Ancestors
Ancestors magazine was published by Wharncliffe Publishing Limited and The National Archives. It has now ceased publication.Next year the 1911 census will be opened to public inspection: probably the most significant genealogical event since the launch of the 1901 census back in 2002. So this book is very timely, particularly as there are informative chapters discussing the background to the 1911 census and what it is likely to tell you.
The book is divided into two halves. At the front David Annal describes the censuses and how you can use them. There are chapters on the Victorian census, a selection of case studies - so you can see how useful the census will be in your research - and a discussion on how to find ancestors who are not where they should be on census night.
As you would expect, there are lots of pertinent examples and stories, although it would have been useful to have included illustrations on the page where they were mentioned rather than in a separate section.
Elsewhere Peter Christian looks at the various online services and considers the ways in which they can be used in your research. Each of the major services are discussed and advice given about how to get the most from them. There is also a chapter comparing the various services which will be of use if you are deciding which one to join.
In addition there are chapters about the Irish and Scottish censuses and a rather unsatisfactory section on microfilm, which is how the census is likely to accessed by local historians and academics.
This is a fine book, handsomely produced with much of interest. However it is difficult to know who it is designed for. Most family historians who are well advanced may already know most of what is found here (although I picked up many snippets which were unfamiliar).