The Kahans from Baku is the saga of a Russian Jewish family. Their story provides an insight into the history of Jews in the Imperial Russian economy, especially in the oil industry. The entrepreneur and family patriarch, Chaim Kahan, was a pious and enlightened man and a Zionist. His children followed in his footsteps in business as well as in politics, philanthropy, and love of books. The book takes us through their forced migration in times of war, revolution, and the twentieth century's totalitarian regimes, telling the story of fortune and misfortune of one cohesive family over four generations through Russia, Germany, Denmark, and France, and finally on to Palestine and the United States of America.

Can trauma be inherited? It is this question that sets Alex Halberstadt off on a quest to name and acknowledge a legacy of family trauma, and to end a cycle of estrangement that had endured for nearly a century. His search takes him across the troubled, enigmatic land of his birth. In Ukraine he tracks down his paternal grandfather - most likely the last living bodyguard of Joseph Stalin - to reckon with the ways in which decades of Soviet totalitarianism shaped and fractured three generations of his family. He returns to Lithuania, his Jewish mother's home, to revisit the legacy of the Holocaust and the pernicious anti-Semitism that remains largely unaccounted for, learning that the boundary between history and biography is often fragile and indistinct. And he visits his birthplace, Moscow, where his glamorous grandmother designed homespun couture for Soviet ministers' wives, his mother dosed dissidents at a psychiatric hospital, and his father made a living by selling black-market jazz and rock records. Finally, Halberstadt explores his own story: that of a fatherless immigrant who arrived in America, to a housing project in Queens, New York, as a ten-year-old boy struggling with identity, feelings of rootlessness and a yearning for home. He comes to learn that he was merely the latest in a lineage of sons who grew up alone, separated from their fathers by the tides of politics and history. As Halberstadt revisits the sites of his family's formative traumas, he uncovers a multigenerational transmission of fear, suspicion, melancholy, and rage. And he comes to realize something more: nations, like people, possess formative traumas that penetrate into the most private recesses of their citizens' lives.

Jonathan Scott's Family History Web Directory is an information-packed reference guide that distils the best of the internet into one easy-to-use format. Themed sections cover different topics, from 'getting started' to specific occupations, and there is an index reproducing all the websites in A-Z order. His handbook is a vital source for less experienced researchers, and a handy aide-memoire for more seasoned campaigners. Web addresses are listed by topic, then in order of importance and usefulness. An extraordinary range of sites that will interest family historians is included - from records of births and deaths, tax, crime and religion, to military records and records of work and occupations. Also featured are sites that give information about archives, blogs and forums, social networking and sharing research. The internet can be an overwhelming place for the genealogist. Jonathan Scott's book provides readers with online shortcuts, tips for getting the best from well-known websites, plus the details of all kinds of lesser-known and hard-to-find sources.

Family history should reveal more than facts and dates, lists of names and places - it should bring ancestors alive in the context of their times and the surroundings they knew - and research into local history records is one of the most rewarding ways of gaining this kind of insight into their world. That is why Jonathan Oates's detailed introduction to these records is such a useful tool for anyone who is trying to piece together a portrait of family members from the past. In a series of concise and informative chapters he looks at the origins and importance of local history from the sixteenth century onwards and at the principal archives - national and local, those kept by government, councils, boroughs, museums, parishes, schools and clubs. He also explains how books, photographs and other illustrations, newspapers, maps, directories, and a range of other resources can be accessed and interpreted and how they can help to fill a gap in your knowledge.As well as describing how these records were compiled, he highlights their limitations and the possible pitfalls of using them, and he suggests how they can be combined to build up a picture of an individual, a family and the place and time in which they lived.

Jean Barr opens the antique chest she inherited from her great-great-uncle Alexander and unravels the strands of his life as an evangelical Presbyterian minister in late nineteenth century Italy, unpacking the cover-ups in Britain's history of Empire, and bringing to light the ingenious but ordinary ways in which a handful of families, even today, continue to shore up their wealth. She uncovers a series of marriages that placed Alexander within shouting distance of a network of powerful families stretching over generations, families whose staying power has been rooted in hoarding and passing on land and capital. This is the backdrop to Alexander's extraordinary life. It enabled him to flourish in Italy and, in his final years, to become a cheerleader for a dictator. The Legacy: A Memoir is a telling of family history as world history.

