Family Tree Resource Book for Genealogists: The Essential Guide to American County and Town Sources (Paperback)

by Sharon DeBartolo Carmack (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
Since 1947 professional and amateur genealogists have relied upon The Handy Book for Genealogists (10th ed., Everton, 2002) to tell which local records exist and how to access them. It has been revised and updated through 10 editions. Now a team from Family Tree has produced a new, similar source that it feels is more affordable and easier to use, and it corrects previous discrepancies even within the county and municipal sources' own information about what is available.

The introduction includes very basic information, such as the difference between microfilm and microfiche, a sample letter and guidelines for requesting information by mail, suggestions for preparing to visit an archive, and an admonition to preserve and protect the material that is consulted.

Arranged alphabetically by state, the chapters provide the expected information: maps showing current counties; historical overviews, including critical dates; information about special repositories; bibliographies of published sources; and listings for county, parish and town-hall contacts. Each listing provides the date of establishment, address, phone number, Web site, parent county, and types of records kept and dates begun. Also included for each state are unique aspects of available records (for example, Florida's Spanish Land Grants, Georgia's Civil War salt allotments, and Utah's midwives' records) and tips, such as the existence of independent cities and townships whose records might not be in county-based sources.

Libraries owning The Handy Book for Genealogists will want to keep it. Its bibliographies are more extensive, information is more precise in some areas, color maps and flags (of the 19 foreign countries included) are more attractive, the hard binding is more durable--and it is a classic in its field. But librarians will want to add this new tool to their collections. The information is more current, the research tips are quite pragmatic, the format for the local records sources is easier on the eyes, and the reasonable price makes it easy to justify the overlapping information. Sally Jane
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Description
In one authoritative reference, Family Tree Big Book provides all genealogists with the information they need to trace their American roots, including:

* Research summaries, with maps and timelines, for every U.S. state

* Detailed county-level data, essential for unlocking the door to the bulk of genealogical records

* Contact information, including Web sites, for libraries, archives, genealogical societies and historical societies

This is the one book every genealogist must have. Researchers will love having this wealth of trusted information at their fingertips, and at a very attractive price!

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Product Details

• Paperback: 704 pages
• Publisher: Family Tree Books (December 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558706860
• ISBN-13: 978-1558706866
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.5 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #197,442 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Resource to point you where to go, July 18, 2006

By	L. S. Couch (Middle Amana, IA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In one volume a myriad of other sources are referenced, state by state, county by county. This is a book that can tell you where to go to find historical genealogical records. Since that varies state to state and county to county, it is a great help to know what is available, where it is available, and how to make the contact. Well worth the price!!

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Single Reference for Genealogists, January 25, 2009

By	PNW Reader (Bellevue, WA United States) - See all my reviews

Most of the information contained in this book could be collected by searching the Internet but why spend time figuring out the correct URL or making long distance calls when the information you are looking for is contained in a single desktop reference?
Information covers all 50 states in the U.S. Quickly locate county seats, location of records by type, tips on requesting copies and visiting repositories, noteable quirks in regional documentation and what information may be missing because of damage or fire.
The latest edition was printed in 2004, old by Internet standards. Fortunately historical records don't move around frequently. I wouldn't count on every URL, address or phone number listed to be complete or accurate at this point in time but it is a good starting point.
Comparable to and less expensive than Ancestry's Red Book. A good resource for any serious hobbiest.