Books on Genealogy for the Beginner

To get a sound start in the practice of genealogy, it may well be that reading five good books on the topic, will lead to something: at the very least, the similar yet differing views will help anyone develop the very necessary inclination of the genealogist to be skeptical!

On Genealogy Magazines

Allow me to make a short comment on genealogical magazines, as sometimes a good way to learn about a subject is by way of periodicals. If I had happened upon the magazines that cater to the intermediate and experienced before reading any books, my interest actually might have waned because I would have been overwhelmed. While the magazines (for example, Heritage Quest, Family Chronicle and Everton's Genealogical Helper are wonderful and interesting, they clearly have their own place. I think that in the very beginning, they may have too much depth, presume too much, and frankly, the incredible number of genealogically related materials for sale is frightening. An exception may be Family Tree Magazine which is geared for beginners.

The local library is a fine place to check out a first book to read on genealogy. Look over whatever they have available and pick one or two out that look promising. The risk is low.

I have borrowed genealogy books from the library and then purchased copies of my own. In my view, you can't beat a volume that can be both read from cover to cover and also used as a reference. The following (mostly general) books on genealogy meet that test:

A Few Good Books

How to Trace Your Family Tree (1973), a guide put together by the American Genealogical Research Institute is readily available. Every chapter is written by an expert in their respective area. An early one in the book and an imporant one is "History for Genealogists" by William A. Rosky. This book is informative and has plenty of first principles; and I don't mind,but rather find value in multiple points of view. On the other hand, this volume is dated. As one reading this book now might expect there's zilch on computers and the Internet. Another curiosity, which shows how dated this book is, is that there is nothing on the destruction of the 1890 US Census; one gets the impression that its release is anticipated (and then of course, one wonders, when the bad news about the 1921 fire was released to the public).

My five year old son was aghast that I purchased and then read The Complete Idiot's Guide to Genealogy (2nd Edition, 2006), by Christine Rose and Kay Germain Ingalls. I tried to explain to him that the publisher has found a very successful marketing ploy: idiot's and dummies books sell phenominally well. I think he finally understood when I said that the point of the title is NOT to scare people away from a subject. Ms.s Rose and Ingalls do a great job. Their book is wonderful: it is upbeat, readable, and a supurb reference. Another measure to me on the quality of a book is how absorbing it is. This book kept my attention. I continue to reread parts of it for pointers; have internalized many of the definitions for terms it provides; and (this is a big one) I use the filing system they describe to make sense of the chaos that can appear pretty quickly.

Voices Voices in Your Blood: Discovering Identity Through Family History (1993), by G. G. Vandagriff is an exceptional book. It is a good read and contains plenty of solid useful information and ideas. As the title hints, there's also a flavor of mysticism that runs through the book. Normally I consider myself a non-believing pragmatic down to earth no-nonsense kind of guy. Somehow, Ms. Vandagriff has injected just the right amount, even for me. That thread and her style make this book one that is easy to finish reading. Her coverage of the Church of Latter Day Saints' Family History Centers is an example of material I have come back to.

Your English Ancestors: A Guide for North Americans (1993) by Sherry Irvine is an excellent readable book. This volume is one that I borrowed from the library and then decided that I must own a copy. I have gone back to it on numerous occasions, the last time to validate an understanding I had about civil registration (which began in England and Wales on 1 July 1837). The how-to information in this book saves one seeking the details on their English ancestors the trip(s) to England (it's okay to go though!).

Another Tool

You can look for these books and others, and magazines at Amazon.com. Amazon.com also provides two great ways to check out resources before you read or buy them: customer ratings and reviews.