Germany
There are so many books out there as general guides to German genealogy. I have not been able to pick one of them as a stand-out superb guide, but have a few on my shelf.
The German Research Companion ($90+)
The Family Tree German Genealogy Guide ($10-25)
Finding Your German Ancestors ($5-15)
Deciphering Handwriting in German Documents: Analyzing German, Latin, and French in Historical Manuscripts ($28+)
German handwriting is one of the first challenges someone faces when they become determined to trace their German ancestry. With hours of determined practice the handwriting can become a non-issue. Books like this one help a researcher learn to decipher it.
German Church Books: Beyond the Basics ($25+)
This book is under the radar for most German genealogists, in part because most learn about German church books by experience. This is the most used record type for German genealogy. Those who want to understand the records well, to use them to their fullest extent, can get a jump start by studying this guide.
German Census Records 1816-1916 ($28-35)
This guide brings to light the usefulness and availability of German census records for research, a resource typically underutilized in German genealogy. Some German genealogists have even said that census records are not available. This book sets that myth straight, though access to these records remains challenging.
German – English Genealogical Dictionary ($32)
This is an important guide for expanding your genealogical vocabulary far beyond the German Word List at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/German_Genealogical_Word_List
German Names: A Practical Guide ($6+)
This is a great reference to flip through any time you see a name in a record and cannot quite make it out because it is unfamiliar to you. It is also useful for determining if a name that seems unusual is a variant of a more common name. The number of unique German names is impressive.
Spelling variations in German names: Solving family history problems through applications of German and English phonetics ($40+)
An issue of German genealogy that quickly becomes apparent to those who do this type of research is that names are often spelled quite differently from one record to the next even within the original church registers. In a family where several children were listed in a baptismal register, it is common to see given names or surnames spelled at least three different ways. When a family settles in America, often new spelling variations appear. These variations sometimes are related to German phonetics that are unclear to the average English speaker.
Mexico
There is not as much English literature on the field of Mexican genealogy as there is on the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe.
Finding Your Mexican Ancestors: A Beginner's Guide ($6-20)
Like with any topic, having a general guide is a great way to make sure you do not overlook important research techniques or records. This is the newest of the three guides I will recommend, but does not include all the examples or details of the other guides.
Finding Your Hispanic Roots ($10-28)
Tracing Your Hispanic Heritage ($45+)
This is the largest of the three guides, but the oldest of these three guides.
Genealogical Historical Guide to Latin America (~$50)
This guide is relatively small, and older, though it does contain some useful information.
Hispanic Surnames and Family History ($12-20)
When working in any language or culture, having a good list of names will help the genealogist to properly recognize names in records.
Census Records for Latin America and the Hispanic United States ($15-25)
Like almost every place except the United States, genealogists researching Mexico will find that most research is done using only a couple record types: church records and civil registration. This is not because other records do not exist, but they are much less available. It is good to have guidance on the availability and usefulness of other records.
Disclaimer: It is my hope that this list helps you. That said, it takes
time and expertise to provide these useful resource lists. Please use
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