuguese.