Smart Family History

Smart Family History, newly published in 2006, is written at an intermediate level for the person researching family history in England and Wales. The blurb by The National Archives, the publisher, reads "This is a unique concise guide for family historians who have looked at basic sources and are impatient to find out more. .... Renowned for his talk ‘I’m stuck (up my family tree): where do I go from here?’, expert Geoff Swinfield offers a wealth of smart ideas to help you save time, avoid common pitfalls and progress your research more efficiently. ..."

Your Family Tree wrote "There is a wealth of intelligent advice...a useful, concise and informative book to keep at your side." and "Every genealogist will find new things to try in this convenient and affordable guide."

It is arranged by the stages of life, and the records to be expected for each of them, together with hints on research technique. Judging by the sample and statistics the writing is not overly technical. The layout seems rather pedestrian, but that's based on only two sample pages available out of nearly 250.

This is another good selection by Diana Hall, genealogy specialist at the Ottawa Public Library, to be purchased for their collection by way of a donation from the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa. Available at amazon.ca. ISBN: 1903365805