Formatting a book....

[Mowsehowse]

In part due to the help of Lovely Rootschatters I now have the names of all 16 of my own great-grandparents, and plan to construct a "thin" photo book for my grand children.

I'm thinking to put a very simple tree on page 1, linking those generations through me, and then a map on page 2.

Will welcome suggestions on the least complicated order of the ancestors. 

At present I am thinking of working back through my father's line to a full, both sides tree, at the centre spread, and then back through my mother's line.

Not sure if there is a more simple method though??

 

[cristeen]

That sounds similar to how I presented the family history for my parents and in-laws. I had a five generation pedigree for my Mum, each couple had a word document containing all the documentation I have found, BMDs, census, maps, newspaper articles, photographs & paintings where relevant. Where I had information on earlier generations I entitled it 'SURNAME Roots'. It took me about 18 months to write it all up and it was far from thin by the time I finished!

[Mowsehowse]

Thanks Cristeen. 
I am sure I could put together a mighty tome for adults, but I just want to make something fairly simple for the grandchildren, though with enough meat that they can expand it in due course should they ever wish to.

[jillruss]

I think you have to judge your 'audience'. 

I started off by including everything I had - even if it went back 10 generations - often setting out lots of dates, censuses etc even for siblings. It became huge! Then I thought - my family aren't that interested (you can tell when they start to glaze over every time you mention family history - I don't anymore! Plus I have a sister in law who can't understand why I'm still doing it 10 years later and why didn't I just stop after great grandparents? After all, says she, no one's interested before that!)

I started again, including maps and photos of places as well as people - where available. I tried to include a few interesting titbits e.g. at one time, it seemed every ancestor I discovered had been born in a place near a battlefield site. Not sure if that speaks volumes for just how many battles have been fought in th UK - or speaks more for my ancestors! I cut out all the siblings details except for the most recent 2 generations and - lo and behold - cut it back to a reasonable length.

I separated paternal and maternal sides and did 2 volumes, but its still a work in progress. I'm hoping one day one of my nieces or great nieces may take an interest. Here's hoping!

[Mowsehowse]

Jillruss: "I think you have to judge your 'audience'."

I'm sure you are right - don't want eyes glazing over. 

So separating paternal & maternal by a comprehensive tree in the centre would be a reasonable plan.

 

[jillruss]

If only I could workout how to put a 'comprehensive tree' in the centre that doesn't take up 3 rolls of wallpaper!!

[Mowsehowse]

If only I could workout how to put a 'comprehensive tree' in the centre that doesn't take up 3 rolls of wallpaper!!

I suppose that depends on the definition of "comprehensive", but I have become fairly adept at getting considerable information onto a landscape sheet of A4.

[Mowsehowse]

I should have realised that my recent chatty query had been gone over, in depth, many times before!

This link in the technical help dept has enough info to float the navy:                                                                          http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=158638.0

Thanks to all who contributed, I have now got a little list to help me proceed.

BTW, as my project unites many parts of Europe I will probably insert little flags in too.