The Christmas Virtues: A Treasury of Conservative Tales for the Holidays

by Jonathan V. Last (Editor), Rob Long (Contributor), P.J. O'Rourke (Contributor)

From the all-star cast that brought you The Seven Deadly Virtue s and The Dadly Virtues comes the ultimate Christmas survival The Christmas Virtues .

The Christmas season is a minefield of The family get-togethers with weird uncles, the sloppy office parties, the annoying 10-page Look-at-Us holiday letters—and we haven’t even mentioned the Black Friday mobs and that wretched Alvin and the Chipmunks song that plays every 90 minutes on Pandora, whether you like it or not. Rum-pah-pah-pum.

And don’t forget the PC police lurking around every corner looking to beat the last bits of joy and comradery out of our society. Merry Christmas? Really?

But it doesn’t have to be this way. 'Tis the season to recapture the wonder of Christmas, in our hearts and in our homes and even out in the public square. The Christmas Virtues is a humorous companion for, and guide to, navigating the trials and tribulations of the holiday season. It’s a reminder of how we can embrace the joy, hope, and love of Christmas—of the real Christmas.

And a call for us to stand up for Christmas because America needs it now, more than ever.

So sit back and enjoy the following tales by your favorite

224 pages, Paperback

First published November 23, 2015

About the author

Jonathan V. Last is a senior writer at The Weekly Standard in Washington. His writings have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The New York Post, The Claremont Review of Books, First Things, The Week, Salon, Slate, TV Guide, and elsewhere.

He lives in Virginia with his wife and two children.

Reviews

[David MacDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

At times hilarious and thought-provoking, a great series of meditations on Christmas and all that is associated with it, both religious and secular.

[Frank Prisciandaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book

This book is a great read, I did not want it to end, and wish it was a little bit longer. I was born in Italy and came to America in 1967, Christmas although known was not a big deal we celebrated "La Befana" on January 6th. These short stories though brought back a lot of memories, both good and bad but mostly good. Buy this book and enjoy the true meaning of Christmas.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wide range of essays ranging from silly to serious, often on the same page. The most affecting essay is from Kirsten Powers describing her journey to faith.

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of Christmas essays. Many fun, some serious. Don't miss Rob Long's defense of Ebeneezer Scrooge, PJ O'Rourke on commercialization, Joe Queenan on Christmas cards, Andy Ferguson on Christmas cards, Joseph Epstein on being a Jew at this time of year, and more. On the other end of the spectrum, Kirsten Power's look at her newfound faith and the miracle of Christmas is insightful and touching. All in all, a great addition to this "virtues" series that Jonathan Last has been editing.

[BigHeadWalt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good collection of tales from humorous writers that are both touching and laugh-out-loud inducing. Kirsten Powers journey from agnostic / lapsed Christian to finding the Lord was very well written and especially moving.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic collection of essays covering various aspects of the Christmas season. Thoughtful, smart, funny, good-natured, and best of all, not overtly political in most cases.