4 comments about Finding Italian Roots: The Complete Guide to Americans.

1. If it's family tree research you're seeking for a strong library collection, don't miss John Philip Colletta, Ph.D.'s Finding Italian Roots, 2nd Edition, which first appeared in 1993 and has been thoroughly revised for this latest presentation. From accessing and interpreting the records available for tracking Italian ancestors and recording their stories to locating key sources of records and civil and religious resources, Finding Italian Roots is packed with specific tips unique to Italian roots.



2. Dr. Colletta was very practical in his advice to genealogists - exhaust the resources here in the United States before beginning research in Italy. Once you get to Italy, there are numerous resources of which the book only gives a taste.
   
   He was also truthful when he said that Italians could care less about genealogy (they have the honor and privilege of living amongst thousands of years of history everyday) but they are very accomodating once you get to Italy (can't wait to experience that feeling!).
   
   I found the map of Italy - pre and post unification - helpful as well as the history of Italian Jews and the fact that they're the oldest type of Jew in the world. There still exists a somewhat healthy amount of Jews in Rome, which I found fascinating.
   
   With every book that I read about genealogy, I realize that no matter how many years of research I've done, there's still a lot to be learned and resources to be used that I still don't know about yet.
   
   I just wish the book would be updated.



3. This book is full of good information, indeed some of the idiocyncrqacies of the field of our precious heritage. It is realistic, honest and encourgaing to any level of researcher. There are stories we all can relate to . Another good reference for Italo-Americans.



4. Since Finding Italian Roots first appeared in 1993, an ever increasing number of Americans have become interested in tracing their Italian heritage. This thoroughly revised, updated, and expanded Second Edition provides up-to-date information about accessing and interpreting the vast universe of materials available for tracking Italian ancestors and recording their stories for future generations. It contains more state and local sources, more point-by-point explanations, more step-by-step instructions, more "insider" hints and helps, more illustrations, more specific examples, plus an expanded glossary and annotated bibliography, and numerous Internet websites in both English and Italian--all brought vividly to life through the colorful stories of real Italian and Italian-American ancestors. Whether you are just beginning your investigations or have been doing genealogy for years, this guide will help maximize your investment of time, effort, and money
   
   John Philip Colletta is one of America's most popular genealogical lecturers. Based in Washington, D.C., he teaches at the National Archives, Smithsonian Institution, and area universities. He is also a faculty member of the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (Birmingham, Ala.) and Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (Salt Lake City), and has been a course coordinator and instructor for other genealogical institutes as well. John was just a boy when he started asking his paternal grandparents about their roots in Italy. By 1971 he was tapping into Italian records through correspondence, and since then has made four research trips to his ancestral homeland. John's publications include numerous articles; the manual They Came in Ships:; A Guide to Finding Your Immigrant Ancestor's Arrival Record, now in its third edition; and the historical narrative Only a Few Bones: A True Account of the Rolling Fork Tragedy and Its Aftermath.

5 comments about The Mark of the Scots: Their Astonishing Contributions to History, Science, Democracy, Literature.

1. I am always leary when I hear about Americans who try to write books about Scotland. Mr Bruce's book is incomplete, inconclusive, innaccurate in many places and, at best, opionated and not entirely factual waffle. Indeed some of the people included in this book have so tenuous a link to Scotland that they patently should not be included as Scots, while at the same time there are some enormous ommissions in both people and events.

   Let me give you some examples from only one page.

   For example, Lawrence Olivier, the great actor, is included in this book of Great Scots simply because as a child he wore a kilt on Sundays. (page 247.) At the same time, Sean Connory, only gets a perfunctory mention in passing in relation to other people.

   Bea Lille ("known as the funniest woman in the world 1894-1989" p247)was born in Canada and had Irish ancestry. However, she gets in the book because a Scotsman managed to get a part in a play about her life. Oh, and by whose criterion was she the funniest woman of the 20th Century?

   And by far, the greatest stupidity of all in this book is it's sporting discussions - stupid because Mr Bruce's misunderstanding about the role sporting life plays in the Scottish culture merely underlines the weaknesses in his book.
   For example, on the one hand American football has a passage only to say that there has been "no evidence that Scottish Americans have made any significant development" whilst soccer, which was invented in Scotland and has been played between villages originally hundreds of years ago gets only the most fundamental treatment. From soccer also came rugby in England and a host of other sports which have made an impact worldwide. Why is this never mentioned?

   His ignorance about Scottish 'soccer' is displayed in his treatment of the historically significant Celtic and Rangers support, which he tries to gloss over merely by a writing a joke. His opinions on other matters cannot be regarded as being as factual and universally agreed as he tries to present them, eg as to the greatest Scots players, and his basis for evaluation of said players are even more ridiculous. For example, Kenny Dalglish gets quoted for winning some domestic competitions but not for his European triumphs, which are far more significant. (ask an American sports fan - the local divisional title or the World Series, and you get my point!!) Please note, my issue is not with his opinions on who were great Scottish stalwarts, but rather on the way in which they were chosen and the way Mr Bruce presents it as though all Scots share the same opinion.

   I could go on at length by his other 'opinions' regarding so many of his choices. As great as he was, Bobby Orr is not the automatic choice of the greatest hockey player ever. Wayne Gretzky is regarded by many as the holder of that title.

   In my opinion, Mr Bruce, an American who doesnt understand the Scottish culture let alone the influence it has on the rest of the world, who has 'padded his book out with people who have the most tenuous links to Scotland, would be better placed moving to Scotland and living there while he does some research!!!!

   What is interesting is how Mr Bruce has tried to back up his book with the proclamations that he is Scottish simply because he has arms from the Lyons Court in Scotland. The Lyons Court is actually nothing more than a small hotel owner in the north of Scotland who calls himself Lord Lyon and for the princely sum of $1.75 million you can buy the 'title' of Barony of Macdonald and apply to the Lyons Court for a personal coat of arms, not too dissimilar to the arms Mr Bruce has.

   If you want a book that accurately reflects the mark of the Scots, try " How the Scots Invented the Modern World: The True Story of How Western Europe's Poorest Nation Created Our World & Everything in It" by Arthur Herman.

   A MESSAGE FOR MR BRUCE

   When you write about Scotland the next time remember two things.
   1) If it has nothing to do with Scotland then leave it out. We dont need a book on historical influence that focuses on the things that Scottish culture hasnt touched (re examples above on American Football and Lawrence Olivier)
   2) If it has to with Scotland, BE FACTUAL, and if you really must be so opinionated, try and back it up with sound reasoning, or you could actually try talking to some Scots who might give you a flavor about what the Scottish people really think!!




2. While there are kernels of truth in your over-the-top fulmination, your own lack of blanced understanding of things Scottish is readily apparent in a number of your accusations, most particularly in your gross mis-description and mischaracterization of the Lord Lyon and the function of the Lyon Court. Suggest you get a) a grip on yourself and your understanding of Scotland, and b) a spellchecker.



3. Sir, not only have I knowledge of Scotland, I am Scottish, have lived there for 4 decades and I have a great deal of insight into the machinations of societies within the conurbations that create the cities of Scotland. These are not kernals of truth in my review - but factually accurate statements reflecting a book. Go check the pages yourself and you will see that no where have I made this up! I challenge to tell us all, have you even BEEN to Scotland yourself? If indeed you knew Scotsmen, you would have a full and complete undertanding of my review!! Apparantly you do not!! And therefore you are in no position to discuss the factual relevence of my review.



4. This is all we need - yet another book telling us how great we Scots are. Recently, we've had Hermann's "How the Scots Invented the Modern World," Buchan's "Capital of the Mind: How Edinburgh Changed the World," and Lamont's "When Scotland Ruled the World: The Story of the Golden Age of Genius, Creativity and Exploration." Enough already!!!
   
   This pathological need to hear our praises continually sung and to have the sound of our backs being patted forever ringing in our ears is pathetic. Bruce's new book takes this national self-obsession mania to new heights by taking a leaf out of the Scottish Rugby Association's book and granting Scottishness to anyone even remotely related, cobber. Thus we are told to our eternal and insufferable conceit that a fat American pill popper and donut chomper who had a few hits with cover versions was ... gasp! ... Scottish, because his name was Presley. "Awl-right!!!" as Neil Kinnock (another great ersatz Scot) once proclaimed. Oh, and while you're going on about Neil Armstrong of the famous Borders name, what about Louis Armstrong? Or Diana Ross for that matter!?
   
   Instead of burying their noses in a badly compressed pile of laurels, Scots should sit up and look around at their garbage infested streets, grafitti disfigured walls; the constant vandalism, drunkeness, and violence that make their living environment intolerable; and the cozy political cronyism, high taxes, and public service inefficiency that make all these pats on the back sound so damnably hollow.
   
   Scots might have once made a mark in the world, but now Scotland's just a land of obese, junkie, drunken neds, who cannae e'en kick a ba', and their dysfunctional parents and siblings. Pride doesn't even enter into it anymore.



5. Aptly sub-titled "[the Scots] astonishing contributions to History, Science Democracy, Literature and the Arts," in little more than 350 pages, Mr. Bruce presents a well documented, enlightening and enjoyable compendium of Scottish achievement in a fast-paced, rat-a-tat fashion. This is a user-friendly guide to the formidable multi-faceted impact Scottish thought, emotion and effort had on the culture, sciences, and arts in the world. I was surprised at how often I found myself saying "I didn't know that!" during my reading this book.
   
   It's impossible not to be moved by the breadth of Scottish contributions and the many lessons one can learn from them. Regardless of whether you read this book for pleasure or as a starting point for research --its copious footnotes and citations are an excellent starting point-- in the end, you'll find Duncan Bruce's "Mark of the Scots" a worthwhile read. And since the chapters are fairly independent of one another you can read them in any order you like.
   
   The phrase "If it ain't Scottish, it's crap!" has become a cartoon catchphrase. But after reading "The Mark of the Scots", the breadth of Scottish accomplishment will be more than a mocking pop culture reference.

4 comments about Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Coloncial And Medieval Families (Royal Ancestry) (Royal Ancestry).

