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Quillen's Essentials of Genealogy #4
Tracing Your European Roots
Genealogy expert W. Daniel Quillen offers valuable tools and resources for anyone tracing their European ancestors.
The United States is largely a nation populated by people of European roots, and many do-it-yourself genealogists find themselves in need of scouring European records to find their ancestors. New to this edition is a section on tracing your Scottish ancestors. This volume of Quillen’s Essentials of Genealogy shows readers how to do their own research to uncover their European ancestry. This book will cover the following topics: · Where to find European records · How to access European records · How to use the Internet to help you in your search · Pitfalls and issues in obtaining European records · Research tips for England, Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, and other European nations
The United States is largely a nation populated by people of European roots, and many do-it-yourself genealogists find themselves in need of scouring European records to find their ancestors. New to this edition is a section on tracing your Scottish ancestors. This volume of Quillen’s Essentials of Genealogy shows readers how to do their own research to uncover their European ancestry. This book will cover the following topics: · Where to find European records · How to access European records · How to use the Internet to help you in your search · Pitfalls and issues in obtaining European records · Research tips for England, Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, and other European nations
- GenresReference
200 pages, Paperback
First published March 27, 2012
1 person is currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
W. Daniel Quillen
11 books11 followersFor more than 20 years, W. Daniel Quillen has been a professional writer specializing in travel and technical subjects. He has taught beginning genealogy courses to university students and working adults, and is a frequent lecturer in beginning and intermediate genealogy classes in Colorado. He has compiled his years of genealogical training and research into a growing series of genealogy how-to books. He lives in Centennial, Colorado, with his wife and children.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 28, 2017
From time to time I enjoy reading about genealogy [1] and this particular book is part of a series that I was able to find in my library. In starting this book I was unaware of how large the series was and so I read it out of order, this being the fifth volume in the author's series modestly titled Quillen's Essentials of Genealogy. The audience for this book is a rather small one, I think, but one that is large enough to make a book like this a feasible project, and that is people who are interested in genealogy information that is targeted to particular regions where they know their family is from. This is the sort of book that is written without a great deal of frills and which includes a fair amount of repetition and is not likely the sort of book that one would read straight through but rather only for those parts that are of interest in uncovering one's genealogy through research undertaken of family lines in particular nations all over Europe. For those engaged in this purpose this book is likely to be somewhat useful although its web-based approach is also likely to be out of date fairly quickly.
The contents of this book are organized around the countries of Europe, and give resources that are tailored to the genealogical approach that each nation has had throughout its entire history. After spending the first four chapters giving an introduction, discussing basics, providing clues and hints, and showing research tools, the author progresses through various European countries providing specific advice and sample letters on how to gain research and even provides vocabulary that is likely to be read in the genealogical information the reader finds. These countries include Great Britain, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, and Spain. Each of the chapters provides information on the state of online as well as physical records recorded by church and state in the countries and a few references to history that demonstrate the complicated process of trying to recover information in the past about those nations and a few particularly gloomy historical tragedies.
This is a solid research book, but there are a few aspects of it that make it less timeless than it seeks to be. The author makes a point about one of his previous books, from which he recycles an anecdote about the Northern Irish use of homely to describe him and his wife, from a book that he says is out-of-print. He also refuses to state who was responsible for destroying hundreds of years of Irish genealogical research during the Irish Civil War. His consistent praise of the Mormons is perhaps understandable with regards to their eccentric religious beliefs involving ancestry and the baptism of the dead, but does make this book seem a bit boosterish sometimes. It is with regards to the online research into family history where this book appears the most in need of frequent revision, as it seems likely that websites will change or go out of date much faster than the more traditional means of family research. The author's comments about the availability or lack thereof of online research in various countries is also something subject to change. For example, the success of Portugal. The Man. on the pop charts could inspire the digitization of a large amount of Portuguese family history data that would make such family research easier to undertake. It may not be likely, but it is at least possible. It is also possible that information that is currently free could be placed behind ever-increasing paywalls, and therefore not accessible to the thrifty family historian. And so it goes. This is a worthwhile book, but more in a practical sense and less in an aesthetic sense.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
The contents of this book are organized around the countries of Europe, and give resources that are tailored to the genealogical approach that each nation has had throughout its entire history. After spending the first four chapters giving an introduction, discussing basics, providing clues and hints, and showing research tools, the author progresses through various European countries providing specific advice and sample letters on how to gain research and even provides vocabulary that is likely to be read in the genealogical information the reader finds. These countries include Great Britain, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, and Spain. Each of the chapters provides information on the state of online as well as physical records recorded by church and state in the countries and a few references to history that demonstrate the complicated process of trying to recover information in the past about those nations and a few particularly gloomy historical tragedies.
This is a solid research book, but there are a few aspects of it that make it less timeless than it seeks to be. The author makes a point about one of his previous books, from which he recycles an anecdote about the Northern Irish use of homely to describe him and his wife, from a book that he says is out-of-print. He also refuses to state who was responsible for destroying hundreds of years of Irish genealogical research during the Irish Civil War. His consistent praise of the Mormons is perhaps understandable with regards to their eccentric religious beliefs involving ancestry and the baptism of the dead, but does make this book seem a bit boosterish sometimes. It is with regards to the online research into family history where this book appears the most in need of frequent revision, as it seems likely that websites will change or go out of date much faster than the more traditional means of family research. The author's comments about the availability or lack thereof of online research in various countries is also something subject to change. For example, the success of Portugal. The Man. on the pop charts could inspire the digitization of a large amount of Portuguese family history data that would make such family research easier to undertake. It may not be likely, but it is at least possible. It is also possible that information that is currently free could be placed behind ever-increasing paywalls, and therefore not accessible to the thrifty family historian. And so it goes. This is a worthwhile book, but more in a practical sense and less in an aesthetic sense.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
August 5, 2022
Quillen seems to use basically the same templates for his books, but there is always something new to learn. The information here is bout ten years old, so it outdated in many respects. However, he shows where to look for data about each country and users of the book might discover that there is actually more than he noted! FamilySearch information still discusses borrowing microfilm rather than all the more recent digital accesses.
The main concern for myself, as a retired librarian, is that the book really needed an editor (or better one). The title page on my copy says "2nd edition" and the copy has 183 pages. The same ISBN is used as another version with 144 pages. The introduction also gives the title as Mastering Your European Roots." The number of the volume is also curious; the title page says it's v. 5 of the Quillen's Essentials of Genealogy series, but the introduction says it's the fourth volume (which is shown on GR, too). So, one wonders what else might be wrong. There are other ISBNs of this work that DO say "2nd edition" on the cover and seem to have other pagination. Those might also be more up-to-date, I would think.
I do find his style to be very easy to read, with a sense of humor included, as well as good examples at times.
The main concern for myself, as a retired librarian, is that the book really needed an editor (or better one). The title page on my copy says "2nd edition" and the copy has 183 pages. The same ISBN is used as another version with 144 pages. The introduction also gives the title as Mastering Your European Roots." The number of the volume is also curious; the title page says it's v. 5 of the Quillen's Essentials of Genealogy series, but the introduction says it's the fourth volume (which is shown on GR, too). So, one wonders what else might be wrong. There are other ISBNs of this work that DO say "2nd edition" on the cover and seem to have other pagination. Those might also be more up-to-date, I would think.
I do find his style to be very easy to read, with a sense of humor included, as well as good examples at times.
April 22, 2018
I have found Quillen's books an excellent introduction to genealogy. Having read most of his Essentials series, I do find them somewhat repetitive but did find them worth reading as I start on this adventure ie trying to trace both my and my husband's ancestors.
October 10, 2020
reference-book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2013
I just finished reading this book and I can’t tell you how much it is going to help me. I have just begun researching my German ancestors and I was quite afraid of how I was going to figure it all out. W. Daniel Quillen’s book gave me exactly what I needed to get the ball rolling.I have read several of his other books on genealogy and as was the case with them, I found a wealth of solid usable information with enough humor and interesting facts about his family to keep me from getting bored.
One thing I have discovered about Mr. Quillen’s books is that once you’ve read one, you find all kinds of reasons to read the others. I have almost the entire set now and I refer back to them frequently when I need a refresher or a tip. ANother great thing about this series of books is that Quillen uses his actual experiences and results to make points and clarify sticky issues.
Tracing your Eurpoean Roots is an excellent guide for stepping out of the comfort zone (once again) and searching out those relatives from far off places.
One thing I have discovered about Mr. Quillen’s books is that once you’ve read one, you find all kinds of reasons to read the others. I have almost the entire set now and I refer back to them frequently when I need a refresher or a tip. ANother great thing about this series of books is that Quillen uses his actual experiences and results to make points and clarify sticky issues.
Tracing your Eurpoean Roots is an excellent guide for stepping out of the comfort zone (once again) and searching out those relatives from far off places.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews