Marion Smith has a wealth of information here, but her organization is weak and she repeats herself. Is this a collection of individual articles? This book isn't for the casual reader; he/she needs patience and digging skills. As it's out of print, it's also very expensive (not Marion Smith's fault). Still, anyone interested in the Shaw family will find here, what with Shaws, Lowells, and other collaterals, a geneological history of New England, together with material on Robert Gould Shaw not found elsewhere.