European Genealogy, Travel, and History Books

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A Genealogist's Guide to Discovering Your Germanic Ancestors : How to Find and Record Your Unique Heritage $15.19 - From naturalization to name changes, actual case studies of both typical and atypical Germanic genealogies demonstrate how to "solve" a research mystery, and comprehensive listings of Germanic archives, research forms, letter-writing examples and maps will save genealogists hours of additional work.
Finding Your German Ancestors : A Beginner's Guide $6.25 - by Kevan M. Hansen
The German Empire, 1870-1914 $15.96 - In The German Empire, one of Europe's great historians chronicles one of history's most fateful transformations -- Germany's rise from new nation to prime mover in the chain of events that sent it hurtling into two world wars. In 1871, Otto von Bismarck fused with "blood and iron" a motley collection of principalities, Free Cities, and bishoprics into one Reich. In England, Benjamin Disraeli observed that the world was witnessing "a greater political event than the French revolution of last century. . . . [T]here is not a diplomatic tradition which has not been swept away. . . . The balance of power has been entirely destroyed." Disraeli's powers of prophecy, in this as in much else, were formidable.
In Search of Your European Roots : A Complete Guide to Tracing Your Ancestors in Every Country in Europe $16.95 - Baxter's book is packed full of useful information for your quest to dig up information about European ancestors. Very helpful are sections on the history of national boundaries (the ancestor you regard as Polish may have been, at the time if his life, German, Austro-Hungarian, Bohemian, Polish, or Russian!), and an index of changed place-names.
France's Forgotten Legion : Service Records of French Military and Administrative Personnel Stationed in the Mississippi Valley and Gulf Coast Region, 1699-1769 $45.00 - CD-ROM Edition - by Carl A. Brasseaux. Software Bk&Cd-Rom edition (June 2000)
Gregory of Tours : The History of the Franks $12.76 - A dramatic narrative of French history in the sixth century. Gregory of Tours (c.A.D. 539-594) intended his HISTORY to be a chronicle of events and included the 21 years he spent as Bishop of Tours. This volume contains all ten books of the HISTORY. As Gregory unravels the bewildering events of those decades, what emerges is no dry historical document but a colorful, detailed and moving pageant. St. Gregory's "History of the Franks" is a far better read than almost any other manuscript handed down to us from the ancient post-Roman period. His powers of observation are exceeded only by his keen eye for a scandalous story.
Hispanic Surnames and Family History $23.95 - by Lyman De Platt, 349 pages.
Finding Your Hispanic Roots $23.55 - Learn how to examine basic documents which reveal Hispanic origins through a title which covers all the types of records found in all Hispanic countries, and how to use them in a genealogical search. Any with Hispanic roots who want to learn more about family origins will find Finding Your Hispanic Roots an essential document of just how to go about the research process at home, and through overseas contacts.
Origins of New Mexico Families: A Genealogy of the Spanish Colonial Period $36.00 - For the purist needing to cite sources, this is a wonderful place to get started in order to locate the original document. For every hour of microfilm research you do, this book will save you ten.
They Came in Ships : A Guide to Finding Your Immigrant Ancestor's Ship $8.95 - There is an unbelievable amount of information packed into this book and it is organized in a way that works for both the experienced and new genealogist. This is an excellent book for find passenger lists that are not at the National Archives. A must have for finding them.
The History Atlas of Europe $22.36 - Europe's internal boundaries have changed greatly over the years, impacted by shifts in population, religion, and dominant despots; the History Atlas of Europe, while it has a text that's lucid, learned, and engaging, it's the maps that excel. The "Earliest People" map, with its settlements of Australopithecus, Neanderthal, and modern man of the late Upper Pleistocene, makes graphic sense of excavation sites like Lascaux and Szeleta. Other maps show the spread of agriculture (7000-2000 B.C.), early Greece, the span of the Hallstatt Celtic culture, Imperial Rome, the Russian Revolution, and European trade ties circa 1300. There's also a thought-provoking illustration showing where displaced peoples went in postwar Europe, providing relevant data for discussion of contemporary ethnic conflicts.
Europe : A History $19.20 - At 1,376 pages, a monumental effort to reconstruct European histoery into a single volume. Dr. Davies' backgound scholarship in Russian, Polish and Slovonic history is used to add a dimension to Euorpean history rarely covered by traditional historians. Large number of individuals that are mentioned with their birth and death dates. Dr. Davies technique of focusing on a single day in each chapter as illuminating of the period he just covered, his prose and insight are spellbinding. If you want the Grand Tour of Europe this book is an absorbing tour de force. One comes away with a deeper understanding of European history and how it's past is reflected in today's Europe.
The Oxford Illustrated History of Medieval Europe $19.96 - Softcover - Covering a thousand years of history, this richly illustrated volume tells the story of the creation of Western civilization in Europe and the Mediterranean. Written by expert scholars and based on the latest research, it offers the most authoritative account of life in medieval Europe from 400-1500 A.D. 24 color plates, 180 black-and-white photos, 23 maps.
The Oxford Illustrated History of Medieval Europe $49.95 - Hardcover - From the fall of the Roman Empire to the dawn of the Renaissance, the thousand years forming the medieval period were a time of tremendous change and turmoil. This beautiful volume offers a lively and authoritative account of life in that time. 24 color plates, 180 halftones, 23 maps, 14 genealogies.