1. In 2004, Richardson, a highly regarded specialist in royal and peerage genealogy with numerous published articles to his credit, brought out the first volume in a planned series -- _Plantagenet Ancestry,_ which tracked the descents of some 190 immigrants to the North American colonies from the Plantagenet monarchs of England, and which weighed in at 945 pages. This second installment is 150 pages thicker, and there are at least two more volumes in development, on descents from early feudal barons, and from the Emperor Charlemagne.
   
   Any high school graduate knows the term "Magna Carta" (the "Great Charter") but most have probably only a hazy understanding of its key role as the foundation of the English legislative system (and therefore of our own), and that it established the principle that even the king, the highest authority in the land, was subject to the law. The baronial party that forced King John to sign the document in 1215 didn't trust him to live up to the limitations and conditions it laid down, and so they elected from among their own number twenty-five barons to monitor and enforce compliance. Of these twenty-five Sureties, seventeen had descendants past four generations; of those, there were two father-son pairs (Richard and Gilbert de Clare, earls of Hertford, and Roger and Hugh Bigod, earls of Norfolk), leaving fifteen distinct families that were ancestral to 238 17th century North American colonists. As with the first volume, the author's careful organization of a large mass of complex data makes this a comparatively easy book to use, either for ready-reference or for extended reading. All descendant families are organized alphabetically, numbered generationally from the Magna Carta Surety, with emphasis on patrilineal descents. This is not a listing of all descendants in each generation; grandchildren without descendants themselves, for instance, are excluded. Citation of sources -- mostly the original sources -- is very extensive and the bibliography runs to nearly 100 large-size pages.
   
   With such a wide-ranging project, with so many sources being perused, one might hope for new discoveries, and there are many included in the book. Some, of course are minor corrections, but at least a dozen are noteworthy, especially as they affect the Bohun, de Verdun, Grey, Hastings, Pole, FitzMaurice, and Mowbray families.
   
   As with _Plantagenet Ancestry,_ after borrowing it for review, I bought a copy of this one for myself and I shall be waiting eagerly for subsequent volumes in the series.



2. In my opinion Douglas Richarson has provided a well researched book. It will be a main source of reference for years to come.
   I was hoping to see more "new lines", but I guess the reality is there just is not that many lines out there that have not been researched. The $100.00 US price tag was well worth spending. L.R. Anderson,



3. Magna Carta Ancestry: .... is excellent -- very readable in material and format. I'm delighted to have it and thank those who made it available. I highly recommend it.



4. I am a big fan of Douglas Richardson. I have his prior book in this series, 'Plantagenet Ancestry'. Since I discovered that I was a direct descendent of Geoffrey Plantagenet, I am related to almost everyone in that entire book, and its a big book! In researching this book, I found out that I am also related to many Magna Charta signers. I have only had time to lightly peruse "Magna Charta Ancestry" but have already discovered many connections to my existing data. Douglas Richardson is a thorough researcher, I trust his efforts because his source citations are impeccable, and he readily states instances where there may be doubt. Since I have traced most of my direct family lines to Colonial America, Mr. Richardson's books are a great way to extend those lines back to Europe. When I do find conflicting information from material gathered from other sources, Douglas Richardson is invariably right, he is extremely careful in his research. All genealogies contain errors, but Mr. Richardson's books contain very few! I can hardly wait for the other books in this series!

5 comments about The Book of Irish Families, Great & Small (Third Edition, Expanded).

1. The third edition of this work is definitely the best. It contains the index to the entire 28 volumes in the series, which covers every county in Ireland. The second edition was published earlier, and does not contain the complete index to the series. The third edition has all the family history information from the second edition, PLUS the complete series info. This book contains the largest collection of Irish Family Names, locations and arms ever put to print.



2. This book covers a huge range of Irish names, however only provides minimal information on each and coat of arms for the select few. It provided the same information that is easily found on the web.



3. A great book giving information on Irish Family names and regions they are found in. A very useful book for those doing Irish family research.



4. This book is a huge disappointment. All it lists is surnames and if any a short sentence about the name. For instance Moylan: an old irish family.
   
   Totally a huge waste of money.



5. I must borrow the words of another reviewer of this great book, this book of Irish Families is currently the best work of it's genre available!! I have found MANY of Mr. O'laughlin's books to be of such great importance with my Irish research.. but this one takes the cake! He is so dedicated to his work and it shows. This book offers 20,000 Irish family names, 700 illustrated coats of arms, ancient maps and illustrations and so much more. I found the step by step guides for tracing Irish family roots amazing!!! Thank you Thank you, Mr O'laughlin!!!!!

5 comments about German-English Genealogical Dictionary.

1. I do a lot of research in German records and I have found this book to be an invaluable aid. I refer to it again and again. German, Latin and other terms found in German records (especially church books) are translated into English. The book even has bit of information about the hard to read German script. It also covers numbers, months, common names and those weird symbols you sometimes find in German records. Highly recommended.



