Genealogy "How-To" Books

Click the links for more information and current discount prices. Orders are fulfilled by Amazon.com, the most trusted name in e-commerce. A portion of the proceeds from any book sales made through this page will be donated to the National Genealogical Society Library.
   
Long-Distance Genealogy $15.19 - One of the best genealogy books out there. The book tells you how to obtain documents, what to write, what section of the county offices to write to, etc.
The Genealogy Sourcebook $14.36 - This resource is a complete guide to the fascinating world of tracing ancestry with information on where to start the search, what kinds of resources are available, and how to best utilize them.
Netting Your Ancestors : Genealogical Research on the Internet $19.95 - first-hand answers to the key questions about genealogical research on the Internet: How do I get online? What type of hardware do I need? What kind of information is available? Emphasis on the less visible but more powerful parts of the Internet when working on your family tree.
Unpuzzling Your Past : A Basic Guide to Genealogy (3rd Edition) $11.99 - Chapters on how to get started, the meaning of names, the difference between a family history of dates and a family history of stories, how to gather sources, who to interview, and how to fit it all together.
Locating Lost Family Members & Friends : Modern Genealogical Research Techniques for Locating the People of Your Past and Present $15.19 - Author Kathleen W. Hinckley combines her skills as a professional private investigator and Certified Genealogical Record Specialist to lead the way on the search for lost loved ones, no matter who or where they might be today.
Organizing Your Family History Search: Efficient & Effective Ways to Gather and Protect Your Genealogical Research $14.39 - In her latest guide, Sharon DeBartolo Carmack successfully tackles the arduous process of organizing family research, from filing piles of paper to streamlining the process as a whole.
cover The Weekend Genealogist : Timesaving Techniques for Effective Research $15.19 - If you have an out-of-control paper pile, you'll immediatley appreciate this book. Time-saving techniques for anyone from the professional genealogist to those who can only work on it now and then.
Uncovering Your Ancestry Through Family Photographs $15.19 - Maureen A. Taylor, of AncestralConnections.com, is the author of UNCOVERING YOUR ANCESTRY THROUGH FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHS (Betterway, 2000) and a guide to family history for kids, THROUGH THE EYES OF YOUR ANCESTORS.
A Genealogist's Guide to Discovering Your Female Ancestors : Special Strategies for Uncovering Hard-To-Find Information About Your Female Lineage $14.39 - This book does a good job of covering the difficulty of researching a female ancestor. Very helpful and easy to put into action.
Genealogy Online : Millennium Edition $15.99 - All the things you'll need to understand in order to extract and contribute information about your heritage as part of the Internet community. A wealth of new sources of information to readersincluding 50 great sites to start your genealogical search and complete coverage of Family Tree Maker.
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Genealogy $14.36 - Only a complete idiot would pass up this book! Features the basic techniques needed to conduct a search, including how to gather names, dates, places, relationships, and family documents. Also contains the best places to find informationfrom interviews with mom and dad, to census reports, church records, the Internet, and more.
The Sleuth Book for Genealogists : Strategies for More Successful Family History Research $15.19 - A sure-fire winner for beginning searchers, a delight for mystery lovers, and a valuable learning tool for advanced genealogists.
They Became Americans : Finding Naturalization Records and Ethnic Origins $15.96 - A great resource book that can save hours of research time for beginner and advanced genealogical researchers.
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 Source : A Guidebook of American Genealogy $39.96 - The primary reference work in its field. Whether a novice genealogist just starting out, or an experienced expert with years in the field, The Source is a "must" for all personal, genealogical society, and public library collections.
Printed Sources : A Guide to Published Genealogical Records $39.96 - This book is designed for all genealogists and family historians, as well as all librarians. It thoroughly explains the wide variety of published sources that are the backbone of modern family history research.
The Handybook for Genealogists (9th Edition) $27.99 - This is an absolutely wonderful sourcebook for working with various governent records (Federal, state, and county) for geneology. It tells you very precisely what type of records are available over what time for individual jusrisdictions.