Castles and Fortresses $16.98 - Covering Europe during the Middle Ages, Castles and Fortresses opens with a compact but informative chapter on the evolution of the castle. The book then chronicles the political histories of Europe's various regions and how castles formed according to their military needs. Though the text is a bit general, the book's large color photographs speak volumes. The pictures are bright and crisp, shot from wide and aerial angles, capturing the majesty of these fabled, architectural masterpieces and the lovely scenery surrounding them. Among the more renowned castles featured are the Warwick Castle in England, Chateau Chinon in France, Neuschwanstein in Germany, and Miramar Castle in Italy.
The Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages $32.00 - Historian Norman F. Cantor has assembled a crack team of experts to unleash their copious knowledge on our modern world; better still, Viking Press has enlisted excellent designers to present the information efficiently and even beautifully. You'll find yourself irresistibly drawn from one entry to the next (there are over 600, so leave time for browsing) as the story of the Council of Nicaea leads on to explorations of medieval Christianity and much more.
Migrations : Humanity in Transition $80.00 - The first pictorial survey to extensively chronicle the current global flux of humanity, Migrations follows Latin Americans entering the United States, Jews leaving the former Soviet Union, Africans traveling into Europe, Kosovars fleeing into Albania, and many others.
Jewish Roots in Poland : Pages from the Past and Archival Inventories $50.00 - Jewish Roots in Poland: Pages from the Past and Archival Inventories, by Miriam Weiner, is a big and beautiful book, in more ways than one. It is illustrated with hundreds of antique and contemporary photographs of Polish cities and towns; and the depth and scope of its genealogical resource lists will help many Jews find amazing truths about their heritage. It's estimated that upwards of 75 percent of American Jews can trace at least one grandparent to Poland as it was defined before the Nazi invasion of 1939.
Jewish Roots in Ukraine and Moldova : Pages from the Past and Archival Inventories $60.00 - Between the world wars, the Soviet Union isolated its Jewish minority. They were shorn of their synagogues, schools, books and most vestiges of Jewish life. We did not know if a Jewish community still existed. As a result of the Holocaust and the wars, documentation became more and more difficult to come by. Miriam Weiner, a courageous and brilliant historian and archivist, has haunted the archives of Eastern Europe, painstakingly piecing together the world that was. Here she has memorialized hundreds of shtetls and towns through document examples and photographs.
Islam : A Short History $15.96 - The picture of Islam as a violent, backward, and insular tradition should be laid to rest, says Karen Armstrong, bestselling author of Muhammad and A History of God. Delving deep into Islamic history, Armstrong sketches the arc of a story that begins with the stirring of revelation in an Arab businessman named Muhammad.
Muhammad : A Biography of the Prophet $11.20 - Armstrong has written what is likely the most accessible biography of Muhammad available today. It gives an intriguing account of not only Mohammed's life, but also the historical context under which Islam emerged. The book provides a sound introduction to how and why the Muslim world came to be, as well as glimpse into why it has evolved into its current state.
Orkneyinga Saga : The History of the Earls of Orkney $11.16 - The saga tells of a 200-year stretch of time when the Orkneys -- islands off the northern tip of Scotland -- owed their allegiance to the Kings of Norway. For the Viking marauders who ravaged Europe, the Orkneys were a friendly refueling stop on the inbound and outbound voyages. The earls ruled not only the islands, but large chunks of the Scottish mainland and most of the Hebrides as well. So widespread were their lands that they were frequently forced into power-sharing arrangements with their kinsmen, which then turned into power struggles to the death. The best instance of this is between the co-earls and cousins (Saint) Magnus Erlendsson and Hakon Paulsson.
King Harald's Saga $8.76 - When his half-brother, King Olaf the Saint, was killed in battle, Harald Sigurdssen fled Norway at the age of 15. Harald traveled throughout Russia and Europe, became a mercenary soldier of the Varangian Guard in Byzantium, and eventually returned to Norway to claim the throne. Over the next twenty years he became known as Harald Hadradi (Harald the Ruthless). He ruled Norway with an iron hand, made constant war on Denmark, and won renown as the most feared warrior in Europe. At age 51 Harald undertook his most daring endeavor--the invasion of England. In 1066 he landed an army in Northern England, and did battle with the Saxons at Stamford Bridge. What might have been had the Battle of Stamford Bridge gone differently? Nineteen days later at Hastings William the Conqueror would have faced Vikings under Harald Hadradi, not Saxons under Harold Godwinson.
International Vital Records Handbook $34.95 - A complete collection of vital records application forms from the US and many other nations. Contains forms and information from all fifty states and furnishes details about records created before statewide vital records registration, and gives forms and instructions for obtaining records from some 250 countries.
DK History Of The World Book And CD-ROM Pack 59.95 - CD-ROM and BOOK - The ideal source for information on the major events in world history, from the beginning of life to today, this book and CD-ROM pack brings together the accessible simplicity of a reference book with the ultimate interactive history encyclopedia. More than 1,500 full color photos and timecharts accompany the textual descriptions, as significant changes and events are laid out year-by-year and continent-by-continent. A complete reference section and glossary provide supplementary details, and the comprehensive index makes fact-finding a breeze. For more in-depth research, the Eyewitness History of the World CD-ROM puts an interactive gateway to the past at your fingertips, rich with animations, videos, maps, and authoritative articles. With a half a million words, 3,000 subject-to-subject links on 2,000 screens, 800 pictures, and hours of audio and video, you're sure to find the answers to all your questions.