100 Best Genealogy Books of All Time

We've researched and ranked the best genealogy books in the world, based on recommendations from world experts, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. Learn more

Featuring recommendations from Anthony Doerr, Jim Al-Khalili, Barack Obama, and 12 other experts.
1
Unlock the family secrets in your DNA!

Discover the answers to your family history mysteries using the most cutting edge tool available. This plain-English guide (newly updated and expanded to include th latest DNA developments) will teach you what DNA tests are available; the pros and cons of the major testing companies; and how to choose the right test to answer your specific genealogy questions. And once you've taken a DNA test, this guide will help you use your often-overwhelming results, with tips for understanding ethnicity estimates, navigating suggested cousin...
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2
Has your family history research hit a brick wall? Marsha Hoffman Rising's newly updated bestselling book The Family Tree Problem Solver has the solutions to help you find the answers you seek. Here, you'll find answers to genealogy's toughest problems.

Inside, you'll find:
Work-arounds for lost or destroyed records
Techniques for finding ancestors with common names
Strategies for analyzing your problem and creating a successful research plan
Ideas on how to find vital records before civil registration
Troubleshooting advice for interpreting your...
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4
Professional Genealogy is a manual by professionals for everyone serious about genealogy. For family historians who want to do their own study, reliably, it describes the standards. For hobbyists, attorneys, and medical scientists who seek professional researchers, it's a consumer guide that defines quality and facilitates choices. For academics as they increasingly cross over into genealogy - as well as librarians who struggle to help a whole new class of patrons - it provides a bridge to the methods, sources, and minutiae of "history, up-close and personal." For established... more

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5

The BCG Genealogical Standards Manual

Family historians depend upon thousands of people unknown to them. They exchange research with others; copy information from books and databases; and write libraries, societies, and government offices. At times they even hire professionals to do legwork in distant areas and trust strangers to solve important problems. But how can a researcher be assured that he or she is producing or receiving reliable results? This official manual from the Board of Certification for Genealogists provides a standard by which all genealogists can pattern their work. less

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6

Mastering Genealogical Proof

Mastering Genealogical Proof aims to help researchers, students, and new family historians reconstruct relationships and lives of people they cannot see. It presents content in digestible chunks. Each chapter concludes with problems providing practice for proficiently applying the chapter’s concepts. Those problems, like examples throughout the book, use real records, real research, and real issues. Answers are at the back of the book along with a glossary of technical terms and an extensive resource list. less

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7
When it was originally published in 1973, The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy, by Val Greenwood, revolutionized its field. It was the first true textbook ever published about American genealogy. Combining how-to guidance, case study examples, and an extremely detailed discussion of genealogical records, The Researcher’s Guide was both an instant success and the go-to source for its users during each stage of their research. Following the publication of Alex Haley’s Roots and the TV miniseries that book spawned, sales of Mr. Greenwood’s book soared, assuring its reputation as the best... more

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8
No further information has been provided for this title. less

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9
The author of Hourglass now gives us a new memoir about identity, paternity, and family secrets—a real-time In the spring of 2016, through a genealogy website to which she had whimsically submitted her DNA for analysis, Dani Shapiro received the stunning news that her father was not her biological father. She woke up one morning and her entire history—the life she had lived—crumbled beneath her.

Inheritance is a book about secrets—secrets within families, kept out of shame or self-protectiveness; secrets we keep from one another in the name of love. It is the story of...
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Recommended by Anthony Doerr, and 1 others.

Anthony DoerrWhen Dani Shapiro discovers, purely by accident, that the father who raised her was not her biological father, she embarks upon a profound journey of understanding. What is ancestry? What is identity? Inheritance is a compulsively-readable investigation into selfhood that burrows to the heart of what it means to accept, to love, and to belong. (Source)

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10

How to Do Everything

Genealogy,

Discover your genealogy using the latest methods Thoroughly revised to cover new tools, techniques, and data, How to Do Everything: Genealogy, Fourth Edition uniquely addresses all the major genealogical record types and explains traditional and digital research strategies. Genealogy expert George G. Morgan shows you how to research your family history using the most current websites, mobile apps, social networking sites, record archives, census data, digital records, DNA research, and more. Discover your family's past with help from the new edition of this bestselling guide.
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12
Get Your Research in Order!