The Census Book: A Genealogist's Guide to Federal Census Facts, Schedules and Indexes $24.95 - The Census Book gives many unknown facts and peculiarities about census records and includes 29 census extraction forms, 1790-1930. These forms enable you to copy and track your ancestor's information. A CD-ROM of the entire book is included for conveniently printing forms, searching the publication and quickly navigating to specific items of interest. Includes a fully searchable CD-ROM version that contains 29 census extraction forms (1790-1930) enabling you to copy and track your ancestors' information.
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.
The BCG Genealogical Standards Manual $15.96 - 200 pages, The definitive text on proper documentation standards.
Becoming an Accredited Genealogist: Plus 100 Tips to Ensure Your Success $15.96 - Preparation for taking the Accredited Genealogist Exam.
The Everything Family Tree Book :Finding, Charting, and Preserving Your Family History (Everything Series) $9.60 - Learn how to do research, charts, and records for personal accounts of your family's past generations, and preserve this history for future generations.
Hidden Sources : Family History in Unlikely Places $31.96 - Laura Szucs Pfeiffer has written this exciting new book to help genealogists and historians in their endless quest for records and documentation. From "A to Z," Ms. Pfeiffer has compiled a comprehensive list of over 100 sources and suggestions where to search for little-used or over-looked records.
How to Trace Your Family Tree : A Complete and Easy to Understand Guide for the Beginner $6.25 - From the American Genealogical Research Institute, This hands-on guide for neophyte genealogists explains everything you need to know to trace your family tree -- including how to begin, where to go for help, and how to organize your findings.
Bringing Your Family History to Life Through Social History $15.99 - Kathy Sturdevant brings her expertise of social history to the world of family history and genealogy with humor, flair, and solid information. With clear examples and explanations of the many sources/resources available to family historians, this book bridges the often separated worlds of history and genealogy with a lively style and enjoyable wit. Tips on preserving and documenting family "artifacts," a meaty bibliography, photos (and how to "read" them), research pointers, thought-provoking ideas for research, helpful and accessible academic orientation.
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing Your Family History $16.95 - The Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing Your Family History is a fun, easy-to-follow guide giving basic instruction to researching your past and writing it down in a way that present and future generations will enjoy reading over and over. The book gives you advice on not only finding those long-lost aunts and uncles, but how to ask them just the right questions to get the really good stories out of them. Learn how to ask questions like a journalist, write like a novelist, and research like a genealogist.
Genealogical Evidence : A Guide to the Standard of Proof Relating to Pedigrees, Ancestry, Heirship and Family History $18.80 - Understand the standards for genealogy documentation. This book discusses the broad categories of genealogical source info and comments on the qualities to look for.
Cite Your Sources : A Manual for Documenting Family Histories and Genealogical Records $9.56 - this should be just about the first book anyone starting their reseach should buy. Each page is most important to our research as a whole - not just in part as we all must know where each available proof is located in order that our information may be taken as fact rather than "I think or I believe".
Pitfalls in Genealogical Research $7.15 - Its short little chapters take on common errors in genealogical research. Focusing mostly on American research, it does provide a few examples from Britain and Germany. Problems like when is a nephew not a nephew, how can an infant be baptized before it is born, and the problems of fraudulent pedigrees are all addressed.
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.
A Genealogist's Guide to Discovering Your English Ancestors : How to Find and Record Your Unique Heritage... $15.19 - Designed to enable decendants in the US to trace their ancestors without travelling to the UK, it is ideal for an English reader who finds it difficult to travel around the country for their genealogical research.
Ancestral Trails : The Complete Guide to British Genealogy and Family History $34.95 - Lavishly illustrated and breathtaking in coverage, Ancestral Trails guides the researcher through the maze of British archives, giving a detailed view of the records and the published sources available, analyzing each record and guiding the searcher to finding-aids and indexes.
The Dictionary of Genealogy $30.36 - Extensive reference on the unique terms & concepts found in UK genealogy.
In Search of Your British & Irish Roots $18.95 - This is a solid starting point for hunting your ancestors from the UK and Ireland. It helpfully provides information about county-level records for all English & Welsh counties.
