Required Reading: Classic resources you shouldn't research without.

Maps and genealogy go hand in hand. After all, you can't do much with names and dates if you don't where your ancestors lived and conducted their business. Walking with Your Ancestors: A Genealogist's Guide to Using Maps and Geography by Melinda Kashuba (Family Tree Books) is an indispensable manual to help blaze the trail of unexpected details about your ancestors. Whether you need to determine the roads, rivers or pathways your ancestors traveled; where their homestead was located; which courthouse to search; or how to find their final resting place, Kashuba will guide you through the world of maps, atlases and gazetteers.