Free Genealogy Books

Where To Find Free Genealogy Books!

While scouring the Internet to find free books to help you with your ancestry research I came across 6 sites that you need to visit. This post will show you where you can find free genealogy books that you can download to your computer, tablet, or phone.

Free Genealogy Books

 

Free books are definitely worth checking out!

Get a free genealogy book in your hand!

Before I discuss these websites I just want to offer you a way that you can get a free book, (in a way), that is in your hand.

What I am talking about is for you to visit your local library and go to the genealogy section there.

You should find many books on the subject covering a wide range of areas, i.e. organizing and citing your research, DNA testing, how-to guides, where to find records, and so on.

Worth checking out your local library!

These books are free in the sense that you can borrow them for either 2 or 3 weeks, (depending on the library of course).

You will need to bring the books back when they are due but if your library allows then you can renew them so that you can extend the length of time that you have the book in your home.

I have done this myself and it has saved me heaps on buying the books themselves. It does mean though that I do not get to keep the book, but for a while, you will have the book for free.

It’s worth considering anyway!

6 Sites To Check Out:

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Cyndi’s List – Online eBooks

Since 1996 Cyndi Ingle has been helping countless people trace their family history. Her site, as the name suggests, is a list of lists concerning every possible thing about genealogy.

Cyndi's List

Within these lists are links connecting you to genealogical sites and resources that will show you where you need to find whatever that you are looking for.

Trust me there is absolutely everything that you could need from this site.

The list of books that you will find on Cyndi’s List shows you where you can find eBooks that can be downloaded.

However, not all the books that you will find through these links will be free but there are certainly ones here that are worth checking out.

From this list are links to free books that you can download from two of the most popular genealogy sites, Amazon and FamilySearch.

Included in this list are free books that will help you with your Irish ancestry and links to the Internet Archive which contain nearly 2 million items.

Check Out Cyndi's List Books Now!


FamilySearch – Family History Books

Not to sound bias but out of all the free genealogy resources that there are online FamilySearch is definitely my favorite site to go to.

Family Search Website Review!

I have found plenty of information about my ancestors through this resource.

If you haven’t visited FamilySearch before then you need to.

It is the world’s largest free genealogy search website with over 4 billion names and millions of records in its databases.

So before you go checking out the paid sites please check this one out first. You might find what you are looking for here.

Anyway, the book collection has over 350,000 free publications, all of which are absolutely free. Surely with such a vast collection, there must be something here to help you with your genealogy research.

Through the help of organizations, libraries, and volunteers the collection comprises rare historic books from all over the world.

This collection is surely priceless!

Within the collection are:

  • County and Local Histories
  • Family Histories
  • Genealogy Magazines
  • Gazetteers
  • How-to Books
  • Medieval Histories and Pedigrees

Not only can you check out the collection online by clicking on the link above but also you can check the books in person by visiting any of the library centers spread across the United States.

Check Out Family Search Books Now!


Family Tree Magazine – eBooks, Templates & Chart Downloads

The Family Tree Magazine has been in publication since January 2000, with 6 issues printed each year.

Family Tree Magazine

Within the pages of this magazine are how-to articles, history and genealogy news, and also resource guides for a specific ethnicity.

Now besides a bi-monthly magazine, the company behind this publication now offers a wide range of resources to help you to track down your ancestors.

Family Tree provides:

Sorry but I have digressed from telling you about the free book collection that you can find at Family Tree.

There are plenty of free books here that will help you trace your ancestors, help you preserve your photos, discover your military ancestors, get help with choosing the right DNA test for you, and more besides.

Check Out Family Tree Magazine Books Now!


Forgotten Books – Family Histories, Indexes, etc

The books that you will find on this website are out of copyright and so they are all completely free.

Forgotten Books

Besides genealogy books, there is a wide range of other categories that you will find on this site, (for example poetry, history, recreation, etc).

From what I have seen within this collection there are plenty of genealogy collections here to keep you busy.

