The result of ten years of research and writing, these volumes are a lively romp through history, highlighting both the good and the not-so-good discovered about the family surnames that make up this truly American family. The author, through careful observation and analysis, debunks misconceptions found in previous research by others and exposes the fallacies circulating on the internet. She has also been able to confirm unsubstantiated stories with documentation or by the gathering of a "preponderance of evidence." Y-DNA evidence has been introduced to trace the deep ethnic origin of the surname lines. Ms. Boyett highlights her specialty in adding valuable historical context that makes the stories come alive for the reader. Written in an easy, conversational style and infused with subtle humor, these volumes are a pleasure to read, all the while providing the reader with documented, factual information. Volume One includes the surnames: Coon, Kauffman, Kneissle, Lovell, Markham, Marshall, Meals, Power and Williams. Some of the characters you will encounter in these volumes include: a real-live Pirate of the Caribbean; a family friend, President George Washington; a man accused of high treason; a knight who invaded with William the Conqueror; those who perished in a Shawnee raid in the wilderness of Virginia; a family with an ancient Y-DNA signature; a mother lost on a wagon train journey; a Civil War POW; a Lord Mayor of London; a family stripped of their citizenship and deported; a man gunned down by a deputy Sheriff; a Tudor loan shark who had men afraid to come to London; the victim of a frontier lynching; the man who "shot it out" in Arizona against an Earp brother; early settlers in the Republic of Texas; a Confederate spy; and royal connections back to Charlemagne. These stories and many more make up the sweeping saga of a truly American family. Enjoy the journey