Stop struggling to manage all your genealogy facts, files, and data--make a plan of attack to maximize your progress. Organize Your Genealogy will show you how to use tried-and-true methods and the latest tech tools and genealogy software to organize your research plan, workspace, and family-history finds. In this book, you'll learn how to organize your time and resources, including how to set goals and objectives, determine workable research questions, sort paper and digital documents, keep track of physical and online correspondence,...
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13

Advanced Genealogy Research Techniques

Break through brick walls in your genealogical research "Easy to read, provides clear explanations, examples and is well-illustrated, thus definitely meeting the needs of libraries and individuals seeking a book to guide family historians who are beyond the basics and need help solving problems."--FORUM magazine

Learn how to use innovative methods to unearth hard-to-find ancestors. Advanced Genealogy Research Techniques shows you, step by step, how to uncover elusive details by taking advantage of specialized tools and software programs and using proven best practices for...
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14
Hit shows like "Who Do You Think You Are?" and "History Detectives" demonstrate that people are fascinated by family origins. Here, America's top genealogist reveals how she's made headlines solving genealogical puzzles with entertaining, revealing, and controversial candor. less

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15
Two hundred years ago a loyalist family fled to England to escape the American War of Independence and seemingly vanished into thin air. American genealogist Jefferson Tayte is hired to find out what happened, but it soon becomes apparent that a calculated killer is out to stop him.

In the Blood combines a centuries-old mystery with a present-day thriller that brings two people from opposite sides of the Atlantic together to uncover a series of carefully hidden crimes. Tayte's research centres around the tragic life of a young Cornish girl, a writing box, and the discovery...
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16
The companion how-to guide to the hit TV series-with advice for anyone starting their own genealogical search.

In the groundbreaking NBC series Who Do You Think You Are? seven celebrities-Sarah Jessica Parker, Emmitt Smith, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Broderick, Brooke Shields, Susan Sarandon, and Spike Lee-went on an emotional journey to trace their family history and discover who they really are, and millions of viewers caught the genealogy bug. With the official companion guide, anyone can learn how to chart their family's unique path. Featuring step-by-step...
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18

Research Like a Pro

A Genealogist's Guide

Are you stuck in your genealogical research? Wondering how to make progress on your brick wall problems? Discover the process that a professional genealogist uses to solve difficult cases. Diana Elder shares her step-by-step method using real world examples, easily understood by any level of genealogist; written for the researcher ready to take their skills to the next level. Learn how to form an objective, review your research by creating a timeline analysis, construct a locality guide to direct your research, create a plan, style source citations, set up a research log to organize and track... more

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19
New York Times bestselling author of The Know-It-All and The Year of Living Biblically, A.J. Jacobs undergoes a hilarious, heartfelt quest to understand what constitutes family—where it begins and how far it goes—and attempts to untangle the true meaning of the “Family of Humankind.”

A.J. Jacobs has received some strange emails over the years, but this note was perhaps the strangest: “You don’t know me, but I’m your eighth cousin. And we have over 80,000 relatives of yours in our database.”

That’s enough family members to fill Madison Square Garden...
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20

The Source

A Guidebook of American Genealogy

Genealogists and other historical researchers have valued the first two editions of this work, often referred to as the genealogist's bible."" The new edition continues that tradition. Intended as a handbook and a guide to selecting, locating, and using appropriate primary and secondary resources, The Source also functions as an instructional tool for novice genealogists and a refresher course for experienced researchers. More than 30 experts in this field--genealogists, historians, librarians, and archivists--prepared the 20 signed chapters, which are well written, easy to read, and include... more

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Don't have time to read the top Genealogy books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
21
Finding Family: My Search for Roots and the Secrets in My DNA is the highly suspenseful account of an adoptee trying to reclaim the biological family denied him by sealed birth records. This fascinating quest, including the author's landmark use of DNA testing, takes readers on an exhilarating roller-coaster ride and concludes with a twist that rivals anything Hollywood has to offer.

In the vein of a classic mystery, Hill gathers the seemingly scant evidence surrounding the circumstances of his birth. As his resolve shores up, the author also avails of new friends,...
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22
Chances are excellent that your ancestors came to America from somewhere-England, Spain, Germany, China, Africa. Can you imagine how they felt as they left their homes, what they left behind? Do you want to know? Would you know where to even start looking for the details? Author and genealogist John P. Colletta prepares you to undertake the search. He tells you not only what fundamental facts you need to know about your immigrant ancestor before beginning, but suggests where you may find that information as well. less

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23

“WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE DO YOU COME FROM? ”

As a historian, Buzzy Jackson thought she knew the answers to these simple questions—that is, until she took a look at her scrawny family tree. With a name like Jackson (the twentieth most common American surname), she knew she must have more relatives and more family history out there, somewhere. Her first visit to the Boulder Genealogy Society brought her more questions than answers . . . but it also gave her a tantalizing peek into the fascinating (and enormous) community of family-tree huggers and after-hours Alex Haleys....

