[ANSTHRLD] books

[nweders at mail.utexas.edu]

>
>This should show how useless a general question like this is but folks keep
>asking it over the years.


         I'm sorry you think it's useless but I chose it rather than get a 
wealth of people posting every book they have in their library.  What's it 
shown me is that Withycombe as well as the Reaney-Willson book is valued by 
most heralds and would be a safe one to recommend to someone interested in 
beginning name searching.  Granted it doesn't include anything beyond the 
British Isles (more or less) but a great many of the people in the SCA have 
Western European personas.  The questions has also prompted a conversation 
on the many editions of the RW book, how much they roughly cost and what 
people think of as an inexpensive book compared to a more expensive 
book.  It has also shown that there is a need to discover more Eastern 
Europeans sources or find a person who could become a source.
         Now I don't have a considerable background on Eastern European 
sources so the imput that people have given is helpful for myself as well 
as new and maybe semi-newish heralds.
         The heraldry books are useful in discovering how much people use 
the Pic Dic, for instance.  And that fact that a good book, no matter how 
old has value (Simple Heraldry, cheerfully Illustrated).
         And if I have a better book in a field I can easily suggest it in 
response to someone's list.  (For instance, have you looked at Onen's 
translation of the Secret History, or Sechen's Bewjeweled 
History  translated by John Krueger?  Both are quite good and are viewed as 
secondary sources like the others on your list.)

Sometimes, to my mind, the basic questions give you a lot of information.

Thanks for your answer.

Most Cordially,
  Clare