Genealogy Gifts - Books
Genealogists seem to love the written word. Here are some books that they'll enjoy reading through to help them with their research.
Ancestral Town History
Just about every town in the world has put out some sort of the history of the town. For some towns it's a short description of their achievements over the years. For some it's a multi-volume tome describing their ancestry and deeds. For some towns and cities, there are literally hundreds of books going over every detail of the growth and expansion of that location.
Find out what town or towns your person is really interested in, and grab a book. As genealogy has become more popular, many towns are commissioning special photo books with letters and diaries. Be sure to contact the town hall of the town in question to see what's available.
Era-Specific Information
Is a person on your list fascinated with the Civil War, or the Revolutionary War, or another period in history? Look into books on that particular era. Many times, learning about the times in which someone lived help make it come alive. It helps make your ancestors seem more "real" if you get to understand what it was really like to live in those days.
Era-Specific Cookbooks
Perhaps a subset of the 'general information' category above, food really DOES get to the heart of most people. When you read about your ancestors living in the early 1820s in West Virginia, find a cookbook that helps you make the dishes they ate. If you read about their lives and eat the foods that they ate, it really helps you understand more about their world.
Research Assistance
Most genealogists have already built up their own library of reference sources and helper books, so be sure to check with the recipient first to see what he or she has. If the person is just starting to catch the genealogy bug, a good place to start is the "for dummies" series that can be found at just about any bookstore.
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Note - Lisa Shea wrote this content for the genealogy site at BellaOnline.com - you might still find this content there as well. That's fine :) I gave permission!
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