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24
One of the most dramatic stories of genetic discovery since James Watson's The Double Helix—a work whose scientific and cultural reverberations will be discussed for years to come.

In 1994 Professor Bryan Sykes, a leading world authority on DNA and human evolution, was called in to examine the frozen remains of a man trapped in glacial ice in northern Italy. News of both the Ice Man's discovery and his age, which was put at over five thousand years, fascinated scientists and newspapers throughout the world. But what made Sykes's story particularly...
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25
No scholarly reference library is complete without a copy of Ancestry's Red Book. In it, you will find both general and specific information essential to researchers of American records. This revised 3rd edition provides updated county and town listings within the same overall state-by-state organization. Whether you are looking for your ancestors in the northeastern states, the South, the West, or somewhere in the middle, "Ancestry's Red Book has information on records and holdings for every county in the United States, as well as excellent maps from renowned mapmaker William Dollarhide. In... more

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26
When he was a boy in Henning, Tennessee, Alex Haley's grandmother used to tell him stories about their family—stories that went back to her grandparents, and their grandparents, down through the generations all the way to a man she called "the African." She said he had lived across the ocean near what he called the "Kamby Bolongo" and had been out in the forest one day chopping wood to make a drum when he was set upon by four men, beaten, chained and dragged aboard a slave ship bound for Colonial America.

Still vividly remembering the stories after he grew up...
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27

A curiously dated child’s suitcase arrives, unannounced and unexplained, in a modern-day Washington suburb. A week later, American genealogist Jefferson Tayte is sitting in an English hotel room, staring at the wrong end of a loaded gun.

In his latest journey into the past, Tayte lands in wartime Leicestershire, England. The genealogist had hoped simply to reunite his client with the birth mother she had never met, having no idea she had been adopted. Instead, he uncovers the tale of a young girl and an American serviceman from the US 82nd Airborne, and a stolen wartime love affair...

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28
Peter Coldrick had no past; that was the conclusion drawn by years of personal and professional research. Then he employed the services of one Morton Farrier, Forensic Genealogist – a stubborn, determined man who uses whatever means necessary to uncover the past. With the Coldrick Case, Morton faces his toughest and most dangerous assignment yet, where all of his investigative and genealogical skills are put to the test. But others are also interested in the Coldrick family, people who will stop at nothing, including murder, to hide the past. As Morton begins to unearth his client’s... more

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29
Bill Griffeth, longtime genealogy buff, takes a DNA test that has an unexpected outcome: "If the results were correct, it meant that the family tree I had spent years documenting was not my own." Bill undertakes a quest to solve the mystery of his origins, which shakes his sense of identity. As he takes us on his journey, we learn about choices made by his ancestors, parents, and others, and we see Bill measure and weigh his own difficult choices as he confronts the past. less

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30
This is a story about you. It is the history of who you are and how you came to be. It is unique to you, as it is to each of the 100 billion modern humans who have ever drawn breath. But it is also our collective story, because in every one of our genomes we each carry the history of our species births, deaths, disease, war, famine, migration, and a lot of sex.

Since scientists first read the human genome in 2001, it has been subject to all sorts of claims, counterclaims, and myths. In fact, as Adam Rutherford explains, our genomes should be read not as instruction manuals, but as...
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Recommended by Jim Al-Khalili, and 1 others.

Jim Al-KhaliliRutherford tells the story of our genetic makeup, how it has shaped human history and what history can now tell us about our genes. It’s a hugely illuminating and fresh take on who we are and how we came to be. (Source)

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Don't have time to read the top Genealogy books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

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  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
31

Genetic Genealogy in Practice

Genetic Genealogy in Practice, the first workbook on genetic genealogy, the book provides family historians and genealogists who have just begun to explore genetic genealogy practical, easy to understand information that they can apply to their research. Readers learn the basic concepts of genetic genealogy. They then build on that knowledge as they study the testing, analysis, and application of Y-DNA, X-DNA, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), and autosomal DNA (atDNA) to reach and support genealogical conclusions. Each chapter includes exercises with answer keys for hands-on practice. less

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32

Your Guide to Cemetery Research

Your Guide to Cemetery Research is a comprehensive, in-depth resource that's perfect for genealogists, researchers and historians. It covers everything from cemetery and death-related terminology to clues offered by headstone art, and cemeteries' role in our culture and history.

This guide also examines the funeral customs of various ethnic groups and includes a social history of death that reveals both the usual and unusual ways in which readers' ancestors coped with and celebrated death.

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33
The new and expanded fourth edition of this best-selling guide (over 150,000 copies sold!) to genealogy provides readers with the tools and information they need to jump into this great American hobby. Unpuzzling Your Past, 4th edition focuses 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: Taping family documents, oral tradition and memories; Exploring the vast array of U.S. public records, from newspapers and tombstones to censuses and land... more

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34
Written by two of the country's top genealogists, Trace Your Roots with DNA is the first book to explain how new and groundbreaking genetic testing can help you research your ancestry

According to American Demographics, 113 million Americans have begun to trace their roots, making genealogy the second most popular hobby in the country (after gardening). Enthusiasts clamor for new information from dozens of subscription-based websites, email newsletters, and magazines devoted to the subject. For these eager roots-seekers looking to take their searches to the next level, DNA...
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35
As genealogists everywhere will testify, few hobbies generate more paper work than genealogy. This guide successfully tackles the process of organising family research, from filing piles of paper to streamlining the process as a whole.' less

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36
You've enjoyed some success in tracing your family's history. But now the trail's gone cold and you're stopped in your tracks. Or are you?

No, you're not, Emily Croom answers, and in a resounding way. In "The Genealogist's Companion and Sourcebook" - a follow-up to her highly regarded "Unpuzzling Your Past: A Basic Guide to Genealogy" - she helps you find new paths to your desired destination: in formation about your ancestors, where they lived and how they lived.

This book alerts you to promising types of primary and secondary sources. It shows you how to get past the...
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38
Organize your family photos, heirlooms, and genealogy records

In every family someone ends up with Mom's and Dad's "stuff"--a lifetime's worth of old family photos, papers, and memorabilia packed into boxes, trunks, and suitcases. This inheritance can be as much a burden as it is a blessing. How do you organize your loved one's estate in a way that honors your loved one, keeps the peace in your family and doesn't take over your home or life? How to Archive Family Keepsakes gives you step-by-step advice for how to organize, distribute and preserve family heirlooms.
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39
This book is designed to teach you how to read and understand the handwriting found in documents commonly used in genealogical research. It explains techniques for reading early American documents; provides samples of alphabets and letter forms; defines terms and abbreviations commonly used in early American documents such as wills, deeds, and church records; and, furthermore, presents numerous examples of early American records for the reader to work with. Each document--nearly 100 of them at various stages of complexity--appears with the author's transcription on a facing page, enabling the... more

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40
Maximize Your Research Progress!

Harness the powerful, timesaving organization features of Evernote's free software and mobile apps to manage your genealogy research. This comprehensive user guide explains how to organize all kinds of genealogy clues--from notes and e-mails to vital records and audio files--so the information is easily searchable, accessible on any device, and automatically backed up in the cloud. Step-by-step instructions show you how to file research materials, analyze research clues, collaborate with cousins, and share your family history.

In this...
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Don't have time to read the top Genealogy books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
43

While on a visit to London, American genealogist Jefferson Tayte’s old friend and colleague dies in his arms. Before long, Tayte and a truth-seeking historian, Professor Jean Summer, find themselves following a corpse-ridden trail that takes them to the Royal Society of London, circa 1708.

What to make of the story of five men of science, colleagues of Isaac Newton and Christopher Wren, who were mysteriously hanged for high treason?

As they edge closer to the truth, Tayte and the professor find that death is once again in season. A new killer, bent on restoring what he sees as...

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44
Originally published: Thrupp, Stroud, Gloucestershire: Sutton Pub. Ltd.; London: Society of Genealogists, 1997. 2nd ed. published in Great Britain in 2004. less

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45
This first-ever guide shows researchers how to weave historical details into their genealogies to form a unique family history narrative. less

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46

Tracing Your Irish Ancestors

Professional Irish genealogist John Grenham has written a book that combines all the best features of a textbook and a reference book, a book that carefully explains the elements of Irish research while at the same time providing an indispensable body of source materials for immediate use. Thus in Part l the most basic genealogical sources are gathered together and discussed in light of a research project, while in Part 2 sources which have a more advanced application are examined. And in Part 3 there is a reference guide to a comprehensive range of materials including county source lists,... more

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47
From acclaimed author, Nathan Dylan Goodwin comes this exciting new genealogical crime mystery, featuring the redoubtable forensic genealogist, Morton Farrier.

When Morton is called upon by Ray Mercer to investigate the 1911 disappearance of his great aunt, a housemaid working in a large Edwardian country house, he has no idea of the perilous journey into the past that he is about to make. Morton must use his not inconsiderable genealogical skills to solve the mystery of Mary Mercer’s disappearance, in the face of the dangers posed by those others who are determined to end his...
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50
This book is the first volume in a cultural history of the United States, from the earliest English settlements to our own time. It is a history of American folkways as they have changed through time, and it argues a thesis about the importance for the United States of having been British in its cultural origins.

From 1629 to 1775, North America was settled by four great waves of English-speaking immigrants. The first was an exodus of Puritans from the east of England to Massachusetts (1629-1640). The second was the movement of a Royalist elite and indentured servants from the...
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Don't have time to read the top Genealogy books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
51
Do you need help in completing all of your personal family history research? Are you curious about how a professional genealogical researcher makes a living? Do you want to understand the steps and procedures involved in attaining the status of Accredited Genealogist? If you answered yes to any of these questions, Becoming an Accredited Genealogist is the resource book for you! Many professionals have established their personal reputation, in part, through the process of accreditation. Author Karen Clifford presents a clear understanding of what should be expected from the efforts of a... more

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52
One of the world's leading geneticists, Bryan Sykes has helped thousands find their ancestry in the British Isles. Saxons, Vikings, and Celts, which resulted from a systematic ten-year DNA survey of more than 10,000 volunteers, traces the true genetic makeup of the British Isles and its descendants, taking readers from the Pontnewydd cave in North Wales to the resting place of "The Red Lady" of Paviland and the tomb of King Arthur. Genealogy has become a popular pastime of Americans interested in their heritage, and this is the perfect work for anyone interested in finding their... more

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53
Unlock the Secrets of Your Old Family Photos!

Historical family photos are cherished heirlooms that offer a glimpse into the lives of our ancestors. But the images, and the stories behind them, often fade away as decades pass - the who, when, where and why behind the photos are lost. In this book, photo identification expert and genealogist Maureen A. Taylor shows you how to study the clues in your old family photos to put names to faces and recapture their lost stories.

Inside, you'll learn how to:


Determine the type of image you have -...
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54
When early settlers left their homelands to start a new life in America, they had dreams of owning their own land a prospering from their own efforts. They were suspicious of all forms of government and did their best, in many cases, to be invisible to a variety of record keepers. But when it came to ensuring that their precious land was, without doubt, their own, they were careful to provide all of the information requested of them by the various government agencies. It is this care in reporting that makes this reference as valuable as the most comprehensive and useful review of land and... more

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Explains how to use different sources to trace one's lineage. less

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56
"A gripping detective story and haunting memoir. It will leave you breathless." --Walter Isaacson, author of Leonardo da Vinci, Steve Jobs, and other bestselling biographies.

The Great Michigan Read for 2013-14. A Washington Post Best Book, 2009. A 2010 Michigan Notable Book.

Beth Luxenberg was an only child, or so her son Steve believed. But secrets have a way of working free of their keepers, as this true story reveals.

Approaching her 80th birthday, Steve's mother told a doctor that she had a disabled sister, without saying that...
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59
Comparing genealogical research to the work of famous literary sleuths, the author outlines methods for solving frustrating research problems by developing a plan, documenting evidence, and examing clues in the records. less

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60

Forensic Genealogy

Revised edition of book originally published in 2005.

From the author's website:

[The] genetic genealogy world has experienced a revolution in the availability and affordability of DNA testing. Both genealogical and DNA databases have grown considerably since 2005, making it easier to discover and connect with long lost
cousins. In this revised edition of Forensic Genealogy, the chapter The DNA Detective has been updated to include much information to reflect these changes.
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Don't have time to read the top Genealogy books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
62
POUZE MUŽ BEZ RODINY MŮŽE ODHALIT KOŘENY VLASTNÍHO SPŘÍZNĚNÍ…

Jefferson Tayte věnoval celý život zkoumání neúplných rodokmenů, aby pomohl rozvráceným rodinám… a odkryl dlouho ukrytá tajemství. Sám je ale samotář, muž bez kořenů – jeho vlastní původ představuje největší záhadu jeho kariéry.

To se však změní, když se Taytovi dostane do rukou nová stopa, za kterou se s profesorkou a kolegyní Jean Summerovou vydají do Mnichova. Hon za odpověďmi je ale zavede na nebezpečné území: ke zlověstným tajemstvím nacistického Německa a lidem ochotným obětovat cokoli, aby je...
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63
Advanced Genetic Genealogy: Techniques and Case Studies helps intermediate researchers move up to the next level and advanced researchers apply the new DNA standards and write about DNA. This new book offers an in-home course in advanced genetic genealogy. Case studies demonstrate analyzing the DNA test results, correlating with documentary evidence, and writing about the findings, all incorporating the updated standards for using DNA. Full-color illustrations help the genealogist incorporate these techniques into personal or client research projects. Each of the fourteen chapters was written... more

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64
From acclaimed author Steve Robinson comes a bold new Jefferson Tayte mystery. On a foggy night in 1914, the ocean liner Empress of Ireland sank en route to England and now lies at the bottom of Canada’s St Lawrence River. The disaster saw a loss of life comparable to the Titanic and the Lusitania, and yet her tragedy has been forgotten.