Scottish Roots : a Step-By-Step Guide for Ancestor-Hunters in Scotland and Elsewhere $11.96 - This book describes the wealth of information available, where it is housed, and how to use it to trace your Scottish forebears. Using examples, the book shows you how to build a family tree step-by-step.
Your Scottish Ancestry : A Guide for North Americans $15.96 - Specific help for research Scots from the "other" side of the pond
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
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.
Tracing Your Civil War Ancestor $8.00 - Historian Bertram Hawthorne Groene shows you how easy it is to trace your forbearers' role in the war, where and how long they fought, whether they were Union or Rebel, soldier or sailor -- even with a minimum of information.
In Search of Confederate Ancestors : The Guide (Journal of Confederate History, Vol 9) $10.95 - Well organized, replete with examples, and yet easy to use. Each southern state archive is described with its record holdings. Sources of War Between the States & battlefield information are also provided. Interesting pictures add to the overall presentation.
Finding a Place Called Home : A Guide to African-American Genealogy and Historical Identity $14.40 - Finding a Place Called Home helps you find your family tree, and helps place it in the context of the garden of African-American people. As you learn how to find your own history, you learn the history of all Africans in the Americas, including the Caribbean, and how to benefit from a new understanding of your family's history, and your people's.
cover Finding Your People : An African-American Guide to Discovering Your Roots $12.00 - A comprehensive guide to public records, alternative sources, and other documents, this handbook offers exciting new ways to unveil the past. Includes locating lineage and pedigree documents.
In Search Of Your Canadian Roots $22.99 - Handled with the acumen we have come to expect of Canada's leading genealogist, it first discusses the great migrations of Scots, Irish, English, Germans, Huguenots, Ukrainians, and Jews to Canada; describes the national archives in Ottawa, with its holdings of censuses, parish registers, naturalization records, land and homestead records, military records, and passenger lists; summarizes the holdings of the LDS Church relating to Canada; and explores the vast nationwide record sources such as census records and church registers.
Acadian-Cajun Genealogy : Step by Step $10.00 - Although this book covers basic genealogy, it specifically aims at genealogy pertinent to the Cajuns of south Louisiana (and displaced Cajuns) and their Acadian ancestors from Canada. The book is divided into several sections. After an introductory section on basic genealogy, the book proceeds by time periods. Each chapter covers a separate period [1921-Today, 1810-1920, 1786-1809, 1755-1785, 1636-1754], going back to the beginning of the Acadian people in the 17th century. It is a "must have" and inexpensive reference for anyone who has Acadian-Cajun roots.
cover A Student's Guide to Native American Genealogy (Oryx American Family Tree Series) $24.95 - This handsome book reveals the fascination & fun of doing your own family research to find American Indian/Native American ancestry. Excellent resources given in clear, interesting text. Includes color photographs and a map of tribes in the US and southern Canada.
How to Research a Little Bit of Indian $25.50 - This book describes how to document Native American ancestry before official BIA records are created. Although mainly geared to the Five Civilized Tribes, this work stands as a helpful guide for researching " A Little Bit of Indian" in all other circumstances. The saying, "I've got a Little Indian in my background" is a familiar one to many researchers. To those with that little bit being Cherokee this work gives hope and sources: 160 of them.
Cherokee Connections : An Introduction to Genealogical Sources Pertaining to Cherokee Ancestors $10.80 - Cherokee Connections is an introduction to genealogical sources pertaining to the Cherokee nation, and it is designed specifically for researchers who are trying to prove their heritage for tribal membership as well as for those who are simply interested in investigating family legends about Cherokee ancestry. It includes a thumbnail history of the tribe that is both fascinating and informative. In addition, the book elaborates on such famous topics as the "Trail of Tears," the seven clans, and tribal divisions.
cover Cherokee Proud NEW 2nd Edition $29.95 - Hardcover - If you're looking for your Cherokee roots, this concise and clear prose on how and where to do it is a vital tool. The search for your Native American genealogy will no longer be filled with road-blocks because of the information contained in this extremely well researched and easy to use book. With the tips, etc., contained within these pages, you now know where to turn when you thought it was hopeless. Also, you can also learn more about your Cherokee heritage as you continue your search. This book is invaluable.
