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Judy Webster's Genealogy Tips and Indexes for local, interstate & overseas folk with historical records in Queensland and other Australian States. © Copyright, Judy Webster.    Search this site Why I use and recommend Findmypast

I've read many of these books, and the others are recommended by friends and colleagues. Within each category - 'Family History and Genealogy', 'Historical Background for Family Historians' and 'Genealogical crime mysteries (fiction)' - titles are arranged by author's surname. (The Book Depository, which was my favourite online bookshop, has now closed, so you'll have to look elsewhere for these books. Some may only be available as secondhand copies via Abe Books.)

Family History and Genealogy

• The Family Tree Polish, Czech and Slovak Genealogy Guide: How to Trace Your Family Tree in Eastern Europe (Lisa Alzo).
  
  
• The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy, 2nd edition, 2019 (Blaine T. Bettinger). [This plain-English guide explains what DNA tests are available (with up-to-date pros and cons of the major testing companies), how to interpret DNA test results and ethnicity, and how to use third-party tools to analyse your data.]
  
  
• Tracing Your Insolvent Ancestors: A Guide for Family Historians (Paul Blake). [Very detailed, so not a book for beginners.]
  
  
• Tracing Your East End Ancestors (Jane Cox).
  
  
• Tracing Your Welsh Ancestors (Beryl Evans).
  
  
• Tracing Your Irish Ancestors, revised 5th edition, 2019 (John Grenham).
  
  
• Unofficial Guide to Ancestry.com: How to Find Your Family History, 2nd edition, 2018 (Nancy Hendrickson).
  
  
• Ancestral Trails: The Complete Guide to British Genealogy and Family History, 2nd edition (Mark D. Herber).
  
  
• Tracing Your Ancestors Through Death Records: A Guide for Family Historians, 2nd revised edition (Celia Heritage).
  
  
• Tracing Your Servant Ancestors (Michelle Higgs).
  
  
• A Guide to Tracing Your Family History Using the Census, published 2020 (Emma Jolly). [Censuses in England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are all examined and the differences explained. Particular emphasis is placed on the rapidly expanding number of websites that offer census information.]
  
  
• Tracing Your British Indian Ancestors (Emma Jolly).
  
  
• Family History for Kids (Emma Jolly & David Popey).
  
  
• Unofficial Guide to FamilySearch.org: How to Find Your Family History on the World's Largest Free Genealogy Website, 2nd edition, 2020 (Dana McCullough).
  
  
• Sharing Your Family History Online: A Guide for Family Historians, published 2021 (Chris Paton). [This explores the many ways in which we can present our research and encourage collaboration online, in order to make our research work further for us.]
  
  
• Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records: A Guide for Family Historians, published 2021 (Chris Paton). ["It is often within land records that we can find evidence of our ancestors' existence, in some cases the only evidence." Ireland's land records are becoming increasingly available online.]
  
  
• Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet: A Guide for Family Historians, 2nd edition, 2019 (Chris Paton).
  
  
• Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet: A Guide for Family Historians, published 2020 (Chris Paton).
  
  
• Marriage Law for Genealogists, revised 2nd edition (Rebecca Probert). ["An indispensable guide for tracing marriages of English and Welsh ancestors between 1600 and the twentieth century."]
  
  
• Advanced Genetic Genealogy, published 2019 (Debbie Parker Wayne). [For intermediate and advanced researchers. If you're a beginner, start with The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy.]
  
  
• Tracing Your Lancashire Ancestors (Sue Wilkes).
  
  
• Tracing Your Georgian Ancestors: A Guide for Family and Local Historians (John Wintrip).
  
  
• Tracing Your Pre-Victorian Ancestors: A Guide to Research Methods for Family Historians (John Wintrip).

Historical Background for Family Historians

• Greater London: The Story of the Suburbs (Nick Barratt).
  
  
• The Tyranny of Distance: How Distance Shaped Australia's History (Geoffrey Blainey).
  
  
• At Home: A Short History of Private Life (Bill Bryson). [To write this book, the author "researched the history of anything and everything, from architecture to electricity, from food preservation to epidemics, from the spice trade to the Eiffel Tower, from crinolines to toilets."]
  
  
• Empty Cradles (Oranges and Sunshine) (Margaret Humphreys). [The book that exposed the heartbreaking scandal of Britain's 'child migrants' who were deported from children's homes in Britain and sent to other countries including Australia.]
  
  
• Weevils in the Flour: an Oral Record of the 1930s Depression in Australia (Wendy Lowenstein). [This magnificent account of the experiences of ordinary Australians during the 1930s Great Depression will help you to picture what life was like for your ancestors. No matter how many times I cull my book collection, this is one that I will keep forever. For a cheaper copy in used condition, try here.]
  
  
• The Story of English (Robert McCrum, Robert MacNeil and William Cran). [I enjoyed the TV miniseries immensely, so I bought the book! It presents a stimulating and comprehensive record of spoken and written English, from its Anglo-Saxon origins to the present day (Cockney, Scouse, Scots, Gulla, Singlish, Franglais, African American slang, etc).]
  
  
• Lark Rise to Candleford (Flora Thompson). [This immortal trilogy, based on the author's experiences during childhood and youth, is a heartwarming portrayal of country life in Oxfordshire at the end of the 19th century.]
  
  
• Call The Midwife: A True Story of the East End in the 1950s (Jennifer Worth). I enjoyed this so much that I immediately bought the two books in which the story continues: Shadows of the Workhouse: The Drama of Life in Postwar London and Farewell to the East End: The Last Days of the East End Midwives.

Genealogical crime mysteries (fiction)

• Nathan Dylan Goodwin: Books in the Morton Farrier genealogical crime mystery series can be enjoyed as stand-alone stories.
  
  
• Steve Robinson: Books in the Jefferson Tayte genealogical mysteries series, which can be enjoyed as stand-alone stories, are available in paperback and as audiobooks narrated by Simon Vance.

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