When genealogist Jefferson Tayte is shown a locket belonging to one of the Empress’s victims, a British admiral’s daughter named Alice Stilwell, he must travel to England to understand the course of events that led to her death. Tayte is expert in...
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65

The Orange Lilies

A Morton Farrier novella

Morton Farrier has spent his entire career as a forensic genealogist solving other people's family history secrets, all the while knowing so little of his very own family's mysterious past. However, this poignant Christmastime novella sees Morton's skills put to use much closer to home, as he must confront his own past, present and future through events both present-day and one hundred years ago. It seems that not every soldier saw a truce on the Western Front that 1914 Christmas... This Morton Farrier novella follows on from book two in the series - The Lost Ancestor. less

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66
The popularity of studying our family history has been fueled by popular TV shows like Genealogy Roadshow, Finding Your Roots, and Who Do You Think You Are? The ability to access records online has opened up the one time hobby for genealogy enthusiasts to the mainstream.

Companies like Ancestry.com, Familysearch.org, Findmypast.com, and MyHeritage have spent millions of dollars making records available around the world. DNA technology continues to evolve and provides the instant gratification that we have become use to as a society. But then the question...
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67
HOW DID AMERICA BEGIN?

This simple question launches acclaimed author Nathaniel Philbrick on an extraordinary journey to understand the truth behind our most sacred national myth: the voyage of the Mayflower and the settlement of Plymouth Colony. As Philbrick reveals in this electrifying new book, the story of the Pilgrims does not end with the First Thanksgiving; instead, it is a fifty-five-year epic that is at once tragic and heroic, and still carries meaning for us today.
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Recommended by Catherine Manegold, and 1 others.

Catherine ManegoldThis is a straight history but – and this is key – the emphasis is on the story. In this book Nathaniel Philbrick takes an event every American schoolchild knows about – the sailing of the Mayflower to North America in 1620 – and turns the comfortable mythology about that moment on its head. (Source)

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68

Reunion

A Search for Ancestors

Where do I come from? That question leads Ryan Littrell to country graveyards, to faded names in old books, and then to a DNA shock. And as one hint follows the next, he uncovers the story of his Scottish ancestors--a story of heartbreak, betrayal, and unfailing strength.

"Reunion" explores how our ancestors are still a part of us, and how a place across the ocean can almost feel like home.
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The price of some powerful new genetic genealogy tests has dropped below $100. Genealogists and adoptees are using them and other DNA tests to identify ancestors, confirm relationships, and measure their ethnicity.

Unfortunately, there are many similar sounding tests and some of them have different testing levels. So it’s easy to order the wrong test or pay too much.

This Guide to DNA Testing provides an easy-to-understand introduction to the different test types, their strengths and limitations.

Author and adoptee, Richard Hill, shared his personal...
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Master the world's #1 genealogy website and discover the secrets to Ancestry.com success! This book, updated in 2016 to include the most recent changes to the site, will help you get the most out of your Ancestry.com subscription by showing you how to take advantage of all the world's biggest genealogy website has to offer--and how to find answers to your family tree questions within its 14 billion records, 60 million family tree and 32,000 databases.

What you'll learn:
Step-by-step strategies for structuring your searches to find what you're looking for faster
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72
It was to be the most important case of Morton Farrier’s career in forensic genealogy so far. A case that had eluded him for many years: finding his own father. Harley ‘Jack’ Jacklin disappeared just six days after a fatal fire at his Cape Cod home on Christmas Eve in 1976, leaving no trace behind. Now his son, Morton must travel to the East Coast of America to unravel the family’s dark secrets in order to discover what happened to him. less

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You Can Write Your Family History

This title enables readers to chronicle the lives of near or distant relatives. It provides methods for: conducting historical and thematic research; organizing materials; outlining and plotting a story; illustrating with pictures and charts; and making money writing the history of other families. less

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74
June 8, 1921. Ireland.
A British Officer is shot dead on a remote hillside south of Dublin.
November 22, 2015. United Kingdom.
Former police detective, Jayne Sinclair, now working as a genealogical investigator, receives a phone call from an adopted American billionaire asking her to discover the identity of his real father.
How are the two events linked?
Jayne Sinclair has only three clues to help her: a photocopied birth certificate, a stolen book and an old photograph. And it soon becomes apparent somebody else is on the trail of the mystery. A killer who will...
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75
Morton Farrier was no longer at the top of his game. His forensic genealogy career was faltering and he was refusing to accept any new cases, preferring instead to concentrate on locating his own elusive biological father. Yet, when a particular case presents itself, that of finding the family of a woman abandoned in the midst of the Battle of Britain, Morton is compelled to help her to unravel her past. Using all of his genealogical skills, he soon discovers that the case is connected to The Spyglass File—a secretive document which throws up links which threaten to disturb the... more

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76

The America Ground (The Forensic Genealogist #4)

Morton Farrier, the esteemed English forensic genealogist, had cleared a space in his busy schedule to track down his own elusive father finally. But he is then presented with a case that challenges his research skills in his quest to find the killer of a woman murdered more than one hundred and eighty years ago.

Thoughts of his own family history are quickly and violently pushed to one side as Morton rushes to complete his investigation before other sinister elements succeed in derailing the case.

This is the third book in the Morton Farrier genealogical...
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77

In Search Of Our Ancestors

In this companion to a new PBS series beginning in April, "In Search of Our Ancestors" features over 100 true stories of the amazing luck, unexpected kindnesses, and unusual serendipity encountered by researchers as they track down their family's records. less

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Slaves in the Family

Journalist Ball confronts the legacy of his family's slave-owning past, uncovering the story of the people, both black and white, who lived and worked on the Balls' South Carolina plantations. It is an unprecedented family record that reveals how the painful legacy of slavery continues to endure in America's collective memory and experience. Ball, a descendant of one of the largest slave-owning families in the South, discovered that his ancestors owned 25 plantations, worked by nearly 4,000 slaves.

Through meticulous research and by interviewing scattered relatives, Ball contacted...
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Fascinating and authoritative of Britain's royal families from Henry VIII to Elizabeth I to Queen Victoria, by leading popular historian Alison Weir

'George III is alleged to have married secretly, on 17th April, 1759, a Quakeress called Hannah Lightfoot. If George III did make such a marriage…then his subsequent marriage to Queen Charlotte was bigamous, and every monarch of Britain since has been a usurper, the rightful heirs of George III being his children by Hannah Lightfoot...'

Britain's Royal Families provides in one volume, complete...
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80

The Genealogy of Morals (Translated by Horace B. Samuel with an Introduction by Willard Huntington Wright)

German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche was one the most controversial figures of the 19th century. His evocative writings on religion, morality, culture, philosophy, and science were often polemic attacks against the established views of his time. First published in 1887, "The Genealogy of Morals," is a work which follows and expands upon the principles of his previous works, "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" and "Beyond Good and Evil." In a preface and three interrelated essays, Nietzsche outlines his theories on the origins of our moral prejudices. "The Genealogy of Morals," was written partly in... more

Bryan CallenOf course, I read Nietzsche. On the Genealogy of Morality, etc, where the truths and the truisms are really cut and dried in a lot of ways. It's the equivalent of, I guess, intellectual red meat. (Source)

Antonio EramThis book was recommended by Antonio when asked for titles he would recommend to young people interested in his career path. (Source)

Brian LeiterI don’t know I would single it out as the masterpiece, but it’s a fascinating book which follows on many of the themes of Beyond Good and Evil. It’s unusual because it’s less aphoristic, but rather three essays. The essays have more structure and extended argumentation than is typical in most of Nietzsche’s works. (Source)

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Don't have time to read the top Genealogy books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

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81
Master the world's #1 Genealogy Website

Discover the secrets to Ancestry.com success! This book, newly revised and expanded, will help you get the most out of your Ancestry.com subscription. Inside, you'll discover how to take advantage of what the world's biggest genealogy website has to offer--and how to find answers to your genealogy questions within its billions of records and millions of AncestryDNA profiles. Each chapter includes step-by-step examples with illustrations to show you exactly how to apply search techniques to your genealogy. A new section on AncestryDNA...
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82
Not all research can be done from home--sometimes you have to head into the field. Cemeteries are crucial for any genealogist's search, and this book will show you how to search for and analyze your ancestors' graves. Discover tools for locating tombstones, tips for traipsing through cemeteries, an at-a-glance guide to frequently used gravestone icons, and practical strategies for on-the-ground research. And once you've returned home, learn how to incorporate gravestone information into your research, as well as how to upload grave locations to BillionGraves and record your findings in... more

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83

The Genealogy Sourcebook

A detailed family history is a legacy that generations can enjoy. Those who start looking into their backgrounds find that the more they dig, the more the want to know about their lineage. Beyond the family bible, where can more information be found? The Genealogy Sourcebook 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 utilize them. Readers will also get information on how to organize and present their research so that generations to come can enjoy and learn from it. less

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84

Washington, DC: Twin brothers are found drowned in a Perspex box, one gagged and strapped to a chair. It’s the latest in a series of cruel and elaborate murders with two things in common: the killer has left a family history chart at each crime scene, and the victims all have a connection to genealogical sleuth Jefferson Tayte.

Hoping his insight and expertise will help solve the case, the FBI summon Tayte back to the capital. But as he struggles to crack the clues, the killer strikes again—and again. Tayte is known as the best in the business, but this time he’s up against a...

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Nichts ist je vergeben und nichts vergessen …

Als die Leiche eines Mannes auf einem Londoner Friedhof gefunden wird, ahnen DCI Grant Foster und seine Kollegin Heather Jenkins nicht, wie weit sie die Suche nach dem Mörder in die Vergangenheit führen wird. Immer mehr Opfer fallen einem geheimnisvollen Killer zum Opfer, doch was die Ermordeten verbindet, ist unklar. Bis Nigel Barnes, ein Spezialist für Ahnenforschung, erkennt, dass die Spur ins Jahr 1879 zurückreicht. Damals hatte der »Kensington Killer« London in Angst und Schrecken versetzt …

Eine Mordserie in London...
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87
A practical field guide, Stories in Stone explains the symbolism of stone relics and their details. less

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"Includes master forms for making unlimited photocopies"--Cover. less

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89
Maps are common tools in tracing family history. This book expands the reader's awareness of how maps and other geographic resources, such as atlases, gazetteers and global positioning systems, will help them find their elusive ancestors. less

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Don't have time to read the top Genealogy books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

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  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
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91

Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables, #1)

As soon as Anne Shirley arrives at the snug white farmhouse called Green Gables, she is sure she wants to stay forever . . . but will the Cuthberts send her back to to the orphanage? Anne knows she's not what they expected—a skinny girl with fiery red hair and a temper to match. If only she can convince them to let her stay, she'll try very hard not to keep rushing headlong into scrapes and blurting out the first thing that comes to her mind. Anne is not like anyone else, the Cuthberts agree; she is special—a girl with an enormous imagination. This orphan girl dreams of the day when she can... more

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93
In this visually stunning book of historic family photographs, renowned family history researcher and photography expert Maureen A. Taylor shows you how to cherish old photographs and what clues they can provide to your ancestors' lives. You will learn how to:




Identify and verify people in family photographs.
Tell the story of identified photographs using the clues in the images.
Locate additional family photographs.
Create worksheets for each image to expand your knowledge about your ancestors.
Discover the history of photography and...
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94
Census research is one of the first steps in constructing a family tree, however, deciphering census data is not always easy. This guide to the Federal Census acts as a research assistant, offering step-by-step instructions. It also features case studies, a glossary, and extraction forms. less

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Unlock new records in your family history research by understanding the historic events of your ancestors' eras. This quick and convenient guide outlines the major political, military and social events in the United States from the colonial era through 1940. It also includes immigration trends and census dates to help you narrow your research focus and find genealogy records faster.

Use The Genealogist's U.S. History Pocket Reference to find:


Timelines, charts, quick lists and maps of major events.
Popular foods, songs and books of each era.
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97
Unlock the Hidden Power of Google for Your Genealogy Research! Google is the most powerful tool available worldwide for online research! With over 20 billion pages in Google's index of the Web, it's likely that some of them contain clues about your ancestors. Finding these pages, however, requires an understanding of filtering and other techniques that have never been explained to many computer users until now! This book shows you how to tap the full potential of the Internet's most powerful free online service! Simple Tips & Techniques Powerful Proven Results! Begin finding dozens of... more

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98
Scotland has possibly the most complete and best-kept set of vital records and other documents on the planet. Given both this and the extraordinary worldwide Scottish diaspora (approximately 28 million people can claim Scottish ancestry), the lack of a really thorough guide to Scottish genealogy is a significant gap. Bruce Durie's book bridges that gap with authority and provides a lively sense of the excitement of the historical chase. Scottish Genealogy covers not only sources and records (physical and electronic) but is also firmly based on established genealogical practice, with... more

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99
The essential follow-on guide from the author of our classic "Secrets of Tracing Your Ancestors," this book shows advanced do-it-yourselfers how to tackle common research problems!

Leading genealogy author W. Daniel Quillen picks up where he left off in "Secrets of Tracing Your Ancestors" in this newly revised second edition. He shows do-it yourself genealogists who have progressed past his beginning steps exactly how to find their ancestors with more advanced methods of researching those hard-to-find ancestors. Quillen tells readers how to overcome those difficult roadblocks that...
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100
Genealogists - whether beginning or experien ced - will add to their success with this time-saver/researc h-planner/organizer. ' less

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Don't have time to read the top Genealogy books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.