2. I am doing translation work for a family website. Although I am a native German, I bought this book in the hope that it would provide oldfashioned, genealogical and historical terms and titles with which I am not familiar and which are not contained in modern dictionaries. From the description on your website I even mentioned it to some of my fellow translators, offering to test it before recommending it.
   However, I cannot recommend it. I found very few of the terms I was looking for, and I discovered some blatant mistakes. Mr. Thode should have had a German person proofread his work in order to avoid things like confusing diarrhea with compulsion (sic!), dishonest with illegitimate, cupboard with liquor service. These are only three of the mistakes which I found in one hour, and there are probably dozens more. Instead of giving us more legitimate terms, Mr. Thode wastes valuable space on common Christian names which everybody knows.
   I am very disappointed.
   Sincerely,
   Inge Alde
   isa38@yahoo.com



3. Expertly compiled by Ernest Thode and originally published in 1992, this new edition of German-English Genealogical Dictionary is comprised of thousands of German terms defined as single words, symbols, and succinct phrases specifically selected on their relevance to genealogical research. These are words and terms found in German church records, civil registration records, family correspondence, genealogical journals, ships' passenger lists, as well as emigration records. Utilizing German-English Genealogical Dictionary, a simply outstanding and highly recommended translation resource, aspiring American genealogists will be able to decipher and interpret any German document in the course of the genealogical inquiries.



4. This book is a must have for anyone researching their German roots using old German Church records. For me, I find myself reaching for this book more than any other. Easy and comfortable to use. I highly recommend this one!



5. This dictionary contains many useful definitions for current occupations but is somewhat weak in occupations found in prior centuries. The listing of abbreviations is probably worth the cost of the book as these are especially difficult to find.

2 comments about Finding Your German Ancestors : A Beginner's Guide.

1. I am just beginning to trace my ancestors to the French-German border area. I found the background history in this book to be helpful in giving me insight into why my ancestors may have left their homes to come to America. The contacts and sources suggested later in the book likewise provide me a good starting point for dealing with foreign leads.



2. It IS inexpensive, so that's a good thing. However, the book was about 50% history from the Roman Empire to the formation of the German state. None of this historical information would be of use to a beginner since it does self-identify as a "beginners guide". One thing that would be of obvious benefit would be for the book to include comprehensive examples of common german language documents such as birth, death, baptismal, etc, records. Nope. No such things. As someone who is doing family research with German documents, there are about 10 documents that are similar and are used over and over again throughout the German world. How about a translation of said documents?? How about explaining why, in some instances, the maiden name is omitted for the mother in birth documents? The book does have a bunch of contact information that anyone could amass in an afternoon on the internet. However, it was written in 1999, so who knows how valid the information is at this point. If I had to choose again, I'd go to the library and read it in about an hour. After that, I would photocopy the pages with contact information for a dollar and then be done with it. Don't buy it, but if you do, understand what you are getting and know that it isn't a reference book in any meaningful way. It really made me think that I could write a much better guide over the summer that would truly be useful for the beginner. Hmmmm...

4 comments about A New Genealogical Atlas of Ireland, Second Edition.

1. t' de flo' wid y



2. Now in a new and expanded second edition, A New Genealogical Atlas Of Ireland by genealogical expert Brian Mitchell has added maps detailing the location of Roman Catholic parishes in all thirty-two counties of Ireland, and Presbyterian congregations in the nine counties of Northern Ireland. A complete geographical picture of the three major religious dominations in Ireland during the middle years of the 19th century is another newly added feature. An invaluable reference and guide for doing genealogical research for an Irish ancestry, A New Genealogical Atlas Of Ireland continues to be an indispensable, core addition to personal, professional, and genealogical society reference collections.



3. Now in an updated second edition, genealogy research expert Brian Mitchell's A New Genealogical Atlas Of Ireland is a very straightforward, accessible reference, presenting maps of each Irish county. Each county has five maps: one depicting the Church of Ireland parishes, one showing the baronies and Church of Ireland dioceses, one of the poor law unions and parishes included within probate districts, one of Roman Catholic parishes and dioceses, and a fifth set of maps for the nine counties of Northern Ireland shows Presbyterian congregations. Since civil registration for everyone in Ireland didn't begin until 1864, A New Genealogical Atlas Of Ireland is an extremely useful reference for tracing ancestors who lived prior to 1864. An invaluable contribution to genealogical reference and resource materials.



4. This book doesn't give me all the answers I needed, but it has been a trememdous help in getting closer to finding my Irish Ancestors. Worth adding to my bookshelf.

5 comments about Ancestral Trails. The Complete Guide to British Genealogy and Family History, Second Edition.

