Family Tree Resource Book for Genealogists

A welcome addition to my genealogy bookshelf, the "Family Tree Resource Book for Genealogists" is packed with just about everything a genealogist needs to know about available state and county records for tracing American roots. Up-to-date, accurate and easy to use, this book is also refreshingly affordable.

Written and compiled by some of America's best-known genealogists, including Sharon DeBartolo Carmack, Emily Anne Croom, Rhonda R. McClure and Maureen Taylor, this is a must-have reference book for any genealogist tracing American roots. Especially useful for people who research in multiple states, this comprehensive work includes a brief history and highlights of available genealogy records for each state. The counties for each state are covered as well, with date of formation, parent county(s), available genealogical records, and complete contact information (including Web site in most cases). Its paperback format, although not highly durable, means a very attractive price. While there are a few very minor inconsistencies here and there, I was very impressed with the accuracy of the information for the states and counties I checked, including tidbits only researchers familiar with the areas would know. Some of the "highlighted" Web sites -- most notably, segenealogy.com and negenealogy.com -- are basically gateways to Ancestry.com, with the information copied directly from Ancestry's Red Book without appropriate source citation. Helpful, but not exactly deserving of "highlight" status. Outside of that, however, there's just not much not to like. The "Family Tree Resource Book for Genealogists" is packed with details and easy to use - an outstanding, very affordable alternative to Everton's "Handybook for Genealogists" and "Ancestry's Red Book."