This book is The National Archives' major new guide to family history nationwide and is the one family history book that you will not want to do without. You might be starting out on your ancestral search or seeking fresh genealogical avenues: here you are offered a wealth of reliable advice covering the repositories, records, the processes and more. However, this major new family history publication goes further than most, recognising that the business of establishing lines of descent is enriched by the exploration of ancestral times. Starting with the twentieth century, it looks down the centuries to cover not just finding our ancestors' names but also how this influenced the records they left behind. You will find that family history is as much an imaginative journey as an exercise in research; this is the unique 'family history perspective'. This title covers five hundred years of family history, from DNA research back to manorial records. It is essentially two books in one; the ingenious format combines genealogical guidance with social history sections in full colour.