Book Review: The Family Tree German Genealogy Guide by James M. Beidler

.Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book free of charge,from F+W Media, via Edelweiss, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it,  all opinions are my own.
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Need a Summer project for YOU, that you can get the kids involved in too?

How about tracing that family genealogy?

Along the way, the kids will learn about their ancestors, how they lived, ancient naming patterns, and maybe some history (Summer education, score!), and you can knock an item off your "meaning to do" list!

This new book can help get you on your way!

The Family Tree German Genealogy Guideby cover



Synopsis:

Follow your family tree back to its roots in Bavaria, Baden, Prussia, Hesse, Saxony, Wurttemburg and beyond. This in-depth genealogy guide will walk you step by step through the exciting journey of researching your German heritage, whether your ancestors came from lands now in modern-day Germany or other German-speaking areas of Europe, including Austria, Switzerland, and enclaves across Eastern Europe.

In this book, you'll learn how to:
- Retrace your German immigrant ancestors' voyage from Europe to America.
- Pinpoint the precise place in Europe your ancestors came from.
- Uncover birth, marriage, death, church, census, court, military, and other records documenting your ancestors' lives.
- Access German records of your family from your own hometown.
- Decipher German-language records, including unfamiliar German script.
Understand German names and naming patterns that offer research clues.

You'll also find maps, timelines, sample records and resource lists throughout the book for quick and easy reference. Whether you're just beginning your family tree or a longtime genealogy researcher, the Family Tree German Genealogy Guide will help you conquer the unique challenges of German research and uncover your ancestors' stories.


Review;

I was VERY lucky when I started researching my dad's German line to find a cousin (like 16 times removed, LOL), who had just been and looked at farm books and church registries in the German area I needed (which was really Prussia, aka Poland now), and he was able to email me copies of the shots he took, saving me EONS of letters being translated into German and sent to archdioceses and more. But if you don't have that luck, trying to figure out boundary lines, where to find records (remember that little thing called World War II? Yup, lots of records got destroyed (purposely and accidentally). So this book is just the thing you need to not only start you in the right direction (which country now holds the records you need), but to decipher and figure out your next step. 

Being able to find your family on the big ancestral site like they show on TV is not as easy as it is made to be. Living relative's info is NOT online, so typically you have to go back 3 -4 generations, and try to make matches. That can be problematic, espeically when there are 14 Carl Otto Heinrich's in the Minnesota area, all born within 6 months of each other. Which one is your great-grandfather, and which one is a 5th cousin, twice removed? Because, as you will find out with this book, families shared the same ancestor's names, over and over. The book contains a wealth of historical info as well, that might actually help you on other lines that tie into your German ones, as well. making it well worth the money to have as a genealogical resource!

If you are looking to start your German line, be SURE to pick up this book, it just might be the proverbial life-saver, and help you find your German line, and cousins, quicker than you think possible! 



About the Author:


James M. Beidler came by his German genealogy expertise honestly - it took him more than 20 years of searching to find any ancestry that wasn't from Germany! Beidler is a columnist for German Life magazine and is considered to "go-to" person for German genealogy articles and lectures.




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