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19th out of 236 books
—
191 voters
The Autobiography of Santa Claus (The Christmas Chronicles)
by
Jeff Guinn
It all started when Jeff Guinn was assigned to write a piece full of little-known facts about Christmas for his paper, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram. A few months later, he received a call from a gentleman who told him that he showed the story to an important friend who didn't think much of it. And who might that be? asked Jeff. The next thing he knew, he was whisked off to...more
Paperback, 289 pages
Published
October 19th 2006
by Tarcher
(first published 1994)
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So. I liked the first third of this book. The second third started to get annoying. And by the last third I was rolling my eyes and kept imagining myself making teenage finger-gagging gestures over the ridiculousness.
At the beginning, the concept of the evolution of Santa was interesting but with every chapter that passed, the heavy-handed plot started to annoy me because it became too predictable.
Nicholas started out on his own but eventually acquired an entourage of immortals that included a...more
At the beginning, the concept of the evolution of Santa was interesting but with every chapter that passed, the heavy-handed plot started to annoy me because it became too predictable.
Nicholas started out on his own but eventually acquired an entourage of immortals that included a...more
Jan 01, 2009
Lisa
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
People who love Christmas
This is not only a fun book, but also very informative. I had known that the Santa Claus we know now had evolved from a real historical figure: Saint Nicholas, however I had no idea that he lived so long ago. He was actually born in 280 AD!
It is amazing that this one man and his love of Jesus Christ which manifested in his giving gifts to the needy has a legacy that extends over almost two thousand years!
The book is well written and the story and very interesting. It tells how Bishop Nicholas st...more
It is amazing that this one man and his love of Jesus Christ which manifested in his giving gifts to the needy has a legacy that extends over almost two thousand years!
The book is well written and the story and very interesting. It tells how Bishop Nicholas st...more
Dec 07, 2008
Donalyn
rated it
1 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
no one, really
Shelves:
adult-fantasy,
no-name-book-club
OK, the only reason I even read this one is because my book club chose it for our December selection. This book proves to me why Dicken's A Christmas Carol is still so popular-- it was the last decent Christmas book written (although The Santa Land Diaries and Skipping Christmas deserve honorable mention).
This book follows the evolution of the Santa Claus myth starting with Saint Nicholas and ending with the Coca-Cola illustrations (which solidified our vision of how Santa looks).
Although the bo...more
This book follows the evolution of the Santa Claus myth starting with Saint Nicholas and ending with the Coca-Cola illustrations (which solidified our vision of how Santa looks).
Although the bo...more
This book reads like Bill and Ted's Great Adventure. I could tell you how Santa met Mrs. Claus, but I won't. I could tell you how he got into the business, but I won't. I could tell you the how and who Santa recruited to help him, but I won't. I could tell you about how Santa got to fly a sleigh, but I won't. I will tell you that he's only been at the North Pole since 1913! Suprised. If you want to know these things too, read the book. You will enjoy.
Merry Christmas to All and to All, Good Night
Merry Christmas to All and to All, Good Night
Several Christmases agi, a friend of mine from church recommended this book to me. It has 24 chapters, and is a wonderful story to read to your kids throughout the month of December, leading up to Christmas Eve (one chapter a night, starting December 1st).What I like most about the book, is that it weaves Santa's story throughout history. Several historical figures from Charlemagne to Attila the Hun to Ben Franklin cross Santa's path as the years pass. It even explains how Santa never grows old....more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This book begins wonderfully; I was intrigued and delighted to get historical background on Saint Nicholas and the little tid bits of historical accuracy that were tossed in after the death of historical Saint Nicholas continued to interest me as I paged through the book. However, once the bulk of the history subsides and the "magic" kicks in, I really felt as though the author relied more on the a wistful "I do believe" spirit in his readers rather than plot or character development. Attila the...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
My book review will appear in the local paper on Sunday 12/2/09; here's what I wrote:
“You’re right to believe in me.”
So says St. Nicholas in Jeff Guinn’s delightful book, “The Autobiography of Santa Claus.” Though adult readers might be tempted to confine stories about Santa Claus to the 10-and-under crowd, at 280 pages, this novel is a satisfying holiday read for grown-ups, too.
You may or may not be aware that stories about Santa Claus were loosely based on Nicholas, bishop of Myra in Lycia (n...more
“You’re right to believe in me.”
So says St. Nicholas in Jeff Guinn’s delightful book, “The Autobiography of Santa Claus.” Though adult readers might be tempted to confine stories about Santa Claus to the 10-and-under crowd, at 280 pages, this novel is a satisfying holiday read for grown-ups, too.
You may or may not be aware that stories about Santa Claus were loosely based on Nicholas, bishop of Myra in Lycia (n...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I liked the first part about the real Saint Nicholas in the 4th century Turkey. But then the author got more "imaginative", in lack of a better word, and Santa started picking up famous historical figures to be his special "helpers" though there were no elves, but indeed flying reindeer, and endless quips about Santa's endless expanding girth. I couldn't quite believe Santa picking up Attila the Hun, King Arthur and Theodore Roosevelt and others even Amelia Earheart to help with flight navigatio...more
OK, I know that I am going to get coal in my stocking for only giving this book one star, but I call 'em like I read 'em. This book follows the evolution of the Santa Claus myth starting with Saint Nicholas and ending with present day interpretations.
