A good reference book for anybody tracing their family history. Many useful tips on gaining information from the census of yesteryear. Thanks to Netgalley for the early e book copy.

Sort of disappointed. I had hoped it would cover the US census as I have used the US census in my work on my family tree. Still, it did give me some ideas to use on ours. My direct ancestors had fled England, Ireland , and Scotland a century earlier. If anyone is left there, they are distantly related. Still if one is recently arrived (past hundred years) it may prove useful.

This is a brilliant resource for all the census (and more) when tracing your family history. Although I have a good knowledge of the census, this book gave me even more resources and avenues to follow.

Highly recommended to anyway who wants to understand the census more with a view to tracing their family tree.

Thank you Netgalley.

This is a really good resource to have if you are thinking about tracing your family history. I also thought that it gave a good account of the history of the census.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

So, the title may be a little misleading to American researchers, although the content of the book serves as valuable tips and tools for genealogical research across the pond. To note, the census records and related materials mentioned in the book focus on the United Kingdom, not the United States.
However, I am a librarian who helps patrons with their genealogies and family histories and I found this to be an extremely useful guide.

A comprehensive guide to the historical population census of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. The first chapter offers a thorough review of the historical reasons for a census being taken from ancient times to pre WWII. Each subsequent chapter focuses on a population census taken in the UK from 1801 to 1945 by first explaining the historical context, followed by a full description of the details included in the census. Care is taken to orient the reader to the counties and parishes included in each census. Sections of each chapter include finding aids and up to date online resources with web addresses. The problems or drawbacks of each census are also discussed. Overall, an excellent resource for genealogists researching their English, Scottish, Irish or Welsh ancestors.

For family historians a really good reference book which gives plenty of insights into getting the most out of census records. It answers many questions that you come across in the search through the records and is well worth having on your bookshelf

I felt that his book is a great resource for tracking UK census data and a wonderful tool for anyone looking for their UK ancestors.The instructions for analyzing and understanding each type of census and how to glean the most information out of it was well thought out and easy to use.

My thanks to NetGalley and Pen and Sword for a copy of “A Guide To Tracing Your Family History Using The Census” for an honest review.
I eagerly look forward to any new Pen and Sword publications as I know how beneficial they have been to my family history research.
I have found Emma Jolly particularly informative in her past works and this is no exception.Even as someone who has been compiling their family tree for a while now I seem to find something of use in every new publication .
A definite recommendation to anyone wanting to improve their knowledge using the essential tool of censuses.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this title.

Unfortunately, I was unable to finish this book, as it felt badly structured, and not at all well-written. The author clearly has a great understanding and enthusiasm for censuses, but doesn't manage to really relay the information to anyone who doesn't already have a background in the field. This book would be better suited to being a website than a book as it's full of links.