Topics in the collection:

  • Catalogs Held Within Libraries
  • History of American Settlement
  • Indexes
  • Journals
  • Personal Family Histories
  • State Genealogical Records Guide
  • And much, much more.

Now, these free books are quite specific, they are not how-to guides or books to give you any genealogy tips or tricks.

But what they will show you is where you can find further information about your ancestors.

And what I like about this collection is that there are personal family histories as well.

So, it is definitely worth checking out to see if someone has published a book featuring your ancestors. Who knows you might be lucky.

You can access the books on your phone, tablet, or iPad.

You just need to find the book that you are looking for, download the PDF file and read it at your pleasure.

Check Out Forgotten Books Now!


Google eBooks – Genealogy Books For Free!

Chances are that you have used the Google search engine and know that you can find just about anything and everything that you want to with this handy tool.

Google eBooks

You may also know that you find images, videos, and other things besides.

But did you know that you can find genealogy books for free with Google Books?

Credit:   Lisa Louise Cooke

Just check out the above video presented by genealogy expert Lisa Louise Cooke.

In the video, Lisa will give you step-by-step instructions on how to traverse Google Books to find the free ones.

I’ll let the video do the talking here 🙂

Check Out Google eBooks Now!


Kindle Unlimited – Helpful Guidebooks

You’ve probably heard of the Kindle before, the tablet device that was brought out by Amazon just over a decade ago.

Kindle Unlimited

Woh, has it been that long since I have had my Kindle?

Anyway, you don’t need to have a Kindle to access genealogy books for free. You just need the free Kindle Reading App. Yep, there’s that word again, free. I love it.

Just head on over to the Kindle Store by clicking on the above link. Then when you are there click on Kindle Unlimited.

You will need to enter your details in order to subscribe and access the genealogy books for free.

You just look for any book that you are interested in and check to see if there is a “read for free” button attached to the book.

If there is then you can download the book straight to your computer or device.

Books Found On Kindle Unlimited:

  • 101 Best Genealogy Websites
  • Discover Your Family History Online
  • Family Photo Detective
  • The Everything Guide To Online Genealogy
  • The Family Tree – German Genealogy Guide
  • The Family Tree – Problem Solver
  • The Genealogist’s U.S. History Pocket Reference

Check Out Kindle Unlimited Now!


Thank You and Please Leave A Comment

I hope you enjoyed this post showing you where you can find free genealogy books. If you have any questions or comments then please leave a comment below.

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Summary
Article Name
Where To Find Free Genealogy Books?
Description
FREE genealogy books are available online. But where do you look? This guide shows 6 sites where you can find books that will help with your research.
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Publisher Name
The Genealogy Guide
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8 thoughts on “Where To Find Free Genealogy Books!”

  1. Well here I was thinking it would be expensive to get looking into my genealogy and here is a great lot of free books to use! I totally overlooked Kindle. I have the free App, I will definitely have a look see to find something to get me started. I liked the look of the first one you listed 101 Best Genealogy Websites. Thanks for sharing this.

    1. You’re welcome. I was quite surprised that you could get so many genealogy books for free. That’s great that you have the Kindle app. Please let me know how you get on with that.

      Take care and all the best with your search.

  2. These days I am on a budget and I need to do my research free. I think I can coduct my reasearch about my ancestors on FamilySearch since it looks quite impressive with huge book collection.

    1. That’s a great choice Furkan. Not only will those books be of great use to you but also the millions of genealogical records that you can freely access on the site.

      All the bestwith your family history research.

  3. Hi Owain,

    I love your site. I have an unusual surname which dates back to the Norman Conquest of the UK and our family had estates near Caen in Normandy France. I would love to research my family tree (the original research was lost) but it is too expensive. Perhaps it will be possible given the free resources you mention.

    Keep up the good work.

    Jim

    1. Hi James,

      Thanks for your comment. Sounds like you know quite a bit about your surname. You may wish though to check out my What Does Your Surname Mean post. Towards the end of the post there is a link showing you where you can find more information about your surname.

      If you can at all gather information from your relatives that well also help you on your family history journey.

      All the best and good luck.

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