Ancestors (2002) is the fictionalized account of what happened to Paul Crook’s great-great-great-grandfather John Alexander Crooks enslaved in Jamaica from 1798 to 1838, the year that slaves in the British West Indies were set free.

From a man who dedicated more than 13 years of his life to uncovering the saga of his African slave ancestors, Paul’s second book A Tree Without Roots is a guide for others to capitalize on his informed techniques.

Discover just what it means to know where one is from.

This book provides inspiration to those who believe that their search may be hampered by having mixed heritage or a history of migration through the ages.

An instructive guide for those interested in finding out more about their family connections with the Caribbean islands, it offers techniques and approaches that can be applied to anyone researching their ancestry around the world.

About the Author

Paul Crooks pioneered research into African Caribbean genealogy during the 1990s. He traced his family history from London, back 6 generations, to ancestors captured of the West African coast and enslaved on a sugar plantation in Jamaica.

Paul gained national recognition for his work when his acclaimed historical novel Ancestors (based on the true story of the author’s African ancestors) was published in 2002.

Paul is now among the best motivational speakers discussing some of the most engaging topics relating to the Black and British experience through the lens of his pioneering research into Black ancestry.

Paul is credited with inspiring an upsurge in interest in Black and British ancestry. He is also recognized for having spawned an industry in African Caribbean genealogy.