John's work claims to cover the period from 1118-1176 and provides a continuation of the work of Anna Comnena. He also served as an imperial secretary during the reign of Manuel Comnenus I, which influenced his perepective of the Emperor Manuel I's dealings with the Second Crusaders. By John's account, Manuel is a hero, as he is smart and careful in his dealings with the crusaders, whom John refers to as "barbarians." John specifically praises Manuel's ability to win battles with smaller forces through careful tactical planning [See the primary source selection below from the University of Michigan for an example].
John was born around the time of the Second Crusade so he was not an eyewitness to the event, yet he is one of only two Byzantine historians to record information about the event, the other being Nicetas Choniates. According to scholar Mahmoud Said Omran, John was well read in historical works and likely had access to first hand accounts of the Second Crusade from which to contruct his version of events. He also provides some excellent information on Byzantine-Turkish warfare in the second half of the twelfth-century.
John Kinnamos [Partial Text] The Deeds of John and Manuel Comnenus. University of Michigan
Mahmoud Said Omran John Kinnamos as a Historian of the Second Crusade [PDF] DeReMilitari.Org
Nicetas Choniates- Crusades-Encyclopedia
Manuel I Comnenus- Crusades-Encyclopedia
Byzantine Empire- Crusades-Encyclopedia
Second Crusade- Crusades-Encyclopedia
Primary Sources of the Second Crusade- Crusades-Encyclopedia
(c) Andrew Holt, August 2005- Permission is granted for electronic copying and distribution in print for educational and personal use. No permission is granted for commercial use.