Editor's Note: Each month we feature books and other projects completed by readers of The Kentucky Explorer. These materials are for sale. Please contact the address given with each book or item. (Again, we truly thank all who have sent additions for our Kentucky Explorer library.) Review copies are appreciated.

The Durbin Family
The Durbin Family of Madison, Estill, Lee, and Clark Counties of Kentucky, by Coral Babb, is now available. This book briefly touches on Maryland and Christopher Durbin coming to Kentucky ca. 1775. Each of these four counties are discussed in relation to the Durbin family. There is a map to the Madison County site where Christopher and Phillip Durbin built the Catholic church, and the cemetery that Father Ryan spoke of in his book. The family left these counties for other sites, such as Sunfish, Kentucky, and Illinois; except John Durbin and his brother, Joseph, who stayed in Lee County, Kentucky. The book has 924 different surnames, 584 pages, lots of documents back to 1800, census records, weighs at three pounds, and paperback, with spiral binding. Cost of this book is $56, plus $3.50 postage. To order, contact: Coral Babb, 104 Terri Avenue, Berea, KY 40403; or call: 859/986-8235.

Captain Bill Strong
At Rest Among Thorns: The Story Of Captain Bill Strong As Told By Strong Family Descendants, by Sam Strong, Jr., and David W. Strong, is now available from Lightning Books. This first book by the father and son team has been many years in the making and chronicles the life of William Strong (1825-1897), better known in Eastern Kentucky Civil War and feudal history as "Captain Bill." Though much has already been written of his exploits, the authors introduce new information through family history stories handed down through generations of the Strong family. This book contains many photos and illustrations, as well as the transcribed text of many historical documents, including military pension file entries and old newspaper accounts from the late 1800s. This book has 200 pages and has a soft cover. A limited quantity is available. Price of this book is $20.00 each (includes shipping and handling). For more information or to order, send check or money order to: David W. Strong, 76 Beattyville Road, Lot #6, Jackson, KY 41339; or
e-mail: dwstrong@kih.net

A Kentucky Childhood
Bearwallow Road, A Kentucky Childhood, by Ramona Layne Stylos, is a memoir of growing up in rural Madison County, Kentucky. In the 38 chapters of the book the readers meet, among others, the author's mother, who rode five miles on a mare to teach in a one-room school; her uncle, who murdered his wife with an axe; the best and worst of her grade school teachers; her tightwad uncle; and her brilliant, enigmatic father. Anyone who grew up during the 1930s will relate to the chores, the pastimes, the struggles, and the simple pleasures entertainingly written about in this book. This book contains 166 pages and cost book is $8.95, plus $1.55 S/H. To order, contact: Bellbird Books, 117 Wilson Drive, Brevard, NC 28712.

World War II
Dog Battery, Its Hidden History, World War II, 1941-1945, by Harold Dwight Tipton, is now available after eight years of research, personal battlefield notes, and eyewitness interviews with some of the remaining soldiers. This book is a first-hand account of a small group of Kentucky mountaineers and fellow soldiers from the large cities of the eastern United States, as they fought their way across North Africa, Sicily, and Europe; eventually ending up in Czechoslovakia when the war was over. A true story from the beginning to the end. This book is a must for military enthusiasts, historians, and students of history and legend. This book contains 290 pages of exciting WWII history. Cost of this book is $25, plus $3 S/H, plus 6 1/2% Florida sales tax. To order, contact: Harold D. Tipton, 14050 Simmons Lake Road, Brooksville, FL 34601; call: 352/799-6327; or fax: 352/796-5542.

Genealogy's Best
Arranged geographically, The Best Genealogy on CD-ROM describes nearly 80 CD-ROM publications, encompassing hundreds upon hundreds of the best reference books. In short, this catalogue illustrates how we've pulled together a substantial portion of our library of books into scarcely 80 affordable electronic publications. Anyone interested in obtaining a free copy of The Best of Genealogy on CD-ROM can do so by writing to: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1001 N. Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD 21202, Attn: CD-ROM catalogue; or call: 800/296-6687.