Sources in the United States and Canada (The Encyclopedia of Jewish Genealogy , Vol 1) $40.00 - The definitive guide for exploring your Jewish ancestry. The articles gathered here provide details about the genealogical resource information that exists and how to gain access to it, including libraries, archives, and communal agencies. Drawing on a variety of specialists in the field as well as on their own expertise, the editors have compiled the definitive guide for helping the Jewish family historian find source material.
How to Trace Your Jewish Roots : Discovering Your Unique History $14.95 - This book is designed for the Jewish person who knows absolutely nothing about genealogy. The author's goal is to create an easy-to-read manual that would lead a novice genealogist through the process of creating a four-to six-generation family tree. David emphasizes the importance of using the Internet, calling computers an indispensable research tool. She tells how to get online and gives a sampling of Jewish genealogy Web sites. The author explains how to collect oral histories from relatives (she includes a long and detailed interview form) and discusses the various types of documents, records, and memorabilia (including government records) that can shed light on family history.
A Student's Guide to Jewish American Genealogy $24.95 - Designed for use in grades 6-12, this important new series explores the creation of the American people while promoting the use and understanding of solid research techniques. While using the volumes in this series, young adults experience a uniquely personalized opportunity to practice the historians craft as they learn how to collect data, obtain and evaluate documents and sources, use the latest electronic tools for researching, and conduct and record eyewitness accounts of historical events in family life.
In Search of Your Asian Roots : Genealogical Research on Chinese Surnames $29.95 - by Sheau-yueh J. Chao
A Student's Guide to Chinese American Genealogy $24.95 - Part of a ethnic-based 'family tree' series, this intends to provide high school students with guidelines for researching their Chinese background; but will appeal to many an adult for its original insights into the special challenges of investigating ethnic roots. The whole family will benefit from a fine guide which tells how to begin with a U. S. search and expand investigations to overseas roots.
A Student's Guide to Japanese American Genealogy $24.95 - by Yoji Yamaguchi. The author of this fine guide has managed to pack an amazing amount of information on general genealogical research and Japanese-American genealogical research into one concise, readable volume. Yamaguchi includes an extensive list of resources that focus on Japanese culture. Approximately the first half of the book gives historical background about the immigration of Japanese to the United States . Yamaguchi sets the stage for some of the difficulties presented to today's researchers in eliciting information about these families during World War II.
Web Publishing For Genealogy $10.95 - A great book for those considering putting their genealogy on the Internet. The author explains the topics simply enough that even those who have little to no knowledge about web publishing and designing web pages can successfully publish their genealogy on the web.
Asian American Genealogical Sourcebook (Genealogy Sourcebook Series) $85.00 - by Paula K. Byers (Editor)
Family Tree Maker Version 8 Fast & Easy: The Official Guide $15.19 - Family Tree Maker is the #1 selling family tree program for genealogy lovers. It hosts the largest Internet genealogy community in the world and provides access to over 1 billion names. With the Family Tree Maker software, Family Tree Maker Version X Fast & Easy: The Official Companion teaches you how to create your first family tree. You learn researching techniques to help you discover historic information about your family. This book can be used by the beginner who has no previous experience with Family Tree Maker or by someone who has used Family Tree Maker before and just wants a quick reference that covers the new version of the software.
Create Your Family History Book with Family Tree Maker Version 8 : The Official Guide $19.99 - The book that helps you get the most from your Family Tree Maker software. Family Tree Maker 8: The Official Guide takes you through the steps necessary to create your personal family history book. Once it is completed, you can take your book to a local printer or a publishing house and have a bound copy made, transfer it to a CD to create a multimedia scrapbook, or post it on your Web page.
Family Tree MakerŪ For DummiesŪ $15.99 - In this friendly guide book, two genealogy pros show you step-by-step how to make the most of today's most popular genealogical software. From building your family history database and swapping research on the Web to finding the perfect design for your family tree, they deliver just what you need to become your family's official historian.