This is an essential title for persons conducting genealogical research in the state of North Carolina. This guide lists each county, the date the county was formed and its parent county or counties, and then lists all the original and microfilm records held by the North Carolina State Archives. There is a helpful map showing counties which suffered record loss due to fire, other counties with record loss, and counties with no known record loss. There has been a courthouse fire in Chatham County since the publication of the book. However, the originals of many records up to the early 20th century (and even some into the mid-20th century) are already housed in the state library and archives and others through the mid-20th century have been microfilmed and are in Raleigh as well. There is a glossary of terms that are commonly encountered in North Carolina research. The book contains an index. This review refers to the 12th edition (2009). ( )