History: Actual, Fictional and Legendary discussion

Some points for discussion:

1. What precipitated the Second Crusade?

2. What were the roles of the Religious Military Orders: Knights Templar, Knights Hospitaller and the Teutonic Knights in this crusade?

3. Was the crusade a success or a failure? Why?

4. What role did St. Bernard play in this crusade?

5. Why did King Louis VII of France decide to go on this crusade?

6. Why did Conrad III of Germany decide to go on this crusade?

7. What if any benefits accrued to the West from this crusade?

My favorite angle on this crusade takes place in Europe. The so-called Wendish Crusade.

Here are couple of my favorite Crusade novelists and novels, though I don't know in which Crusade they would be classified in:
1) Stephen Lawhead - The Celtic Crusades(Lawhead has a trilogy of novels here)
2) T. Davis Bunn - To The Ends of the Earth
To the Ends of the Earth
The Iron Lance

Thanks. I'll put those on the TBR pile. I wish Bunn's book was available on Kindle. *sigh*