Tracing Your Pre-Victorian Ancestors is the ideal handbook for family historians whose research has reached back to the early nineteenth century and are finding it difficult to go further. John Wintrip guides readers through all the steps they can take in order to delve even more deeply into the past. Carrying research through to earlier periods is challenging because church registers recorded less information than civil registration records and little census data is available. Researchers often encounter obstacles they don't know how to overcome. But, as this book demonstrates, greater understanding of the sources and the specific records within them, along with a wider knowledge of the historical context, often allows progress to be made. Most important, John Wintrip concentrates on how to do the research - on the practical steps that can be taken in order to break through these barriers. He looks at online services, archival repositories and their catalogues, factors that can influence the outcome of research, wider family relationships, missing ancestors and mistaken identity.Throughout the book he emphasizes the process of research and the variety of search tools that can be used.

If you want to find out about Lancashire s history, and particularly if you have family links to the area and your ancestors lived or worked in the county, then this is the ideal book for you. As well as helping you to trace when and where your ancestors were born, married and died, it gives you an insight into the world they knew and a chance to explore their lives at work and at home.Sue Wilkes s accessible and informative handbook outlines Lancashire s history and describes the origins of its major industries - cotton, coal, transport, engineering, shipbuilding and others. She looks at the stories of important Lancashire families such as the Stanleys, Peels and Egertons, and famous entrepreneurs such as Richard Arkwright, in order to illustrate aspects of Lancashire life and to show how the many sources available for family and local history research can be used. Relevant documents, specialist archives and libraries, background reading and other sources are recommended throughout this practical book. Also included is a directory of Lancashire archives, libraries and academic repositories, as well as databases of family history societies, useful genealogy websites, and places to visit which bring Lancashire s past to life. Sue Wilkes s book is the essential companion for anyone who wants to discover their Lancashire roots. REVIEWS ...an essential companion... identifies what records to look at, why, what indexes may exist and where they will be located.FGS Forum"

Lavishly illustrated with images and stunning photographs from private collections and spanning three generations, delve into the history of Thomas Clark and his family... Rising from obscure beginnings to become a gentleman in the Victorian age dominated by the class system, as a merchant, Thomas was importing exotic produce from around the globe into the City of London. The diaries of his daughter Matilda throw open a window onto the stresses and strains of family life, showing a stereotypical Victorian father (including the bad temper). Follow his eldest son through his artistic endeavours as a lecturer, writer, poet and artist. There is a shift of perspective on his authoritarian father; here is a devoted family man who adored his wife and spent time with his family. A man dedicated to both science and religion in a world in which he found some new teachings objectionable as an evangelical non-conformist Protestant. Finally, the life stories of his children unfold, including the author's grandfather; they were born into privilege but transcended the modern world which saw social change. Moving recollections of lives lived up to the 1950s from children, grandchildren and local residents are revealed. Read these fascinating tales, including that of the great-uncle who appears to have made an important invention, which played a significant role in winning the Great War - but perhaps someone else ended up claiming the credit? A fascinating and readable saga of the highest order. John Titford MA FSA

'This well-known author has produced yet another excellent guide for researching ancestors who have served in the Army. The book is an ideal text for reference when investigating army personnel.' Military Archive Research.com. 'A splendid publication with a great deal of valuable information.' Michael Brooker, Guild of Battlefield Guides. Whether you are interested in the career of an individual officer, researching medals awarded to a soldier, or just want to know more about a particular battle or campaign, this book will point you in the right direction. Assuming the reader has no prior knowledge of the British Army, its history or organization, Simon Fowler explains what records survive, where they are to be found and how they can help you in your research. He shows how to make the best use of the increasing number of related resources to be found online, and he pays particular attention to explaining the records and the reasons behind their creation, as this information can be very important in understanding how these documents can help your research.

