Because it is a secondary source, the information should not be cited as definitive. There are many known spelling errors in names, for instance. In the foreword, Carson expresses his indebtedness to Ephraim S. Axtell and Seth J. Axtell. Carson researched the book from 1922 to 1945. It covers 5439 individuals with over 1000 biographical entries.
Few families have such a thorough work on which to base further research.
The book has the biases expected for a family history, especially for a family with deep Puritanical roots like the Axtells. I first became interested in the Axtell genealogy in general while tracing my own lineage, finding so little to build on, and thought a complete record should be made. A search of the genealogical sections of the big libraries of New England, the early home to the family, produced but little. Using this little as a starting point I followed down to the present as well as traced back to the beginning. I am indebted in its preparation to Ephraim S. Axtell for the record of Maj.