"The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy" edited by Loretto Szucs and Sandra Luebking

The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy, 3rd edition edited by Loretto Dennis Szucs and Sandra Hargreaves Luebking lives up to its title and the editor's goals. "The goal of this book is to guide researchers in the selection, location, and use of information." According to Raymond Sanford Wright, on page xv, the family history research problem is not complexity; it is deciding which records contain the information and accurate evaluation.

The thirty-one chapter contributors share their expertise. The section headings include: The Basics, The Records, People and Place. Each division provides three to ten in-depth chapters. In the People and Place section, specific research related to African American, Colonial English, Hispanic, Colonial Spanish, Jewish American, Native American and Urban research provide the family historian with a knowledge base. On page 652,Tony Burroughs writes this about pre-1870 "Success in researching in this period actually depends on how thoroughly one has researched records created after 1870...." Each chapter concludes with generous reference pages.

What makes this book unique?

• available online in digital form on Ancestry.com wiki
• multiple researchers share their knowledge, experience and enthusiasm
• specific ethnic research
• extensive reference pages with each topic

Genealogical book reviewed: Szucs, Loretto Dennis and Sandra Hargreaves Luebking, editors. The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy. 3rd edition. Provo: Ancestry. 2006. Editor quote from page xi.

Ask yourself, does this book help me advance towards my genealogy goals? Comments or questions, please contact Selma Blackmon, Thank you!