Basically, I found the book to be poorly written. Although it offers some historical information about Santa and the how traditions have evolved over time, it was done as a mostly boring and tedious timeline. It starts with the actual person who eve...more
Basically, I found the book to be poorly written. Although it offers some historical information about Santa and the how traditions have evolved over time, it was done as a mostly boring and tedious timeline. It starts with the actual person who eve...more
The Christmas Chronicles: The Autobiography of Santa Claus as told to Jeff Guinn
While searching online for another Santa Claus book we used to have, I noticed this 3 volume-in-one book and decided to buy a copy on amazon. After getting my copy, I ordered 7 more copies for Christmas gifts and then yesterday, ordered two more. This story on Santa's life is absolutely captivating from start to finish. I started reading this first story to my hubby before the Thanksgiving holiday and due to family h...more
While searching online for another Santa Claus book we used to have, I noticed this 3 volume-in-one book and decided to buy a copy on amazon. After getting my copy, I ordered 7 more copies for Christmas gifts and then yesterday, ordered two more. This story on Santa's life is absolutely captivating from start to finish. I started reading this first story to my hubby before the Thanksgiving holiday and due to family h...more
Jan 10, 2012
Jennifer
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommended to Jennifer by:
Sally
Shelves:
audio-books,
christmas-books
Love how it intertwines actual history with Santa's life story and how there is such a Christian foundation to Santa's life.
I agreed with other reviewers that the first 1/3 or half of the book is wonderful. Still grounded in factual history and slowly weaving in the magic. But by the end, I too, was wincing from the cliches and pace of the story. The final chapter was also grossly lacking in the religious significance of Christmas; the beginning did this well without being preachy or unapproachable. Surely he could have described a church at the North Pole or ended with a service singing Silent Night. (And I'm a very...more
Read this in December for my book club.
This book weaves together the history and the legend of Santa Claus. It was really interesting to learn how some of our Christmas traditions started. The only problems was that this book reads a bit like a history book. There is no driving plot line so it just kind of plunks along. Also, with everything it was more like, "people started to say this and believe this about me so we figured out how to make it happen" rather than "we started doing things this w...more
This book weaves together the history and the legend of Santa Claus. It was really interesting to learn how some of our Christmas traditions started. The only problems was that this book reads a bit like a history book. There is no driving plot line so it just kind of plunks along. Also, with everything it was more like, "people started to say this and believe this about me so we figured out how to make it happen" rather than "we started doing things this w...more
"This book made me loose my book throwing virginity." This book made me irritated, violently angry, bored, and then just disgusted.
The author did lots of research (though most of it from encyclopedias if you note his bibliography), and I applaud him for attempting to synthesize many different threads of research into a cohesive story. This is all I can applaud him for. The narrator is naive and smug, and has an absurdly modern view on the sheer amount of periods he's supposed to have lived throu...more
The author did lots of research (though most of it from encyclopedias if you note his bibliography), and I applaud him for attempting to synthesize many different threads of research into a cohesive story. This is all I can applaud him for. The narrator is naive and smug, and has an absurdly modern view on the sheer amount of periods he's supposed to have lived throu...more
My book club made me do it. A group of friends and I started a book club several years ago and we have this tradition of always reading a holiday book for December. Sometimes they are very very bad (holiday vampire romance anyone? cat books?) and sometimes they are very very good (Christopher Moore FTW!) and others are just so-so. This definitely fell in the so-so category for me. It was simply too long and there were too many moments where I found myself asking "really?".
Having said that, I rea...more
Having said that, I rea...more
How did a young boy become what the world knows as Santa Claus? How did he meet all the people that help him to create, make and deliver the toy and joys every year? How did some of the famous people of history really die or disappear?
This is the tale of all those things and more. From a boy Nicholas was one to see the need around him and give. He has lived through many centuries, seen wars and a new land become a nation. This story tells how all the traditions we know about Santa came into bein...more
This is the tale of all those things and more. From a boy Nicholas was one to see the need around him and give. He has lived through many centuries, seen wars and a new land become a nation. This story tells how all the traditions we know about Santa came into bein...more
Santa Gump's Excellent Adventures.
As if the story of Santa isn't fantastic enough, Jeff Guinn has Santa meeting all manner of historical figures; Attila the Hun, St. Francis of Assisi, King Arthur to name a few. This book started out ok - a little real history sprinkled with the Santa myth. But it grew more and more fantastic (and I don't mean that in a good way) and more and more tedious as the story wore on until I was disinclined to believe even the real history because the fiction was so far...more
As if the story of Santa isn't fantastic enough, Jeff Guinn has Santa meeting all manner of historical figures; Attila the Hun, St. Francis of Assisi, King Arthur to name a few. This book started out ok - a little real history sprinkled with the Santa myth. But it grew more and more fantastic (and I don't mean that in a good way) and more and more tedious as the story wore on until I was disinclined to believe even the real history because the fiction was so far...more
A great family book! When my girls were 17 and 10, we started reading this as a Christmas tradition. It has 24 chapters, so one chapter each night in December. We followed up with the 2nd and 3rd in the series the two years following. They weren't as good. Then, we went back to the original one more time in 2011. Now, they're older and busier. I missed the tradition this holiday season.
