Books on Genealogy and Local History

US: Order from Barnes & Noble

UK: Order from Blackwell's

Blackwell's Overview: "This guide shows beginners everything they need to know to research their roots online. It includes coverage of up-to-date genealogical software programmes. It features time- and money-saving ways to search for ancestors."

Barnes & Noble Review: "Been meaning to track down your family history? You probably know there’s an enormous amount of information available on the Internet. But how do you sort through it all? Where do you start? Try here. Genealogy Online, Seventh Edition guides you gently through the resources, the techniques, even the etiquette of online genealogy. Elizabeth Powell Crowe shows how to begin a genealogical project, then ranges far and wide -- helping you choose software, use search engines effectively, and understand the privacy and ethical issues associated with genealogy..." - Bill Camarda

Genealogy Online for Dummies

Matthew L. Helm, April Leigh Helm

US: Order from Barnes & Noble

UK: Order from Blackwell's

Blackwell's Overview: "This "For Dummies" title covers everything a new user needs to know about starting an online research project including where and how to find information, how to communicate with other online genealogists, how to find specific information and how to build your own site for sharing information."

Barnes & Noble Synopsis: "Building your family tree in Cyberspace or just searching online for a bit of history about your ancestors? Whether you're corresponding with far-flung relatives or tracking down elusive family records around the world, a treasure trove of information on family histories is at your fingertips when you log onto the Internet..."

Online Roots: How to Discover Your Family's History and Heritage With the Power of the Internet

Pamela Boyer Porter, Amy Johnson Crow, The National Genealogical Society

US: Order from Barnes & Noble

UK: Order from Blackwell's

Blackwell's Overview: "A Certified Genealogical Records Specialist offers tips on searching effectively on the Internet and the best way to make full use of online resources to trace a family's history and heritage."

Barnes & Noble Synopsis: "Researching family history is the second most popular topic on the Internet (after sex). In Online Roots, Pamela Boyer Porter, a Certified Genealogical Records Specialist, explains how to search effectively on the Internet, how to assess the value of what you find, and the best way to make full use of the resources of the Internet to trace your family's history and heritage..."

Planting Your Family Tree Online: How to Create Your Own Family History Web Site

Cyndi Howells

US: Order from Barnes & Noble

UK: Order from Blackwell's

From the Publisher: "...This book is written by Cyndi Howells, owner and webmaster of Cyndi's List, a Web site of more than 130,000 online genealogical resources. Cyndi points out, "This book is loaded with URLs to Web sites that will give you everything you need to create a beautiful family tree online." However, Web site URLs change daily and some may no longer work. She has created web pages as part of Cyndi's List that correspond to the features of the book so that the URLs will be kept up-to-date."

Public Records Online: The National Guide to Private and Government Online Sources of Public Records

Michael L. Sankey, Peter J. Weber

US: Order from Barnes & Noble

UK: Order from Blackwell's

Blackwell's Overview: "The Master Guide to the world of online public records. A powerful book for either the novice or business professional, this fully revised fourth edition contains Public Record Primer to educate the inexperienced and Searching Hints to help navigate through the maze of county, state and federal government agencies."

Barnes & Noble Synopsis: "A guide to 6,500 [US] government agencies and private vendors that can be accessed by computer for such purposes as background investigation, competitive intelligence, locating people, pre- employment and tenant screening, process serving, and genealogy. Chapters suggest search strategies for various kinds of information and records, and discuss such issues as privacy. There is no index. Dates for earlier editions are not given."

Finding Your Roots Online

Nancy L. Hendrickson

US: Order from Barnes & Noble

UK: Order from Blackwell's

From the Publisher: "The Internet gives you access to more records, resources and fellow family historians than ever before. Finding Your Roots Online helps you zero in on the information that's both trustworthy and accurate. You'll learn where and how to find valuable genealogical information, ensure its reliability, and use it to take your research in surprising new directions. Nancy Hendrickson's structured, easy-to-follow approach covers the basics of sound genealogical research then helps you find your way around the Internet, efficiently and effectively. You'll also find page after page of tips and techniques for organizing your computer research."

Blackwell's Overview: "This title reveals the strategies for successfully researching one's family tree in the forest of Web sites, databases and search engines. It offers a step-by-step reference, with real examples, for using the internet effectively and how to recognise when a research problem can't be solved online."

Climbing Your Family Tree: Online and off Line Genealogy for Kids

Ira Wolfman, Foreword by Cyndi Howells, Alex Haley (Introduction)

US: Order from Barnes & Noble

UK: Order from Blackwell's

Blackwell's Overview: "Revised, retitled, and filled with tips on using the Internet, "Climbing Your Family Tree" is the comprehensive, kid-friendly genealogical primer that teaches kids to track down important family documents, create oral histories, and more. Illustrations."

From the Publisher: "Slip into the roles of sleuth, geographer, researcher, writer, pen pal, and puzzle solver, and embark on a journey through your family heritage. Packed with detailed information on using the Internet -- the tool that has completely transformed genealogy -- Climbing Your Family Tree is a complete guide for the ancestor detector, both off- and online. It explains how to conduct an interview; how to track down ships' manifests, naturalization records, birth and marriage certificates; how to decipher old-fashioned handwriting and interpret names; how to compile a family tree, assemble a scrapbook, and more. Includes information for special situations, such as adoptees, nontraditional families, and recent immigrants. Your story is out there -- here are the tools to find it."