For those who have asked, this is a partial list of genealogical references on my bookshelf. I’ll update it with others as I create the links, but I’m only going to add books that I personally have experience with and that I actually use. There are other good books out there, but I only mention ones with which I have actual experience. Don’t forget about “Genealogy Tip of the Day,” which is also in book form.
Your experience may vary. Sometimes one can get used library editions for low-cost–other times not so much.
- State Census Records by Ann S. Lainhart
- Genealogist’s Handbook for New England Research, 5th edition, edited by Michael J. Leclerc
- Land and Property Research by E. Wade Hone–a personal favorite of mine–although it is weak on methodology in local records in federal land states.
- Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy, 3rd Edition, by Val D. Greenwood
- The Source, edited by Lou Szucs and Sandra Hargreaves Luebking–probably the best overview of American sources there is.
- Digging for Genealogical Treasure in New England Town Records by Ann S. Lainhart
- The Family Tree German Genealogy Guide: How to Trace Your Germanic Ancestry in Europe by James Beidler
- Trace Your German Roots Online: A Complete Guide to German Genealogy Websites by James Beidler
- German-English Genealogical Dictionary by Ernest Thode
- Deciphering Handwriting in German Document: Analyzing German, Latin, and French in Historical Manuscripts by Roger Minert
- Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace, Third Edition by Elizabeth Shown Mills
Historical–not just genealogy:
- Prairie Patrimony: Family, Farming, and Community in the Midwest (Studies in Rural Culture)–an analysis of farming communities in Illinois but applicable to much of the Midwest
- A Nationality of Her Own: Women, Marriage, and the Law of Citizenship focusing on women’s citizenship throughout American history and how those laws have changed.
