genealogy - books
(return to genealogy)
There are many books which deal specifically with Italian Genealogy, but there are some that I highly recommend:
They Came in Ships : A Guide to Finding Your Immigrant Ancestor's Ship, by John Philip Colletta
If you are, as I was, baffled by the maze of microfilm and sources involved in trying to track down your ancestors' ships lists, you need this book!! The author very clearly explains the how the films are indexed, the exceptions to the rules, etc. Perhaps the most useful aspect of this book is the way the author walks you through various examples of how to take whatever information you have about your ancestor and how to use the indexes to track down where to start searching for your ancestor's ship. I read this book cover to cover twice, then tackled the library, and finally accomplished something!
Finding Italian Roots : The Complete Guide for Americans,
by John Philip Colletta
The largest wave of Italian immigrants to the U.S. was at the turn-of-the-century, making the 1910, 1920, and 1930 censuses invaluable; but Colletta considers every angle of research, and one of the best aspects of his guide is his full listing of reference works and genealogical collections. The bulk of his book is devoted to research in Italy, where local repositories assume importance; Colletta is rather amusing here, describing the general indifference to genealogy in Italy and the difficulty in dealing with comune--essentially, town hall--officials.
A Genealogist's Guide to Discovering Your Italian Ancestors : How to Find and Record Your Unique Heritage,
by Lynn Nelson
In one concise, well written book, Ms. Nelson has made researching an Italian family possible by giving simple, yet to-the-point directions to finding, reading, and understanding the documents and thought processes which will help you find your family.It helps make the past make sense,and is sized so that you can carry it with you to your research sites.
Italian Genealogical Records : How to Use Italian Civil, Ecclesiastical, & Other Records in Family History Research, Trafford R. Cole
This book has everything any person performing Italian genealogy research would want to know. I consider it my primary reference.
Very helpful for first time researchers. Detailed information and understandable. I recommend it.
more books...
Italian-American Family History : A Guide to Researching and Writing About Your Heritage,
Sharon Debartolo Carmack
Handy Guide to Italian Genealogical Records, Floren Stocks Preece
Our Italian Surnames, Joseph G. Fucilla
