German Church Books: Beyond the Basics (Paperback)

by Kenneth L. Smith (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Revised edition. By Kenneth L. Smith 223 pp. Dozens of illustrations, samples of original German 17th and 18th century church book entries; 8 pp of variant upper and lower case letters; appendices, indexes. 1993. soft cover

This valuable and complete how-to guide to doing research in German church books will interest, educate, and aid almost all genealogical researchers who have progressed beyond the simple basics covered by other how-to books. Starting with the assumption that the reader will already know how to read some "church book" German, the author takes you on a thorough examination of virtually all possible data which can be found in, or even more importantly, deduced from, German church books.

In an easily understood manner, the author walks the reader through the research problems and opportunities which occur. The book includes frequent specific examples and thorough discussion of the underlying principles involved. A complete set of hundreds of handwriting samples of each and every letter, both upper- and lower-case, adds an entirely separate and very valuable dimension.

Product Details

• Paperback: 223 pages
• Publisher: Picton Pr; Revised edition (January 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0929539508
• ISBN-13: 978-0929539508
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,434,146 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Have Addition to your Library, May 30, 2001

By	Mitzi (New York, New York USA) - See all my reviews

Everything in the book description is true!

It is a definitely *beyond the basics* book. Smith shows you how to analyze the records, explains name changes and farm names, Biblical citations in death records. Since reading Smith's book, I have reviewed my microfilm printouts and have found so much more information that I had not noticed before. I now know what to look for beyond the names and dates.

The book is the perfect size to carry, and the handwriting specimens in the back have proven extremely useful.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars German Church Books: Beyond the Basics review, January 9, 2007

By	T. Freitag (Michigan) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book adds a lot of information on German church books that has helped me in my reading of church books. I am not fluent in German, nor in reading German script, but this book helps with the genealogical interpretation of data from birth, marriage, and death records. It bridges some basic deciphering of the records and further interpretation. Likely, I will refer to this book as I continue researching German church records.