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Bringing Your Family History to Life Through Social History: Katherine Scott Sturdevant
This first-ever guide shows researchers how to weave historical details into their genealogies to form a unique family history narrative.
242 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 23, 2017
One of the best books out there, Katherine Sturdevant is one of the leading authorities on Social History. Having taken a couple of classes with her, I am a bit biased.
I'd give it 5 stars, but the book is old and in this era of internet explosion, it needs to be updated and I believe there's something in the works. Hopefully the new edition will come out soon!
I'd give it 5 stars, but the book is old and in this era of internet explosion, it needs to be updated and I believe there's something in the works. Hopefully the new edition will come out soon!
May 30, 2010
This is a must read for taking your genealogy out of the boring gathering of names and dates to truly learning what life was like for your ancestor
February 15, 2017
An excellent book on gathering and researching social data, memorabilia, and ephemera to expand your knowledge of your ancestors and to give the reader a more holistic view of their genealogy. I have had the pleasure of taking classes with Mrs. Sturdevant. She is a very knowledgeable person who can bring to life ones ancestors so that you understand their life and the times they lived in. Her book gives you guidelines and tips to help you bring your own family's heritage to life.
June 11, 2019
This book will help the genealogy hound to become more than a keeper of facts. Names, dates and places are rather sterile facts. However, when we can add what life was like during those times, we have created an interesting history.
Katherine Sturdevant teaches how to create an accurate family history – even if you don’t have any family journals, diaries or tracts from your own immediate family. I found this book invaluable in helping me round out my family’s history.
Katherine Sturdevant teaches how to create an accurate family history – even if you don’t have any family journals, diaries or tracts from your own immediate family. I found this book invaluable in helping me round out my family’s history.
April 9, 2015
This book was recommended by Lisa Alzo during a webinar about crafting ancestor profiles. This book was an answer to a question from the audience.
One of the messages I took from this book is "No one can contribute your part of the family history better than you can....Your personal memories will be lost unless you record them." As you expand your scope, "You are writing history into your family and your family into history." Sturdevant has eleven points for cemetery care guidelines and how to do citations for photographs. I never considered documenting family artifacts before if you are "...the family historian, the Keeper of Everything." She provides guidelines for writing your family history such as don't fictionalize and do write in past tense.
My only objection to this book was the number of imperative sentences that come after the imperative topic sentences in her lists, such as the list "Writing Family History Technically." Remembering the 18-item list is difficult enough, let alone even more points. I resisted when I felt micro-managed.
Bringing Your Family History to Life Through Social History is worth being a well-used reference and resource on the shelf of every family historian and genealogist.
One of the messages I took from this book is "No one can contribute your part of the family history better than you can....Your personal memories will be lost unless you record them." As you expand your scope, "You are writing history into your family and your family into history." Sturdevant has eleven points for cemetery care guidelines and how to do citations for photographs. I never considered documenting family artifacts before if you are "...the family historian, the Keeper of Everything." She provides guidelines for writing your family history such as don't fictionalize and do write in past tense.
My only objection to this book was the number of imperative sentences that come after the imperative topic sentences in her lists, such as the list "Writing Family History Technically." Remembering the 18-item list is difficult enough, let alone even more points. I resisted when I felt micro-managed.
Bringing Your Family History to Life Through Social History is worth being a well-used reference and resource on the shelf of every family historian and genealogist.
May 7, 2016
A comprehensive, detailed guide on how to train yourself to notice even ordinary things as artifacts, guidelines on oral history, historical meanings within your photos, methods and resources of folklorists and using correspondence in your researches. One interesting chapter included a Cemetery Analysis Form. This book will help you include history behind the usual details of Genealogy.
April 23, 2017
Very informative book on looking at one's family history through the eyes of an historian. Especially like the sections on family photographs and writing letters! I wish this book wasn't out-of-print!
September 4, 2011
Enjoyed this read. The perspective of from the historical perspective brought my exploration of my family tree in a new context
August 5, 2015
I liked the premise of this book. To me, genealogy comes alive when my people are set in the social and historical context in which they lived.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews