P. W. Edbury

"The Conquest of Jerusalem and the Third Crusade: Sources in Translation" is part of series titled "Crusade Texts in Translation" of which I own two books. As in most translated chronicles I found this to be extremely informative and lively read. The majority of it consist of what is called The Old French Continuation of William of Tyre, 1184-97, which is universally regarded as the work of William of Tyre. As with most chroniclers of his age he gives detailed and entertaining accounts of events viewed first or second-hand. He does have the tendency to jump around a bit, both geographically and chronologically, but it is very easy to follow, and actually lends to the main subject matter. William is extrememly unbiased in my opinion, a rarity for any chronicler, and should be viewed as quite sensible.
The later part of the book consists of other selected sources ranging from letters by Richard Cour de Lion, Pope Urban III and other administrative and ruling types. Mostly dealing with the marriage of Queen Sibylla, The Battle of Hattin and it's aftermath, this section is bit tedious (footnote heavy) but vivid in detail and rhetoric. I found this book a more enjoyable read than the other I have in this series, "Chronicle of the Third Crusade: A Translation of the Itinerarium Peregrinorum et Gesta Regis Ricardi".… (altro)