Try exporting as a vCard from Google Contacts and import the .vcf file to TB. Don't know why you have all those address books, but Personal Address Book and Collected Addresses are defaults and cannot be removed.

Google Contacts can be synced with TB with add-ons, if you require that option.

thanks for your response. I just downloaded the add-on and it seems to have added contacts to the existing collected addresses.

I don't know why the contacts were added to Collected Addresses. Both TbSync and Card Book create separate address books for the synchronized contacts.

I have no idea. I just added Tbsync also to Tbird and my address book shows no indication it's there. Same with Card Book. Under 'tools' I show 'synchronization settings - tbsync' and when I click on that it's blank under account settings.

If you have installed TbSync and Provider for CalDAV & CardDAV, and toggled extensions.dav4tbsync.googlesupport to true in Config. editor (Options/General/Indexing), the TbSync settings window should look like the attached picture, and a Google address book, with the G icon, should appear in Address Book.

great.. that all worked once I set up my google account in the tbsync account manager. And now the Google icon appears in the list of address books. so now under Tbird 'options' 'composition' do I choose these: when addressing messages look for matching entries in 'local address books' or leave that unchecked and then check: automatically add outgoing messages to - the Google address book and default startup directory - to the Google address book?

Enable autocomplete to search Local Address Books (which will include the Google address book), and select whichever address book you wish to collect outgoing addresses (default is Collected Addresses). Set the default startup directory to any address book - it opens that book when you open Address Book.

OK thanks again. Now you can work on developing a vaccine!