Explore Your German Ancestry! Follow your family tree back to its roots in Bavaria, Baden, Prussia, Hesse, Saxony, Wurttemburg and beyond. This in-depth genealogy guide will walk you step by step through the exciting journey of researching your German heritage, whether your ancestors came from lands now in modern-day Germany or other German-speaking areas of Europe, including Austria, Switzerland, and enclaves across Eastern Europe. In this book, you'll learn how to: Retrace your German immigrant ancestors' voyage from Europe to America. Pinpoint the precise place in Europe your ancestors came from. Uncover birth, marriage, death, church, census, court, military, and other records documenting your ancestors' lives. Access German records of your family from your own hometown. Decipher German-language records, including unfamiliar German script. Understand German names and naming patterns that offer research clues. You'll also find maps, timelines, sample records and resource lists throughout the book for quick and easy reference. Whether you're just beginning your family tree or a longtime genealogy researcher, the Family Tree German Genealogy Guide will help you conquer the unique challenges of German research and uncover your ancestors' stories.

The "classic" introduction to the study of German personal names is now re-available in a completely revised and updated version. It provides a popular overview of the variety of aspects, questions and research findings in the field and opens up perspectives for further research. This introductory work is aimed at students and teachers in higher education, but is also of interest to school teachers and general readers.

Dear Nan (sketch design) is an award-winning journal filled with over 60 fun and inspiring questions carefully created to inspire any grandmother to tell her story - probably one of the most valuable gifts you will ever buy. Everyone has stories to share about their own amazing life and it is so important to find ways to capture and treasure them. Dear Nan contains 60 carefully designed questions to ask her about her life. Ask her to complete it carefully, adding photos and memorabilia along the way. Find out how things have changed throughout her life, what things did she do as a child that are different from today. What were her own parents really like and what adventures has she had in her life. Discover what your own mum or dad was like when they were young! What about your own relationship with your grandmother, what are her favourite memories of the times you have spent together and is there any advice she would like to give you? When you get her completed journal returned to you, this will be one of the most emotional presents you have ever received. A great gift for Mother's Day, Grandparent's Day, her birthday, an anniversary, Christmas or just because you care ...

This fascinating book contains a terrifying collection of true-life, spine-chilling tales from across Northumberland. Featuring stories of unexplained phenomena, apparitions and poltergeists, and including the tale of the Hexham Heads, the Pink Lady of Bamburgh Castle and the ghost of Hadrian's Wall, this book is guaranteed to make your blood run cold. Drawing on historical and contemporary sources and containing many tales which have never before been published, Haunted Northumberland will delight everyone interested in the paranormal.

"I never missed my childhood home / until the tide stopped rolling in and / ochre sand no longer crunched between my toes ..." A little girl grows up to the sounds of the seaside in bustling Cleethorpes. There are family outings through the Lincolnshire Wolds in a tiny Austin 7, and ferry rides across the Humber. Family runs like a comforting thread throughout this 'little gem of a book', and lifelong friendships are forged in unexpected places ... A gentle and heartfelt memoir about the timeless call of the sea

After years of leaving her husband and children behind in Seattle as she travelled back and forth to Russia pursuing a career, Elisa Brodinsky Miller discovers she's writing her own chapter in a book of three generations. Shortly after her father's death, Elisa discovers a cache of letters written in Russian and Yiddish among his belongings, which she quickly resolves to translate. Dated from 1914 to 1922 and addressed to her grandfather, Eli, in Wilmington, Delaware, the letters capture the eight long years that Eli spent apart from his wife and their six children who remained behind in the Pale of Settlement. With each translation, Brodinsky Miller learns more about this time spent apart, the family she knew so little about, and the country they came to leave behind, connecting her own experiences with those who came before her. This captivating memoir bridges the past with the present, as we learn about her grandparents' drives to escape the Jewish worlds of Tsarist Russia, her immigrant parents' hopes for their marriage in America, and now her turn to reach for meaning and purpose: each a generation of aspirations-first theirs, now hers.