Free Stuff — Hand-Picked List of the Best Books

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We've sorted out some of the best books for memoir writing, editing and oral histories. These books are all available from Amazon.com.

Click to the section you're most interested in:

Personal Histories :: Writing and Editing :: Interviewing :: Do-it-Yourself
History :: Ethical Wills :: Oral History :: Miscellaneous
:: Books from the Oral History Assn. ::

Books published by Chapters of Life

Legacy of Two Lumbermen: The Hemphill-O'Neill Company History. Julie McDonald Zander. December 2006. One hundred black-and-white paperback copies published, fifty-five color hardbound, 484 pages.

Life on the Home Front: Stories of those who worked, waited and worried during WWII. Julie McDonald Zander. July 2005. All proceeds from the sale of the books benefit the Lewis County Historical Museum and the Veterans Memorial Museum. Contact the museums to order a copy. Cost is $20, plus tax, shipping and handling. Five hundred copies printed, 205 pages.

An Angel's Illustrated Journal: It has taken sixty years to explain why she was on the Mactan and not a prisoner. Floramund Fellmeth Difford. April 2005. Four hundred copies, 245 pages. Cost is $25, plus tax, shipping and handling for $30 total. To order a copy, send a check to Floramund Fellmeth Difford, P.O. Box 14474, Tumwater, WA 98511.

Life is What You Make of It: The Memoirs of Florence Damon Nagel. July 2004. Published in a limited edition of thirty-three copies. 363 pages.

A Tribute to our Mother: Florence Emeline Stratton. May 2004. Published in a limited edition of seven copies for a ninetieth birthday celebration. 17 pages.

Kenny and Bobbe Hawk: 65 Years and Counting. May 2003. Published in a limited edition of three copies. 69 pages.

The Basics of Bookbinding: A directory of book artists, bookbinderies and self-publishing houses working with limited editions. Compiled by Julie McDonald Zander. May 2004. Published in a print-on-demand capacity and as an ebook sold on this Web site. 55 pages.

Oral History Resource Guide: A reference handbook for oral, personal and family historians. February 2004. Published in a print-on-demand capacity and as an ebook sold on this Web site. 84 pages.

June and Gordon Squires: 55 years, one month, one day ... and all eternity. September 2002. Published in a limited edition of thirty-three copies. 205 pages.

The Wrights of Forest Hill: The memoirs of Alfred Joseph Wright. March 2002. Published in a limited edition of twenty-two copies. 127 pages.

A Circle of Love: Phil and Nora (Sheehan) McDonald, their story is our story. Published in a limited edition of thirty copies. Christmas 2001. 185 pages.

The Zanders of Whatcom County. Summer 2001. Published in a limited edition of fifty copies. 62 pages.

Servants of the Church. An interview with longtime St. Francis parishioners Joe and Margaret Kaiser on April 2, 2000. Published in a limited edition of five copies. 42 pages.

Spanning a Century: The story of my life. Almer Delos Zander. 1999. Published in a limited edition of five copies. 69 pages.

Phillip Anthony McDonald: His life as he tells it. 1998. Published in a limited edition of three copies.

The Magic Kingdom: Disneyland, September 1997. 1998. Published in a limited edition of one laminated copy. 44 pages.

The memoirs of Lucy Theodosia Harrison Zander. 1997. 27 pages. Republished in 1998 as limited edition of five copies. 55 pages.

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Memoir, Personal and Family History

Barrington, Judith. Writing the Memoir: From Truth to Art. Portland, Ore.: The Eighth Mountain Press, 1997. New: $10.47

DeBartolo Carmack, Sharon, and Katherine Scott Sturdevant, Bringing Your Family History to Life Through Social History , and New: $13.99

DeBartolo Carmack, Sharon, You Can Write Your Family History New: $13.99

Franco, Carol, and Lineback, Kent. The Legacy Guide: Capturing the Facts, Memories, and Meaning of Your Life. The perfect companion to recording your life or that of a loved one. Tarcher Penguin, December 2006. $18.95. To order, visit The Legacy Guide or order directly from Amazon.com

Kempthorne, Charley. For All Time: A Complete Guide to Writing Your Family History . Portsmouth, N.H.: Boynton Cook Publishers, Heineman. 1996. New: $11.17

Ledoux, Denis . The Photo Scribe: A Writing Guide: How to Write the Stories behind Your Photographs . Lisbon Falls, Maine: Soleil Press, December 1998. New: $16.95

Ledoux, Denis. Turning Memories Into Memoirs, A Handbook for Writing Lifestories. Lisbon Falls, Maine: Soleil Press, 1993. New: $19.95

Polking, Kirk. Writing Family Histories and Memoirs . Cincinnati: Betterway Books, 1995. New and used: $10.59

Rainer, Tristine. Your Life as Story: Writing the New Autobiography . New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1997. New: $10.47

Roorbach, Bill. Writing Life Stories . Cincinatti: Story Press, August 1998. New: $10.49

Rosenbluth, Vera. Keeping Family Stories Alive: Discovering & Recording the Stories & Reflections of A Lifetime (2 nd ed). Vancouver, B.C.: Hartley & Marks Publishers, Inc., 1997. New and used: $7.48

Rosenbluth, Vera. Classic Scrapbooking: The Art and Craft of Creating a Book of Memories. Point Roberts, Washington: Hartley & Marks Publishers, Inc., 1998. Special order: $20.

St. Louis, Melinda. Put It In Writing Guide For Populore Narratives. Morgantown, W.Va. : Populore Publishing Company, 1996. New: $16

Zinsser, William, editor. Inventing the Truth: The Art and Craft of Memoir. New York: Houghton Mifflin Co., Revised edition May 1998. New: $10.40

Zinsser, William K. , How to Write a Memoir , audiocassette. New: $9.60

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Writing and Editing

Cappon, Rene J., Associated Press Guide to Newswriting (Study Aids/On-the-Job Reference) , $10.36

Cappon, Rene Jack , The Associated Press Guide to Punctuation New: $7.95

Bass, Frank, The Associated Press Guide to Internet Research and Reporting , New: $10.50

The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th Edition, University of Chicago Press Staff, New: $38.50

Goldstein, Norm, and the Associated Press, The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law , New: $12.25

Kessler, Lauren, and Duncan McDonald, When Words Collide: A Media Writer's Guide to Grammar and Style With Infotrac , 2003, New $48.95

Exercises for Kessler and McDonald's When Words Collide (Workbook Edition) , New: $22.95

Kessler, Lauren When Words Collide , New: $22.95

Strunk, William, Jr. and E.B. White. The Elements of Style . 4th edition. Boston, Mass.: Allyn & Bacon, January 15, 2000. New: $7.95

Zinsser, William. On Writing Well, 25 th Anniversaryl: The Classic Guide to Writing Non-Fiction. New York: Harper Perennial, 6th Rev&up edition April 1998. New: $11.20

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Interviewing

Brady, John. The Craft of Interviewing . New York: Vintage Books, 1977. New: $10.50

Metzler, Ken, Creative Interviewing: The Writer's Guide to Gathering Information by Asking Questions (3 rd Edition), New: $48

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Do-it-yourself Books

Borg, Mary and Joyce Turley. Writing Your Life: An Easy to Follow Guide to Writing an Autobiography. Fort Collins, Colo.: Cottonwood Press, 1989. New: $18.95

Carl, David, and Marshal Marshall, Book of Myself: A Do-It- Yourself Autobiography in 20 Questions , New: $11.17

Foltz, Sharon, EdD.   Passing Your Heritage On: A Guide to Writing Your Family Stories.Second Edition.(Paperback)    For copies, contact author Sharon Foltz at 19818  150th Ave., Indianola, IA 50125.   June 1998. New: US $14.95 ppd, media rate.

