From family photographs, death records, birth records, marriage records, court records and cemetery records, to making use of technology and tying together descendents, Margarete Jones and Margaret Spiry provide nearly 453 pages of research on the family history of John Cotton (born 1744) and his wife, Elizabeth Stone, collected over 40 years. The book is highly documented with hundreds end notes to prove the history provided. This is not a standard genealogy by any means, with primary and secondary sources cited and supplied to the reader on a supplemental material disc provided with the book. The book is completely indexed for ease of use by the reader. There are more than 600 allied families listed in the book. While it doesn't cover "absolutely everyone who is a descendant of John and Elizabeth" (that would require more than one book and more than 40 years of research), "The Cotton Family of Northern Virginia – Volume 1 – John Cotton and Elizabeth Stone" is the perfect choice for anyone who wants to learn more about this family.