Unpuzzling Your past: The Best Selling Basic Guide to Genealogy

Amazon.com
If you've ever thought of find your roots, Emily Anne Croom's is the genealogy guide to get you going. She's got sensible 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. Croom breaks the process into bite-sized pieces to turn it into a fun project that takes shape and grows with each new family scrap.


From School Library Journal
YA-- An excellent "how-to" book for those interested in investigating their family genealogy, and a good reference for students tracing family trees for history class. This workbook, with its reproducible forms of all kinds, will help those just starting out, as well as those who have already begun to gather material, to organize, and to extend their search. A sample interview letter and checklists of family sources are particularly helpful, as is the relationship chart--especially for answering the "second-cousins-twice-removed" kind of question. Appendix C lists addresses and phone numbers of genealogical libraries and archives, by state. Sources in the United Kingdom and Caribbean are also listed, as is U. S. state census data.- Carolyn Henebry, Episcopal High School, Bellaire, Tex.Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Library Journal
"A good first choice for the beginning genealogist."


Oregon Genealogical Society Quarterly
"A must for the beginner, and a plus for the more advanced genealogist!"


Book Description
Best-selling genealogy author Emily Croom presents a new and expanded version of her best-selling guide to genealogy. It provides readers with all the tools and information they need to jump into this great American hobby by focusing on fundamental strategies for success, questions to ask, places for research, and interesting examples of each step along the way. Throughout, readers will find techniques and suggestions for * tapping family documents, oral tradition, and memories * exploring the vast array of U.S. public records, from newspapers and tombstones to censuses and land records * getting the most from names, dates, and handwriting of the past * developing a first-rate and meaningful family history Well-organized, well written, and comprehensive, this guide also offers readers charts, illustrations, reference sidebars, bibliographies, a glossary, and useful, reproducible forms. Each chapter is capped with a list of "Things To Do Now" to encourage readers or students to apply what they have learned. Recent polls show that 60% of the U.S. population is interested in researching their family history!


About the Author
Emily Croom is an active researcher, teacher, and lecturer in genealogy. She holds a master's degree in history and contributes articles to several genealogy periodicals. Her other books include the companion volume, The Unpuzzling Your Past Workbook, the widely-acclaimed The Genealogist's Companion & Sourcebook, and the exciting The Sleuth Book for Genealogists.


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Unpuzzling Your Past is great for both individual and classroom use. For this updated and revised fourth edition, Croom has expanded information on public records, added useful Internet addresses, and included a chapter-length case study of a search to identify female ancestors.


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