The Ukrainian Genealogical Society recommends the
following reference items to the genealogist and family researcher. This page is still
under construction, so make a point of checking back often to view our progress.
In Search of
Your European Roots 2nd ed. by Angus Baxter
This work is designed to guide the reader through the
complexities of genealogical research in Europe, whether done in person or by
correspondence. It covers the various types of genealogical records available in each
country, where they are found and how they are used. With up-to-date information on
church, state, and provincial archives (including current addresses), and a discussion of
the characteristics of each area and the ways in which they affect the research process,
it opens up great possibilities for tracing ancestors in Europe. Described in detail are
the archival resources of each country from the national to the local level; the location
of church records and census returns; the systems of civil registration of births,
marriages, and deaths; and how to find and use such records as certificates of domicile,
orphan lists, emigration registers, guild records, internal passports, confirmation
records, and even vaccination lists. This revised edition includes new chapters on Germany
and the countries of Eastern Europe, as well as changes affecting virtually every other
country on the Continent. Cost = \$ 16.95 + s/h.
Borderland : A
Journey Through the History of Ukraine by Anna
Reid
Combines historical research with travel and
interviews in Ukraine to expose layer after layer of myth and propaganda that wrap this
divided land. This vivid book tells the story of Ukraine by taking the reader there.
Talking to peasants and politicians, rabbis and racketeers, dissidents and paramilitaries,
survivors of Stalin's famine and of Nazi labor camps, Anna Reid charts Ukraine's tragic
past and explores its struggle to build a national future.
Jewish Roots
in Ukraine and Moldova : Pages from the Past and Archival Inventories (The Jewish
Genealogy Series) by Miriam
Weiner
From earliest dawn, mankind has been driven by the
insatiable urge to assure proof of his presence and continuity by leaving a record, from
cave drawings to the historical notes buried under the Warsaw Ghetto in World WarII. Cast
out to an often foreboding world, the Jewish people have become masters of the archives.
Between the world wars, the Soviet Union isolated its Jewish minority. They were shorn of
their synagogues, schools, books and most vestiges of Jewish life. We did not know if a
Jewish community still existed. As a result of the Holocaust and the wars, documentation
became more and more difficult to come by. Miriam Weiner, a courageous and brilliant
historian and archivist, has haunted the archives of Eastern Europe, painstakingly piecing
together the world that was. Here she has memorialized hundreds of shtetls and towns
through document examples and photographs. Her earlier book on Polish Jewry alerted us to
the fact that she was equal to the task. "Jewish Roots in Ukraine and Moldova"
is part of a masterwork of love and remembrance, so important to me and my children. Cost
= US$60.00 + s&h.
Cyndi's List : A Comprehensive List of 70,000 Genealogy Sites on the
Internet by Cyndi Howells
Banking on the success of the first print edition (LJ
9/1/99), author and webmaster Howells returns with a substantially expanded print version
of her popular web site (www.cyndislist.com). Two volumes now accommodate the 30,000
additional sites and more than 150 categories of all things genealogical, including
"Genealogy Standards & Guidelines," "Poorhouses & Poverty,"
and "Web Rings." Each category organizes its related links into subcategories,
with many of the links followed by brief annotations. Readers will find links to topics as
diverse as the Bulgarian royal family, Pennsylvania land records, and Dutch immigrant
ships to Canada. As with the first edition, the "Personal Home Pages" category
has been omitted and the "U.S. Counties, Localities and Regions" sections were
condensed to save space. Obviously, the online version is and always will be more complete
and current (at this writing it tops 100,000 links), but for beginning researchers or for
those who prefer to browse the list at their leisure, this work serves as an excellent
reference tool. Recommended for genealogy collections. Elaine M. Kuhn, Allen Cty. P.L.,
Ft. Wayne, IN
Genealogy Online, Millennium Edition
by Elizabeth Powell Crowe
The increasing number of online genealogy sites and
tools allows today's searchers to seek and locate thousands of pages of data in a way they
could not have imagined some 20 years ago. Yet even computer-savvy genealogists may not be
fully utilizing the many resources available to them. In the most recent edition of her
