Polish genealogy is almost completely defined by geography and history. Situated in the center of Europe, Poland has been foster mother to people of many different nationalities, especially Russians, Austrians, Germans, Ukrainians, and Lithuanians--people belonging to the nation states that exercised dominion over it. It has also been host over the centuries to Balkan and Carpathian Slavs, Jews, Prussians, Balts, Gypsies, and even Scots, so the Polish genealogical landscape is actually a mosaic. To explore it properly is to cross the overlapping boundaries of language, religion, geography, and history. The second edition of this pioneering work on Polish family history provides the American researcher with the most up-to-date tools to succeed in genealogical research in each of these areas.

Since the publication of the original Polish Roots, there have been many advances in Polish genealogy research. The Internet has made the task of locating Polish ancestors much easier, as more information and images are made available online. In addition, there has been a marked rise in interest in genealogy in Poland, resulting in a great increase in the number of Polish genealogical societies available and the amount of helpful information disseminated. This second edition of Polish Roots addresses these exciting developments, with a new Introduction, four brand-new chapters, one completely rewritten chapter, several new maps and charts, and numerous updates scattered throughout the original text.

An enthusiastic genealogist for close to 50 years, Rosemary Chorzempa has traced some branches of her Polish family back to the early 1700s. She was awarded the Polish Genealogical Society of America's Wigilia Medal in 1999 for her contributions to the Polish Genealogical Society of America and Polish genealogy. In 2012 she was made an honorary lifetime member of the Toledo Polish Genealogical Society. Her books My Family Tree Workbook and Design Your Own Coat-of-Arms have been continuously in print since 1982 and 1987.