Tennessee Land Records
Once in a generation, someone compiles a genealogy reference work that instantly becomes a standard in its field, because it aggregates a vital collection of records in one place, explains how those records originally came to be, and in the process, promises to save its users hours of toil. Earliest Tennessee Land Records and Earliest Tennessee Land History, by Irene Griffey, is such a book. The bulk of this remarkable volume consists of abstracts of some 16,000 of the earliest Tennessee land records in existence, arranged in a tabular format. For each record we are given the name of the claimant, the file number, the name of the assignee (if any), the county, number of acres, grant number, date, entry number, entry date, land book and page number, and a description of the stream nearest to the grant. This book is 6 X 9 inches, has 506 pages, is illustrated, comes in paperback form, and cost $45. To order, contact: Clearfield Company, Inc., 200 E. Eager Street, Baltimore, MD 21202; or call: 800/296-6687.

Vital Records Handbook
International Vital Records Handbook, Births, Marriages, Deaths, by Thomas Jay Kemp, is now available. This book covers all the countries of the world; including North America, the British Isles, and Europe. It contains hundreds of new or updated forms from home and around the world. It includes current addresses and phone numbers; with fax numbers, e-mail addresses, websites, and, if available, fees, starting dates of records, and alternative record locations. Divided into three parts, this new fourth edition of the International Vital Records Handbook contains the latest forms and information for each of the 50 states and also furnishes details about records that were created prior to statewide vital records registrations. This book is 8 1/2 X 11 inches, has 616 pages, comes in paperback form, and costs $34.95. To order, contact: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1001 N. Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD 21202; or call: 800/296-6687.

Virginia Records On CD
Virginia Military Records: Colonial Wars, Revolutionary War, and War of 1812 is now on CD-ROM. This Family Archive CD contains a definitive collection of books dealing with the military records of Virginia in the colonial wars, the Revolutionary War, and the War of 1812; all published originally by the Genealogical Publishing Company. For persons interested in tracing the descendants of Virginia soldiers and who wish to understand the magnitude of Virginia's contribution to the American cause, this CD is invaluable. Naming 275,000 members of the militia and the established army, all of whom can be instantly traced by means of a single electronic index, this CD is one of the most powerful and versatile tools in the entire arsenal of early American genealogical research. You must have a CD-ROM drive, and in order to read the CDs you must use either Family Tree Maker Version 3.02 or higher (for Windows or for Power Macintosh), or the Family Archive Viewer Version 3.02 or higher, which is free with the purchase of this CD. Cost of the CD is $29.99. To order, contact: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1001 N. Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD 21202.

Maryland And Delaware
As he did for free Negroes in North Carolina and Virginia, Paul Heinegg has reconstructed the history of the free African-American community of Maryland and Delaware by looking at the history of their families. Free African-Americans of Maryland and Delaware is a new work that will intrigue genealogists and historians alike. First and foremost, Mr. Heinegg has assembled genealogical evidence on more than 300 Maryland and Delaware Negro families (naming nearly 6,000 individuals), with copious documentation from the Federal censuses of 1790-1810 and colonial sources consulted at the Maryland Hall of Records, county archives, and other repositories. No work that we know of brings together so much information on colonial African-Americans, except Mr. Heinegg's earlier volume on Virginia and North Carolina. This book has 392 pages, is indexed, comes in hardcover form, and cost $45. To order, contact: Clearfield Company, Inc., 200 E. Eager Street, Baltimore, MD 21202; or call: 800/296-6687.

Casey County, Kentucky
Casey County, Kentucky Marriage Index, 1936-1959, by Roberta O. Taylor Jones, is now available. The book has two sections, each section index by bride and groom. The book is softbound (spiral). Please allow 15 working days for shipping. Cost of this book is $18, includes postage. Make checks payable to Carl E. Jones. Send to: Roberta O. Jones, 2383 E. County Road 900 N., Eaton, IN 47338.