Customer Reviews

The Genealogist's Companion & Sourcebook

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I bought this book when I first started doing genealogy, and I wouldn't be without it. It is a concise and thorough explanation of the basic research tools we all need to use. Even after having researched for several years, I find myself re-reading chapters to remind myself how to do particular things -- and I always "remember" some valuable information that I would have forgotten without this book. A bonus is that it is paperback and can be easily toted to the library or on research trips.

I own all of her books and refer to them constantly! She offers the best information I've found on where and, especially, how to write for records. It's been my experience to find that other "how to" books all offer the addresses (which I can usually locate on the Internet anyway), but don't offer actual examples of the correspondence! Mrs. Croom does! I recently attended a local seminar where I had the opportunity to chat with her. She informed me that her next book will be coming out in the near future and it will focus on giving assistance with where to go when you've reached a brick wall in your research. I can't wait! Also, last but not least important, Mrs. Croom is a very nice lady!!

In The Genealogist's Companion & Sourcebook, genealogist Emily Croom presents the novice with a practical, effective, step-by-step instruction to the use of primary and secondary sources for genealogical research. Croom shows how to overcome such commonplace research obstacles as public records being lost to fire or flood which often frustrate family searchers. She shows how to use "cluster genealogy" effectively, as well as how to utilize church and funeral home records, government documents, court records, newspapers, and maps. To help illustrate her beyond-the-basics advice Croom employs bibliographies, case studies, appendices with census forms, a family group sheet, and information on major archives, libraries, lending libraries, and publishers. The Genealogist's Companion & Sourcebook is an invaluable addition to any personal or genealogical society reference shelf. Also highly recommended is Emily Croom's earlier guide: Unpuzzling Your Past: A Basic Guide To Genealogy.

When I first set out to buy a book on genealogy this was the first book I purchased and am I ever glad I did! Ms. Croom's book is probably the most well organized, intelligently written and yet easy to comprehend titles on the subject of genealogy. Ms. Croom incorporates illustrative examples from her own research as well as very helpful tips and techniques. As a largely self-taught researcher this book taught me the fundamentals of what I needed to know and the greatest testimony I can give is that I still regularly refer to it seven years after buying it. I was initially skeptical of her particular emphasis on "Cluster Genealogy" but seven years of research have proved she is absolutely correct. To be honest I've been so particularly absorbed by this book I haven't bothered to pick up any of her other titles but frankly I probably should!

When I first set out to buy a book on genealogy this was the first book I purchased and am I ever glad I did! Ms. Croom's book is probably the most well organized, intelligently written and yet easy to comprehend titles on the subject of genealogy. Ms. Croom incorporates illustrative examples from her own research as well as very helpful tips and techniques. As a largely self-taught researcher this book taught me the fundamentals of what I needed to know and the greatest testimony I can give is that I still regularly refer to it seven years after buying it. I was initially skeptical of her particular emphasis on "Cluster Genealogy" but seven years of research have proved she is absolutely correct. To be honest I've been so particularly absorbed by this book I haven't bothered to pick up any of her other titles but frankly I probably should!