1. The field of genealogical research in Great Britain is littered with literature. This scepter'd isle has a long history of excellently preserved source records, an enthusiastic community of genealogists, and a wealth of authors willing to guide the enthusiasts through the records. Given this background, it is difficult to imagine that a new work on British genealogical research could quickly become a new "standard reference". Mark Herber has made his Ancestral Trails just such a standard. Ancestral Trails, written in association with the Society of Genealogists in the United Kingdom, is 688 pages of top quality writing, organization, and completeness of coverage. It takes a textbook approach to the subject of genealogical records, leading the reader from the more basic sources such as civil registration and parish records on to the more specialized such as military and educational records. Far from being dry in style, the author uses well chosen examples from his own years of researching his ancestors to explain how the record types in question can be used by the family historian. Some authors who use examples from their own research can detract from their work by doing so. In contrast, Mark Herber has made his personal examples of real research situations enhance the text because of their relevancy to his topics. Nearly one hundred examples of significant records are included as illustrations. Researchers experienced in using British records as well as beginners will find this encyclopedic guide useful. The author covers newly-available resources such as the 1881 Census Index and provides excellent research advice and several clever shortcuts to using this new finding aid. Those researchers with Essex ancestors will be doubly blessed by this book as many of Mark Herber's examples are from research in that county. The extensive bibliography really sets this book apart as a new standard reference. Almost one thousand bibliographic references are conveniently referenced from within the book's 30 chapters. Researchers familiar with particular record types will be pleasantly surprised to find Ancestral Trails referring to an exhaustive list of other works on the topic. The author's writing style lucidly describes the important considerations when working with a record type and seamlessly refers the reader to the more specialized works of other authors for greater detail. Ancestral Trails is a thick and thorough tome and an excellent addition to the research knowledge of anyone with British ancestry.



2. "No other publication gives such comprehensive and up-to-date guidance on tracing British ancestry and researching family history. Illustrated throughout with more than ninety examples of the major types of records, and with detailed lists of further reading, Ancestral Trails will be the essential companion and guide for all family historians." Anthony Camp, Director, Society of Genealogists.

   This excellent publication was created in association with the prestigious Society of Genealogists, perhaps akin to the US' National Genealogical Society. The author Mark D. Herber is a solicitor who began researching his family in 1979. He has successfully traced some of his lines back to around 1580.

   Indeed I was impressed with this 674 page "encyclopedia." (Quotes added for emphasis!) The bibliography alone is twenty-two pages. My experience with English records has been limited to early parish records in Devon and some Court of Canterbury wills, so I was most eager to have the opinion of three friends who do extensive English, Welsh and Irish research, and indeed are successful in helping others make strong headway in their research. You can imagine the excitement at our local LDS Family History Center as they poured over the book with uncustomary enthusiasm!

   The consensus is that ANCESTRAL TRAILS is as definitive of British research as Ancestry's THE SOURCE is of American genealogy. Lew, a 1st generation Brit, was impressed with the chapter on military records, and made a note to order the book forthwith. Elsie, born of English immigrant parents, had been inquiring previously about manor court records and found this publication provided more than she had found in explanation elsewhere. I was impressed with the 94 illustrations, including typical certificates of vital records, representative samples of wills and the like.

   Also impressive is the attention given to beginning genealogists. Basics such as pedigree charts, personal recollections & memorabilia, spelling, handwriting, dates, obtaining certificates and organization of collected materials are discussed with ample illustrations.

   Additional chapters include: General Problems Encountered by Researchers, Civil Registration of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Census Returns, Parish Registers, Churchyards and Cemeteries, Directories, Combining Sources, Archives, Libraries and Family History Societies, Wills and Administrations,Catholic, Nonconformist and Jewish Records, Marriage and Divorce, Maps, Land Registrations and Property Records, Local and Social History, Newspapers and Elections,Parish and Town Records, Records of the Army, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force, Records of Shipping and Seaman, Records of Trades, Professions and Business, Oaths, Taxation and Insurance Records Records of Civil and Ecclesiastical Courts, Records of the Criminal Courts and Criminals, Education, Peerages, the Gentry, Famous People and Heraldry, Further Property Records, Tracing Migrants and Living Relatives, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands Immigration, Emigration and Investigation Abroad

   Appendices included essential information under the following topics: Codes for areas and volumes in the GRO Indexes, Indexes to other GRO records, Chapman County Codes, Seize Quarters of Bessie Maude Symes, Extracts from the Bullied and Keates family trees, Public Record Office Information Leaflets, County Record Offices & other archives, Commencement dates of the reigns of English and British monarchs, Wills & Administrations in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury: A Summary of Finding-Aids, Records of the Court of Chancery: A summary of Finding-Aids.

   Owing only to its tiny print, you'll need a magnifying glass in addition to your bi-focals to glean all that's contained in Ancestral Trails. On the best advice of our resident "British Research Gurus," I most heartily recommend this book.

   DearMYRTLE

   Daily Genealogy Columnist

   Genealogy Forum on America Online

   Keyword: dearmyrtle




3. This is simply the best manual of English genealogy ever published. Let's hope any upcoming edition acknowledges the existance of the Internet.



4. I checked this book out from my local library because I felt that I was floundering with my British research. This book answered all the questions that I had, and much, much more. I'm not going to write a long review of this because there are a couple of other excellent reviews here already. I just wanted to add that there is a second edition of this book, from January 2004, available in England, but unfortunately not in the US yet. Because the internet is so valuable to those of us trying to do research from abroad, I decided to spend the extra money and order the newer edition from www.amazon.co.uk . It is more expensive, but it seemed worth it to me to have the most recent edition. If that's important to you, check the publication date on the edition advertised.



