It goes through all the steps you needto uncover your past. It has pictures and really interesting things about using Family HistoryCenters. I barely knew anything about genealogy before reading this, but this really helped me. They give you a little history to keep things in context, then they go into the provinces, etc. ofItaly, then they tell you about Italian vital records, and they tell you how to write letters inItalian. They also give you a glossary of common Italian words in the back. Take a look at thisbook!
Researching the names, Genotti,Buffarini, Garibaldi, Renzi, Cuccuini, Janatte........
146 pages of Lots of where to start and what to look for, andhow to compare documents for validity. Included is a history of Italy, and has tables withthe Regions, Modern Provinces and the Pre-Unification Names, as well as maps. She discussesItalian naming traditions. There is a typical day in the life of a 19th century peasant.
A chapter focuses on how to determine your ancestors hometown using Census Records, ShipsPassenger Lists, Naturalization Documents, and others.
Another chapter depicts the besttips for using the Stato Civile, deciphering Italian handwriting, reading and understanding the Attodi Nascita, marriage, death, marginal annotations, etc.
How to use the Family HistoryLibrary is detailed. There is an Italian letter writing guide, Italian-English word list(occupations, months of year, numbers, genealogical terms...), and all the addresses of the ItalianArchivio di Stato (8 pages).
My favorite is a step by step example of researching arelative, through verbal interviews, FHL records, a checklist, and other research tools. Highlightsinclude side by side comparisons of original Italian documents (birth certificates, marriagecertificates, etc) with the English translations.
Well written and a good research tool, now inmy arsenal of books. WELL DONE LYNN!!! (except you forgot to list PIE - oooopppps) Even has a web page with forms (FREE) to download. http://www.erols.com/lynnn/dyia/main.html
Tony Cimorelli Webmaster for PIE Pursuing Our Italian Names Together In Email