Eshleman's study explores the background of the great sectarian movements in Germany, Switzerland, and Holland and focuses attention on the Mennonite families who later emigrated to Pennsylvania. The major emphasis of the book is on Lancaster County genealogy and the emigration from the Palatinate in the eighteenth century, while substantial sections are devoted to lists of early settlers and biographical sketches of those who subsequently became known as Pennsylvania Germans.

"...throughout the book there is an orientation toward Lancaster County genealogy, with a lot of pertinent and historically correct identification of family backgrounds in Europe....The wider extent of German eighteenth century emigration is treated...and [Eshleman] is careful to give material on the spread of the Pennsylvania German population, particularly the sects, to Virginia and other parts of the South."--Don Yoder, The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine, XXVI:3 (1970) 2006