5. Now in a completely updated and substantially revised second edition, "Ancestral Trails: The Complete Guide To British Genealogy And Family History by Mark Herber continues to be an invaluable and indispensable genealogical reference guide for novice and experienced genealogists alike whose researches require them to access the voluminous British archives of records and other published resources. Originally published in 1997 in association with the Society of Genealogists based in London, this new and expanded edition of "Ancestral Trails" provides an informed and informative guide to what records and published sources are available, how to access them, how to analyze what they archive; how to use the divers 'finding-aids' and indexes. "Ancestral Trails" also shows how to obtain and process information from living relatives, how to construct family trees, how to utilize the preserved records of birth, marriage, death, and other census data. Also covered are such sources as wills, parish records, civil and ecclesiastical court records, poll books, and property records. "Ancestral Trails" is a core addition to any professional genealogy library reference collection and a 'must' for aspiring genealogists having to deal with British source material.

1 comments about Clans and Families of Scotland: The History of the Scottish Tartan.

1. This book follows a well worn pattern but does it well. A small section is devoted to each name, its tartan is illustrated and, in this case, a major advantage is the inclusion of the heraldic drawings of the chief's arms and in some cases, standards, by the late Don Pottinger, Islay Herald at the Court of the Lord Lyon.

   The limitation of this formula is that is it virtually impossible to say anything meaningful in such a short space about a whole clan and often the illustrations of the tartans are too small to allow the full sett to be seen.

   This book finds the same problems when describing each name but its tartans are better than most, although it is impossible, for instance, to see the whole pattern of the Cameron of Lochiel tartan as illustrated. Useful additions, however, are some of the main branches of each clan, and,where one exists, its slogan or battle-cry.

   Some names are included which are not clans but families for whom a tartan is named. Particularly useful for those not already familiar with it is the map showing main clan locations on pp52-55. This is the work of Don Pottinger and the late Sir Iain Moncreiffe of that Ilk, Albany Herald and it contains a wealth of information.

   There are a number of useful articles included in the text and the whole book is most atractively laid out. A good introduction to the subject and well above the usual standard.

5 comments about Saxons, Vikings, and Celts: The Genetic Roots of Britain and Ireland.

1. The book, "Saxons, Vikings, and Celts," is a fantastic "read," and not just for quasi-amateur genealogists or DNA-obsessed readers like me. Because it is down-to-earth and includes just the right amount of technical vocabulary, usually well-defined, it will suit the popular taste and those who love a taste of mystery, science, and suspense. As a member of the Hawley Society, a group dedicated to researching the Hawley surname and the descendents of one Joseph Hawley who left England and arrived in America possibly around 1630, I found the answers to some nagging questions about the movements of my ancestors, where they came from and how they dispersed. The "story" was enlightening, exciting, and exhilerting--but informative, most of all.



2. Although there was some very interesting information in this book, there was not nearly as much as I had hoped for. Not an easy read. Perhaps it's the subject, not the author.



3. This is in general an interesting book, thoroughly researched and presented mostly in an concise, easy to follow format. Occasionally Sykes tends to over-explain his methodology in research and the prose becomes a bit tdeious. Personally, I find the stories of the people more compelling than the science of DNA study and while there is some of that you must slog through a fair amount of data to get to the human story. All in all I'd recommend this book although I am still waiting for an author who can better make the lives of our ancestors come to life in a compelling and thoughtful manner. Sykes research results offer few surprises from the genetic makeup of the people of the United Kingdom, and serves primarily to substantiate the history we all learned in school. As my own heritage is English, Scottish & Irish I found some insight into my background but little new. The WASP appellation is now supported not only by conventional history but by genetics as well.



4. _Saxons, Vikings, and Celts_ by Bryan Sykes is the author notes on page one the first book of its type, one on the genetic history of Britain and Ireland (which he refers to as the Isles throughout the book), using DNA as the main source of information. Having looked at much larger issues in the human past he wanted to "dissect the intimate genetic make-up of a smaller region," to look at the truth behind some of the popularly held ideas and myths about the Isles.
   
   Throughout the centuries monarchs have used myths and legends about the origins of various peoples to justify their leadership and to bolster their policies. Several kings used Arthurian legends to justify their reign, believing the Britons, personified by Arthur, to be the truly indigenous people of the whole of Britain and the later Saxons "treacherous imposters," despite evidence for Arthur's very existence being on shaky archaeological ground (questions about him were raised at least as far back as the early 1500s by Renaissance scholar Polydore Vergil). Edward I said he was merely fulfilling Merlin's prophecies in his campaigns in Wales and Henry VII used Arthurian myth effectively in his defeat of Richard III.
   
   In a complete about face, Henry VIII, after his bitter break with Rome, instead pushed forward the idea that the original Britons had been wiped out and the English were in fact the linear descent of Saxons, who of course now were no longer vilified but lionized as "strong, self-confident, and adventurous," who had triumphed over the weak Britons and who possessed the stout spirit of Protestant independence of the Teutonic Germans.
   
   What began as part of a declaration of religious independence from Rome transformed into a "virulent doctrine of Saxon/Teutonic racial superiority over the other inhabitants of the Isles," one that was to have far-reaching consequences. The Teutonic Myth and "Teutomaniacs" encouraged racist and divisive policies against the Welsh, Scots, and Irish, a mind-set that only began to fade with Germany's enthusiastic embrace of the myth themselves.
   
   The pendulum seems to have swung the other way again - albeit with considerably less racist overtones -with a virtual Celtic Renaissance and the rise of the "Celtic brand," as people throughout Scotland, Wales, and Ireland but also among those of British descent in America enthusiastically buy "Celtic" jewelry, play "Celtic" music, and celebrate "Celtic" holidays, all this despite the fact that the notion of the Celts as separate people and the idea of any similarities between the Welsh, Scots, and Irish didn't really arise until the 1700s. Nevertheless, this hasn't stopped concepts of being Celtic from serving as both political rallying cry and tapping into feelings of displacement and affinity with aboriginal peoples.
   
   Sykes wanted to cut through all of these myths. To what degree are the people of the Isles really Saxon or Celtic (or in the north Viking)? Are these purely cultural movements, myths put forward by kings to serve political ambitions, or is there some grain of truth to these eagerly embraced (and exploited) beliefs?
   
   Sykes wasn't the first to begin delving into the origins of the British people in a scientific manner. Even at the height of Saxon mania in the Victoria era, one individual, a barrister by the name of Luke Owen Pike, was questioning notions of racial superiority and purity and the very idea of the complete extermination of native peoples by invaders, putting forth the way-ahead-of-his-time notion that what would result would be the creation of a hybridized racial mixture, one in which the indigenous component would generally predominate. Although amateur naturalist John Beddoe struggled to come up with an impartial system of classifying physical appearance into different groups and early work with human blood groups (the famous types A, B, O, and AB) went a long way towards removing prejudice and human error from investigating the origins of various populations in the Isles, it took the discovery and analysis of DNA to make real strides. The blood groups studies were a "blunt instrument," lacking the finesse of the detailed findings of later DNA work and unfortunately tempted researchers to either fabricate arguments to explain their findings or were often so broad in outcome as to justify preconceived notions.
   
   Sykes and his team used two tools. One was mitochondrial DNA (or mDNA), which has two outstanding properties for its use to analyze the human past. First, it mutates twenty times faster than regular DNA (by comparison the rate of nuclear DNA mutation is so low that we are virtually all the same), and second all mDNA comes only from the mother, who got it from her mother (men do not pass down mDNA). Amazingly, at any time in the past, be it 100 or 10,000 years ago, there was only one woman alive at the time from which you have inherited your mDNA from.
   
   This of course only tells the female side, what about the male? For that Sykes looked at the Y-chromosome, found of course only in men. It is a mirror image of the inheritance pattern for mDNA and fortunately does vary enough genetically over time to be useful in a study.
   
   So what did the study reveal? Is evidence of Saxon, Viking, and Celtic culture in the Isles the consequence of large-scale immigration or instead the result of indigenous people copying and adapting new styles, perhaps imposed by a small conquering minority? To vastly oversimplify this wonderful book, overall the genetic structure of the Isles is "stubbornly" Celtic, if by Celtic one means the people who were here before the Romans and who spoke a Celtic language. While the people of the Shetland and Orkney Islands do have a substantial Viking genetic presence (40% and 30% respectively), surprisingly 10% in the east and 5% in the north of England owe their genetic heritage to Saxons, Danes, or Normans, "only denting the Celtic substructure." There is also no genetic evidence of any large-scale Celtic immigration from central Europe to the Isles either.



5. I read the 2007 US edition of the 2006 UK book aka "Blood of the Isles: Exploring the Genetic Roots of Our Tribal History".
   
   The author-scientist chases the matrilineal and patrilineal genes of the UK and Ireland in order to compare his statistics with history books - which are in for a couple of revisions.
   
   I find the results very rewarding to read, no matter of how much expendable information on his field work quest may be appreciated or not. (There are worse books in this aspect.) What bothers me is what he is NOT really indulging in. Because that has dire consequences in the reader's thinking processes. As a few reviewers have pointed out already, there isn't one mother's and one father's line of genetic inheritance only, but many many more. I would like to be more precise: The number of ancestors doubles with every generation. Calculating with some 20-25 years for one generation, no calculator will be able to depict the number of zillions of ancestors for not even the earliest times considered in this book. In fact, all ancestors will feature many times in every person's family tree. For easy counting, any human who produced a surviving line of descendents in the year 0 is a multiple ancestor of EVERY human living today. Not only in "the isles". On earth. In other words, putting individuals in separate units of so-called clans is a new level of racism, which may be called geneticism. Please be aware that this ugly word "racism" doesn't need to have the connotation of intended bad feelings and behavior towards a group of people. (That will follow more or less intense automatically.) Literally, it means the belief in / the doctrine [of the existence] of races. As a geneticist, Bryan Sykes knows perfectly well, that there aren't any races. Yet, he replaces this construct with another: The belief / the doctrine [of the existence] of clans. So maybe it should get called "clanism". That in science language will be "racism" again, as the Arabic/Semitic root word "ras" means head, in this context origin of a group of people. Many well-intended reviews on this site confirm the misleading ways, this book has been written in. Readers easily think, they belong to two clans. In reality, they belong to EVERY genetic clan. But only two are contemporarily measurable. That is indeed racism on a sophisticated 21st century level. Constructed sense of identification not by ethnic looks, but by constructed genes. Brian Sykes even points out, how much people seem to feel to belong to each other out of nowhere after realizing their clan connections. That these are one or even two out of a complete line of re-connection of the entire humanity in by far less than two millennia, is completely not realized. Feeling connected to one particular group means to feel disconnected to all other groups of the same category. And yes, out of hand, I would have to get in a science fiction mood to draw some conclusions, of how that may turn out ugly for society. I don't know yet. But humanity WILL find out, as humanity's meme pool is programmed to turn EVERY constructed line of separation into the ugly parts of history books. Most certainly, already, this construct PREVENTS a feeling of a healing complete belonging to EVERYONE, as we have the respective potential knowledge for that today. Ironically, Bryan Sykes references the 19th century German linguist (Friedrich) Max Müller who was more or less involuntarily responsible for the belief in races, with all its later ugly consequences to this very day. I wonder, wether Bryan Sykes may go down similarly in history...
   
   As for his history revisions based on genetics: Most certainly, his findings merit some attention. However, contrary to popular belief, we cannot be SURE about the absolute validity of the conclusions drawn from the hard genetic facts - again: of two lines of heritage out of all of them, which are virtually indefinite. The only thing, his work is able to say, is which of these two lines were able to dominate all others. In this context, it is important to realize the misconception to say that the others are extinct. For they are all still in us, just not measurable with current science. Bryan Sykes' work may point into a general direction. Or it may not. Or it's a mix of both. Because according to the chaos theory, the smallest events are able to cause the most grave consequences futher down the time, in this case distortions of gene pools. Brian Sykes even makes a special point about the Genghis effect, i.e. one ruler being able to cause millions of descendents even via the single measurable patrilineal line. Only the tip of the iceberg, what may cause those distortions: differing copulation habits (spouse picking) according to e.g. visual ethnicity, social status, cultural customs such as marriage systems, free love, rape society, religious abstinence etc. Add political factors, such as slow or sudden genocide, prohibitive marriage laws based on groups; the average number of kids per family according to peer group. Also consider that absolute numbers and proportion of society may change differently along the centuries. Last not least, the fertility rate of different genes play a role. I wonder, wether different pictures of revised history may emerge, depending on considering representative DNA-samples of human remains of certain centuries. Maybe, a future book with the title "The Bones of the Isles" will tell us a completely different scenario. Don't get me wrong: Bryan Sykes' (and other geneticists') work is important as a step, maybe even a milestone towards an ever better overstanding of history. This book however tells history with a few pieces of the puzzle only, but presents itself as the entire picture. That way, the author gets in line with those historic historians/scientists who are listed by later colleagues as having thought wrongly because of certain respective contemporary thinking.
   
   In addition, I was a bit disappointed, as I thought, this book would use hard evidence genetics to enlighten certain controversial issues. Such as: Were the early "Britons" really black skinned and some of these derived from Egypt? Books suggesting one and/or the other include David MacRitchie's 1880s two-volume classic Ancient and Modern Britons: Volume One (Ancient & Modern Britons), Ivan Van Sertima's 1980s African Presence in Early Europe (Journal of African Civilizations) and Ralph Ellis' 2006 Cleopatra to Christ (Jesus was the Great Grandson of Cleopatra) / Scota, Egyptian Queen of the Scots (Ireland and Scotland were founded by an Egyptian Queen) [Two Books in One]. Though I find the last of these three generally not that good a book, Bryan Sykes actually confirms at least the part of heritage from northern Iberia. (Ellis suggests northern Spain as the stepping stone of migration from Egypt.) Sykes goes a bit into the issue of phenotype, but only very tentatively. Briefly mentioning a rare sub-saharan clan in the UK (not by more recent migration). Ultimately, he shies away from this hot potatoe. Speaking of more recent migrations: Obviously, he leaves out supposedly visually distinctive more recent migrants. Why can't they have ancient British genes as well? Do they HAVE to be more recent migrants? May there be common clans among ancient and more recent migrants on the next larger level? Arbitrarily, he stops with the borders of Europe to identify clans. That is HIS artificial parameters, not the one of the genes, which don't care about constructed political boundaries. And is the focus on the countryside genes really adequately representative?
   
   Last not least, either the Celts or the Picts may have managed to dominate the other via these two measurable gene lines, as is visually and/or genetically obvious in other instances, e.g. with one genetic line in the Black Jews called the Lemba in southern Africa. Most certainly, it will help to read the previous books by the author, in which he attempts to describe his clan mothers and fathers visually. (The Seven Daughters of Eve and Adam's Curse: A Future without Men). In one aspect, he seems to be completely mistaken: He avers, the megalith culture would be "a purely Atlantic phenomenon, owing nothing at all to the Mediterranean world." At least, he is mentioning Atlantic Africa as well, which other books studiously ignore. However, even the very orthodox history book of 1977 Megalith Builders devotes entire chapters to Maltese megalith temples and other megalithic structures of pre-dynastic Egypt, Syria and elsewhere in the Mediterranean.
   
   The bottom line is: This book is worthy to read, but please don't get pulled in by the construction of yet another separation, the so-called genetic clans.