Reading Early American Handwriting Genealogy Book New

Description

Reading Early American  Handwriting
Kip Sperry
Softbound  oversize volume  totaling
289
pages. Book  is in new  condition. Per the publisher;
This book is designed to teach you how to read and  understand the handwriting found in documents commonly used in genealogical  research. It explains techniques for reading early American documents, provides  samples of alphabets and letter forms, and defines terms and abbreviations  commonly used in early American documents such as wills, deeds, and church  records. Furthermore, it presents numerous examples of early American records  for the reader to work with, for it is the author's contention that by studying  and transcribing each of these documents--letter-by-letter,  word-by-word--readers will become proficient in reading and understanding early  American handwriting.
Arranged by degree of difficulty, from relatively  easy-to-read documents of the nineteenth century to those of the sevententh  century, the documents showcase examples of handwriting styles, letter forms,  abbreviations, and terminology typically found in early American records. Each  document--nearly 100 of them at various stages of complexity--appears with the  author's transcription on a facing page, enabling the reader to check his own  transcription. This strategy allows the reader to attain proficiency in reading  the documents at a natural rate of progression.
Also covered in the work, with particular emphasis on  handwriting, are numbers and roman numerals, dates and the change from the  Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar, abbreviations and contractions, and  standard terms found in early American records. In addition, there is a timely  section on the Internet and compact discs, as well as an annotated bibliography  of books and articles of particular interest to genealogists and historians.  Taken together, these features describe a book that is absolutely indispensable  in learning to read early American handwriting.
"The further back in time our research takes us, the  more 'plain English' looks like a foreign language. That's why Sperry's 'plain  English' guide to not-so-plain English writing is an absolute basic book for  every genealogical shelf."
--Elizabeth Shown  Mills, CG, CGL, FASG, FNGS.
EDITORIAL REVIEWS
"This book should be a godsend for anyone contemplating applying for a  certification category in which document abstraction and transcription is a  part. For everyone else, it will be
merely
a priceless addition to the  personal reference library."--ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL GENEALOGISTS  QUARTERLY, Vol. XIV, No. 4, p. 151.
"If you have any original source documents in your library (e.g., census  schedules on microfilm for your state or county or archival collections of  manuscripts, letters, and diaries), this will be appreciated."--BOOK LIST, Vol.  5, No. 17, p. 1621.
"...one of the most effective primers...the book is easy to read. Its style is  as comprehensible as the type font is comfortable. All words and concepts are  carefully explained...
Reading Early American Handwriting
is a timeless  reference whose value will increase as more early-American documents become  available to researchers of many disciplines."--NATIONAL GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY  QUARTERLY, Vol. 86, No. 4, p. 314.
"Mr. Sperry's book will certainly be of use to any genealogist who wishes to  improve his or her own skills in the study of early handwriting."
--FEDERATION  OF GENEALOGICAL SOCIETIES FORUM, Vol. 10, No. 4, p. 30.
Just what you need  for genealogy research.
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