best-selling guide, Crowe, a former contributing editor to Computer Currents, aims to
instruct all levels of researchers on the joys and perils of online genealogy. Similar to
Cyndi Howells's Netting Your Ancestors (LJ 3/1/98) in its introductory discussions of
technical issues and online tools, Crowe's first three chapters cover what readers will
need to know to begin online genealogy research selecting the necessary hardware and
software; choosing an ISP; understanding browsers, e-mail, and spam; and learning to
organize family data. Two very helpful chapters on Usenet newsgroups and genealogy mailing
lists follow, with explanations of their workings and descriptions of the more popular
lists to explore. Crowe then covers the major online resources that researchers would do
well to investigate. A glossary of error messages, computer-related terms, and emoticons
rounds out the book. With her thorough but not overwhelming descriptions, Crowe provides
genealogists with a solid roadmap for successful searching. Libraries currently owning
earlier editions will want to purchase this one for the updated information. Recommended
for public and genealogy library collections. Elaine M. Kuhn, Allen Cty. P.L., Ft. Wayne,
IN
After World War II, some 12 million Germans, 3 million Poles and Ukrainians, and tens of
thousands of Hungarians were expelled from their homes and forced to migrate to their
supposed countries of origin. Using the latest archival materials from Polish, Ukrainian,
Russian, Czechoslovak, German, British, and American archives, the contributors to this
book provide a sweeping, detailed account of the turmoil caused by the huge wave of forced
migration during the nascent Cold War. The book also documents the deep and lasting
political, social, and economic consequences of this traumatic time, raising difficult
questions about the effect of forced migration on postwar reconstruction, the rise of
Communism, and the growing tensions between Western Europe and the Eastern bloc. Those
interested in European Cold-War history will find this book indispensable for
understanding the profound-but hitherto little known-upheavals caused by the massive
ethnic cleansing that took place from 1944 to 1948.
The Ukrainians : Unexpected Nation
by Andrew Wilson
This book is the most acute, informed, and up-to-date account of
Ukraine and its people available today. Andrew Wilson focuses on the complex relations
between Ukraine and Russia and explains the different versions of the past propagated by
Ukrainians and Russians. He also examines the continuing debates over identity, culture,
and religion in Ukraine since its independence in 1991.
As in many postcommunist states, politics in Ukraine revolves around the issue of national
identity. Ukrainian nationalists see themselves as one of the world's oldest and most
civilized peoples, as "older brothers" to the younger Russian culture. Yet
Ukraine became independent only in 1991, and Ukrainians often feel like a minority in
their own country, where Russian is still the main language heard on the streets of the
capital, Kiev.
A History of Ukraine
by Paul Robert Magocsi
A readers review: "Mr.
Magocsi's "History of Ukraine" often takes a second billing to Mr. Subtelny's
"Ukraine: A History" - and I think, unfairly. Both have a lot to offer, and
frankly, no passionate student of Ukrainain history should choose one over the other. He
or she should get both. A wealth of information, and first rate scholarship are
impressive."
Ukraine : A
History
by Orest Subtelny, Orest Subteiny
First published in 1988, Orest Subtelny's Ukraine: A History
has again been newly updated in a third edition. This 736 page volume spans from the
earliest times to the modern day, covering everything from ancient Greek colonization to
the recent Ukraine diaspora. Orest Subtelny (Professor of History and Political Science at
York University) goes into extreme depth and detail with a text that is significantly
enhanced with maps, tables, and the occasional black-and-white photograph. Highly
recommended for its lucidity, meticulous attention to detail, and scholarly precision,
Ukraine: A History is a "must" for anyone who wants to learn about this
fascinating land and its people.
Ukrainian : A Complete Course for Beginners
by Olena Bekh, James Dingley, Jame Dingley
A reader's review:"I had monopolized this book from the
local library all summer, then finally purchased my own copy. It is a good way to learn
some basic Ukrainian. I found it more relevant than some of the other books I had
borrowed. The pronunciation guide was very helpful, as was showing the cursive alphabet. I
also ordered the tape, not received yet, because it will be useful to hear the oral
portion instead of bothering relatives all the time."