Foltz, Sharon, EdD.   Passing Your Heritage On: A Guide to Writing Your Ethical Wills.   Paperback.   For copies, contact author Sharon Foltz at 19818  150th Ave., Indianola, IA 50125.   April  2007.  New: US $14.95 ppd, media rate.  Offering a prepublication discount:   Total  US $12.00  ppd media rate (Personal check OK) if order postmarked by April 25, 2007.

Greene, Bob, To Our Children's Children Book , New: $12.57

Greene, Bob, To Our Children's Children Journal, New: $12.57

Stow, Glenys, Saving Your Life: A Guide to Writing Your Life Story , New: $22.50

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History

Commager, Henry Steele, Pocket History of the United States , New: $7.99

Joyce, Robert D. Astonishing Century. Santa Ana, Calif.: Hawthorne House, 1999. New: $34.95

Kirk, Ruth, and Carmela Alexander, Exploring Washington's Past: A Road Guide to History , New: $19.57

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Ethical Wills

Riemer, Jack and Nathaniel Stampfer. So That Your Values Live On-Ethical Wills and How to Prepare Them . Woodstock, Vermont: Jewish Lights Publishing, 1991. New: $13.27

Baines, Barry K., Ethical Wills: Putting Your Values on Paper , 2001. New: $11.20

Baines, Barry K., The Ethical Will Writing Guide Workbook , $4.95

Freed, Rachael, Women's Lives, Women's Legacies: Passing Your Beliefs and Blessings to Future Generations: Creating Your Own Spiritual-Ethical Will . New: $13.97

The Ethical Will Resource Kit , New $7

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Oral History

Baum, Willa K. Transcribing and Editing Oral History. American Association for State and Local History, 1400 8th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37203, 1977 - Revised 1991. New: $15.71

Baum, Willa K. Oral History for the Local Historical Society, 3rd Ed. American Association for State and Local History, 1400 8th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37203, 1969 - Revised 1995. New: $17.95

Dunaway, David K. And Willa K. Baum, eds. Oral History: An Interdisciplinary Anthology , 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publishers, 1996. Special order: $29.95

Hoopes, James. Oral History: An Introduction for Students . Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1979. New: $15.95

Perks, Robert, and Alistair Thomson, The Oral History Reader , New: $24.95

Portelli, Alessandro. The Death of Luigi Trastulli and Other Stories: Form and Meaning in Oral History . Albany: SUNY Press, 1991. New: $27.95

Ritchie, Donald A. Doing Oral History. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1995. New: $22

Schorzman, Terri A. A Practical Introduction to Videohistory: The Smithsonian Institution and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Experiment . Melbourne, Fla.: Krieger Publishing Co., 1993. Special order: $36.50

Thompson, Paul. The Voices of the Past: Oral History. 2nd ed. (May 2000) NewYork: Oxford University Press. New: $19.95

Yow, Valerie Raleigh. Recording Oral History: A Practical Guide for Social Scientists . Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications, 1994. New: $41.95

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Miscellaneous

McCourt, Frank. Angela's Ashes: A Memoir. New York: Simon & Schuster, September 1996.

Sielen, Rae Jean and Amy Stevenson, eds. Mountain State Stories of the People . Morgantown, W.Va : Populore Publishing Co., May 1997. New: $18

Spence, Linda. Legacy: A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Personal History . Athens: Swollow Press/Ohio University Press, 1997.

Viorst, Judith. Necessary Losses: The Loves, Illusions, Dependencies, and Impossible Expectations that All of Us Have to Give Up in Order to Grow. Fireside, Reprint edition January 1998.

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Order From the Oral History Association

Nuenschwander, John N., Ph.D., J.D. Oral History and the Law. Oral History Association, Pamphlet Series No. 1. Albuquerque, NM, 1985 - Revised 1993.

Oral History Association. Principles and Standards of the Oral History Association . Los Angeles: Oral History Association, 1992.

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If you've enjoyed this list of hand-picked books, you may want to view our list of hand-picked links. Also, we have more great resources for historians and lots of free articles and tips for everyone. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

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