Review: Genealogy at a Glance: Virginia Genealogy Research by Carol McGinnis.

McGinnis, Carol. Virginia Genealogy Research. Genealogy at a Glance series. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2012. 4pp. ISBN 978-0-8063-1896-7. $8.95.

It must be impossible to read any blog, attend a meeting, or visit your favorite genealogy bookseller without stumbling across one of the recent spate of laminated, 4-page pamphlets designed to fill you in on any number of genealogical research subjects. While they're not comprehensive, they will jumpstart your research and point you in the right direction.

And, frankly, I find them quite appealing with their spillproof formats and implied promises of instant information gratification. Some are simple lists of sources and websites. The better ones are written by experts who provide relevant background (such as history and timelines), discuss what you can expect from the recommended resources, and give you location or access details.

Carol McGinnis' Virginia Genealogy Research is definitely one of the better ones. She provides a concise introduction to Virginia's origins and history then demonstrates how events affected the types and amount of records available. Despite its brief length, McGinnis succeeds in packing key information, especially about Virginia's stellar online collections, into her publication, If you're new to Virginia research, you will get a solid introduction about reliable sources you should check first. For more experienced researchers, you will recognize some old friends, be reminded of others, and surprised that some of them have moved off library shelves to websites. Here's a list of records and resources she covers:

• Overview of Virginia's beginnings and settlers
• Descriptions of vital, land, military, probate, census, and church records
• Significant published indexes and journals
• Major repositories
• Free online resources

A lot of useful, current information is packed into these 4 pages. In addition to treating the above topics, McGinnis includes tips and pointers to helpful sources for further research. It's important to note that her focus is mostly on state-level resources. When you're ready to dig deep into resources held by individual counties, you can't go wrong with another title by McGinnis--her outstanding Virginia Genealogy: Sources & Resources (1993).

Genealogical.com  claims each publication in its Genealogy at a Glance series is "a four-page distillation of the key ingredients in a given area of genealogical research." With Virginia Genealogy Research, both the author and the publisher have met this goal. The title is available from the publisher and Amazon. A few libraries across the U.S own this title so don't forget to check the one near you.

Review: An Uncommon Soldier edited by Lauren Cook Burgess

Burgess, Lauren Cook, ed. An Uncommon Soldier:  The Civil War Letters of Sarah Rosetta Wakeman, alias Private Lyons Wakeman, 153rd Regiment, New York State Volunteers. The Minerva Center. 1994. Bibliography. Index. 110p. ISBN 0-9634895-1-8.

 

Although not allowed to serve, women did sometimes disguise themselves as men and enlist in Confederate and Union military units. Since their continued service depended on secrecy, information about women soldiers serving in the Civil War is very hard to find and verify. Those who were discovered were discharged, often leaving in disgrace.

 

Burgess has successfully documented well over 150 women soldiers who saw military service during the Civil War. In An Uncommon Soldier, she applies her skill and knowledge gained by that research to bring to life the experiences of one woman, Sarah Rosetta Wakeman, whose letters home were preserved and passed down through the years by family members.

 

Sarah Rosetta Wakeman (1843-1864) was the first of nine children born to Harvey and Emily (Hale) Wakeman. She apparently left her home in Afton, New York in 1862, disguising herself as a man in order to work on the  Chenango Canal. She then enlisted in the 153rd Regiment, New York State Volunteers in 1862 as Pvt. Lyons Wakeman.

 

In her letters home, Wakeman often expresses her love for family and pride in her military service. She is also well aware how Army life has changed her. Writing home just before Christmas 1863, she explains, "I have enjoyed my self the best since I have been gone away from home than I ever did before in my life. I have had plenty of money to spend and a good time asoldier[ing]. I find just as good friends among Strangers as I do at home." At other times, Wakeman writes about farming techniques, day-to day camp activities (her descriptions with these topics are particularly appealing), and her belief she will survive the war. Sadly, she died from diarrhea contracted during the Red River campaign and was buried at Chalmette National Cemetery. 

 

Pvt. Wakeman's letters were carefully edited by Burgess to retain the writer's voice while adding punctuation and standardizing spelling for the convenience of modern readers. The many explanatory notes are very welcome additions and help clarify events and identify people mentioned by Wakeman. If you're interested in reading the unedited letters, however, photocopies are available at the Library of Congress.

 

Recommended for students, Civil War buffs, and genealogists with specific interests in the Wakeman family and the 153rd Regiment, New York State Volunteers. The book is widely available at many libraries in the U.S. as well as at several online vendors. Cloth and paper editions are for sale at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com, beginning at about $10. Amazon also sells the Kindle edition for $9.99 while Lulu.com sells the eBook (pdf) edition for the same price.

Review: Digital Imaging Essentials by Geoffrey D. Rasmussen

Rasmussen, Geoffrey D. Digital Imaging Essentials: Techniques and Tips for Genealogists and Family Historians. Geoff Rasmussen. 2012. Index. Paper, $19.95. eBook, $14.95.

Many of you will recognize this author from his presentations at genealogy conferences and as the host of Legacy Family Tree's webinar series. I've enjoyed his enthusiastic and informative presentations on Legacy software as well as the webinars. He brings that same enthusiasm to his recent book which successfully demystifies working with digital cameras and images for genealogists.

In his book, he provides basic definitions and overviews of terminology, procedures and related to digital photography. The information is straightforward and easy to understand. I appreciated his focus on Adobe Elements 11 (the most current release of this popular software!) and Picasa.

This is a well-rounded introduction to digital photography for those of us who struggled with each advance in camera evolution--from Brownie to Polaroid to 35mm to digital. Digital Imaging Essentials won't be the only guide you need, but it's an excellent starting point if you're the slightest bit nervous about digital photography. Publishing the book in print and eBook formats is not only logical, it gives readers needed flexibility to access information when and where they need it.

About the formats. I downloaded the eBook and pre-ordered the paper edition from Legacy. After reading it on my pc, I uploaded a copy to my iPhone 3GS so I could refer to some of the information if (when) I splurge on a new digital camera. The whole process was very easy and the version on the iPhone is as readable as the one on my pc. The paper edition arrived a couple of weeks later and I found it has the same layout and illustrations as the eBook. Rasmussen also points out that the eBook will be updated as needed--a definite advantage.

This title appears to be for sale only at Legacy Family Tree in eBook (available to download right away) or paper editions. Special holiday pricing is also offered. If you plan to borrow the book from your local library, you may have a long wait--only a few public libraries list it in their catalogs. No library admits to owning the eBook edition--although I imagine this will change.