German Church Books: Beyond the Basics

Revised edition. By Kenneth L. Smith 223 pp. Dozens of illustrations, samples of original German 17th and 18th century church book entries; 8 pp of variant upper and lower case letters; appendices, indexes. 1993. soft cover

This valuable and complete how-to guide to doing research in German church books will interest, educate, and aid almost all genealogical researchers who have progressed beyond the simple basics covered by other how-to books. Starting with the assumption that the reader will already know how to read some "church book" German, the author takes you on a thorough examination of virtually all possible data which can be found in, or even more importantly, deduced from, German church books.

In an easily understood manner, the author walks the reader through the research problems and opportunities which occur. The book includes frequent specific examples and thorough discussion of the underlying principles involved. A complete set of hundreds of handwriting samples of each and every letter, both upper- and lower-case, adds an entirely separate and very valuable dimension.