The Complete Idiot's Guide to Genealogy - Softcover

Rose, Christine; Ingalls, Kay Germain

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1592574300 ISBN 13: 9781592574308

Publisher: Alpha Books, 2006

Synopsis

Describes methods for conducting genealogical research, explains how to trace the history of a family through the use of living sources and public records, and includes updated information on the latest census data, the art of using online research, and guidelines on how to find valuable offline records. Original.

About this title

Review:

If you want to learn more about your family, now's the time to start. With the advent of the Internet, there's more information available than ever before, and it's easier to access now than in the good old days of musty libraries and records halls. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Online Genealogy by Rhonda McClure will have you wired and digging up dirt (or gold) in just an hour or two. Even the most ardent computer-hater will have to admit that the search is simpler, and McClure makes the case clearly. Her charming prose is well-complemented by online images and hint boxes scattered liberally on each page. Specific sites are mentioned as well as general means of searching for family data, so even if one site disappears you can still get what you need. The book covers the basics of both gathering family data and online searches, so if you're not quite up to speed on one or the other, you can quickly figure it out. After you've browsed a bit and started collecting information, the later chapters help you to communicate with other researchers, mining government records, and even publishing your own results online. It's not hard to learn plenty about your family's history; whether you want to get in touch with your roots, glean medical information to improve your own health, or give your kids something to think about, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Online Genealogy is for you. --Rob Lightner

From the Author:

Excerpts from reviews
"...behind the title is one of the best guides to genealogy that we have seen, primarily aimed at the beginner but also useful as a refresher for those with more experience. The two authors are well known and highly regarded in the professional genealogical community, and between them they have the varied experience necessary to write about genealogy with authority--yet they also know how to write in a style that anyone should be able to understand...highly recommended." New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, July 1998

"...this is the perfect book for the masses who are 'bitten by the big.' It also serves well those who have been plodding along for some time without reading any how-to book...it is also the perfect manual for those who help others work their way through the maze of records and thought processes needed in genealogy...[it] should be the first how-to book picked up by anyone starting out on an ancestor hunt, and it will likely well-serve beginners in our field for a long time to come..." National Genealogical Society Quarterly, September 1998

"Over the years there have been many publications intended to guide the beginning researcher...Some classics...were based on the firm foundation of experience possessed by experts...this new book falls into [that] category...even the experienced researcher will find the reading of this book to be a welcome refresher course." Virginia Genealogist, January-March 1998

"The manner of presentation is both light and thorough...well written so as to be complete, yet simple enough to be easily followed. Professional genealogists, both, the authors have done a masterful job of sharing their knowledge without talking over the readers' heads..." The Connecticut Nutmegger, September 1998

"Rose and Ingalls have covered just about every aspect of genealogical research, stressing the right way of doing things...[it is] a terrific beginner's book, written in an easy-to-read friendly conversational manner, without talking down to the reader..." Federation of Genealogical Societies Forum, Summer 1998

"This excellent book is perfect for beginners..." Myra Gormley's "Missing Links: A Weekly newsletter for Genealogists," 20 March 1998

About this edition

• Publisher: Alpha Books
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1592574300
• ISBN 13: 9781592574308
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 357