This book is *almost* historic fiction. You learn so much about history as you follow the life of Saint Nichola...more
This book is *almost* historic fiction. You learn so much about history as you follow the life of Saint Nichola...more
This was a cute book that would be a fun family read before Christmas. It's basically Santa's life story from his perspective which includes a ton of world history and fun stories for where things came from such as coming down the chimney...stockings...reindeer, etc. The book is set up in 24 chapters so you can read one chapter a night, which would be a great bedtime story for older children since it is clearly written for a younger audience. I didn't think I was going to like the book at first...more
I liked the beginning of the book, and the opportunity to learn as I read, but as I read more and credulity was stretched more and more (yeah, I know this was about Santa, after all), I couldn't take it anymore. My first clue was when Attila the Hun joined up with them, and by the time Amelia Earhart ditched her flight to join Santa, I'd had more than enough.
I don't mind reading revisionist history at times, but now I'm afraid I'll be confused on some things. When I'm finished with a book, I lov...more
I don't mind reading revisionist history at times, but now I'm afraid I'll be confused on some things. When I'm finished with a book, I lov...more
While there may be a number of books written about the Santa Claus mythos, Jeff Guinn is the first to get the story of how a minor Bishop from Lycia became the jolly old elf so loved in current times, directly from the source.
This good natured narrative covers the challenges of delivering gifts with a sense of love and wonder over the course of several centuries and across a growing global population. Assistance comes from some surprising sources, and some age-old mysteries are clarified.
In add...more
This good natured narrative covers the challenges of delivering gifts with a sense of love and wonder over the course of several centuries and across a growing global population. Assistance comes from some surprising sources, and some age-old mysteries are clarified.
In add...more
I was ready for the Christmas gift of a magical story about Santa Claus and what I actually received was a far-fetched, unbelievable stink-bomb of a tale.
While there are some interesting facts about the beginnings of the Legend of Saint Nicholas, this is precisely the fatal flaw of the book - IT IS TOO BOGGED DOWN IN THE DETAILS OF HISTORY! At times, this book ends up feeling like more of a history lesson than a fun Christmas adventure. I should have keyed in on this aspect when I read the sleev...more
While there are some interesting facts about the beginnings of the Legend of Saint Nicholas, this is precisely the fatal flaw of the book - IT IS TOO BOGGED DOWN IN THE DETAILS OF HISTORY! At times, this book ends up feeling like more of a history lesson than a fun Christmas adventure. I should have keyed in on this aspect when I read the sleev...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I liked best of all the historical background covering 17 centuries which is told by Santa Claus himself, beginning with Saint Nicholas in present Turkey who was a Catholic bishop who helped the needy. The rest is a combination of tradition and fiction. Somehow, Atilla the Hun, Leonardo deVinci, King Arthur, and Ben Franklin are able to live on forever and become Santa's friends and helpers. It was Leonardo who figured out how to get reindeer to fly. Santa's wife Layla is a helpful person but ha...more
One of my all-time favorite books. So beautifully written. The history isn't even overwhelming or boring - but so neat and educational. The characters are lovable and interesting. I mean, who couldn't love Santa Claus? I wrote to Jeff Guinn after finishing his book and told him how much it touched me. At the time I was pregnant with my first daughter. He was very grateful for my e-mail and sent me a signed copy of the book as well as the original manuscript. Then, as ANOTHER thank you, he put my...more
Dec 24, 2011
MD
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
families with children who belive in Santa
Shelves:
children-young-adult,
fiction
Reading a chapter a night to children between, say, four and twelve might be a fun family activity during advent, especially if you encourage your children to believe in Santa. The author provides a highly fictionalized history of the observance of Christmas and of Saint Nicholas/Santa Claus. The tone of the narrative is more geared toward children than adults and I found the choice of "helpers" off-putting (Attila the Hun? Really?). The other thing that bugged me is that although Dutch beliefs...more
This is a clever spin to the Santa Claus story. It tells the history of not only Santa Claus but of the world and how Santa experiences all the different historical events. This novel is an easy read and keeps the magic alive so a young reader would not be offended and might have a better appreciation of history if Santa is involved. It also encourages adults to believe in something more than a fairtale they no longer believe in. This book may not be challenging language but it is a very interes...more
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Jeff Guinn is books editor at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He is the author of several books, including The Sixteenth Minute: Life in the Aftermath of Fame and Our Land Before We Die: The Proud Story of the Seminole Negro, which received the Texas Book Award. He is also the author of The Autobiography of Santa Claus and How Mrs Claus Saved Christmas.
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“Not all magic is fireworks and fanfare. Sometimes magic is quiet and sneaks up on you. An illusion is what needs all the bells and whistles to make itself appear grander than it really is, which is just a trick that can be explained.”
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Dec 18, 2011 02:41pm