Polish Roots by Rosemary A. Chorzempa

Polish genealogy is almost completely defined by geography and history. Situated in the center of Europe, Poland has been foster mother to people of many different nationalities, especially Russians, Austrians, Germans, Ukrainians, and Lithuanians - people belonging to the nation states that exercised dominion over it. It has also been host over the centuries of Balkan and Carpathian Slavs, to Jews, Prussians, Balts, Gypsies, and even Scots, so the Polish genealogical landscape is actually a mosaic. To explore it properly is to cross the overlapping boundaries of language, religion, geography, and history.

This pioneering work on Polish family history is designed to provide the American researcher with enough information in each of these areas to enable him to succeed in his genealogical research. Written by a national director of the Polish Genealogical Society of America, it throws cold water on the myth that successful Polish genealogical research is beyond the powers of ordinary people. In fact the contrary is true, claims the author, who steers the reader confidently around he obstacles of language and geography, offering  the benefit of her research experience in the U.S. and in Poland.