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Santa Claus: A Biography
An entertaining, often surprising look at the life of the world’s most influential fictional character.
He is the embodiment of charity and generosity, a creation of mythology, a tool of clever capitalists. The very idea of him is enduring and powerful.
Santa Claus was born in early-nineteenth-century America, but his family tree goes back seven hundred years to Saint Nicholas, patron saint of children. Intervening generations were shaggy and strange � whip-wielding menaces to naughty boys and girls. Yet as the raucous, outdoor, alcohol-fuelled holiday gave way to a more domestic, sentimental model, a new kind of gift-bringer was called for � a loveable elf, still judgmental but far less threatening.
In this engaging social and cultural history, Gerry Bowler examines the place of Santa Claus in history, literature, advertising, and art. He traces his metamorphosis from a beardless youth into a red-suited peddler. He reveals the lesser-known aspects of the gift-bringer’s life � Santa’s involvement with social and political causes of all stripes (he enlisted on the Union side in the American Civil War), his starring role in the movies and as adman for gun-makers and insurance companies. And he demolishes the myths surrounding Santa Claus and Coca-Cola.
Santa A Biography will stand as the classic work on the long-lived and multifarious Mr. Claus.
He is the embodiment of charity and generosity, a creation of mythology, a tool of clever capitalists. The very idea of him is enduring and powerful.
Santa Claus was born in early-nineteenth-century America, but his family tree goes back seven hundred years to Saint Nicholas, patron saint of children. Intervening generations were shaggy and strange � whip-wielding menaces to naughty boys and girls. Yet as the raucous, outdoor, alcohol-fuelled holiday gave way to a more domestic, sentimental model, a new kind of gift-bringer was called for � a loveable elf, still judgmental but far less threatening.
In this engaging social and cultural history, Gerry Bowler examines the place of Santa Claus in history, literature, advertising, and art. He traces his metamorphosis from a beardless youth into a red-suited peddler. He reveals the lesser-known aspects of the gift-bringer’s life � Santa’s involvement with social and political causes of all stripes (he enlisted on the Union side in the American Civil War), his starring role in the movies and as adman for gun-makers and insurance companies. And he demolishes the myths surrounding Santa Claus and Coca-Cola.
Santa A Biography will stand as the classic work on the long-lived and multifarious Mr. Claus.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
December 29, 2013
This book starts off strong but loses its way about halfway through. The historical parts, from Santa's earliest origins to representations in the mid twentieth century, are very interesting, but after that the book meanders. Bowler has some frustrating habits, such as referring to events in a very roundabout way (calling a place 'a certain town', instead of naming the town, as if this will be universally understood), and being extremely inconsistent about his attributions. As history major myself, it made me cringe to see some quotes introduced simply as 'as one author wrote...', leaving the reader to find further information about the quote in the poorly formatted notes at the back of the book, while quotes from A Christmas Carol were attributed to Dickens, despite the fact that it's likely that more readers will immediately identify the author without needing to be told than they will the lesser known authors that Bowler leaves to the back pages. Bowler's writing style is also grating at times, with turns of phrase that seem self-consciously clever, but I could forgive all that if it weren't for the last twenty five pages, which feature a tonally out of place condemnation of 'political correctness', and an extremely sentimental and saccharine closing paragraph. The majority of the book seemed to be written as a history but it ends like a badly written op-ed. Thankfully I bought this at a second hand book store that was closing down, so I didn't pay very much for it.
January 24, 2023
This book ripped. You nerds don't even begin to understand Santa Claus. Only downside, and it is a downside, is that Bowler's got some real Bush-era Republican Christian vibes with a sprinkling of "western civ is Beautiful and Important" stuff going on. It's tolerable though. He also focuses too much on the history of Santa in America and makes what I think is an unnecessary distinction between Santa Claus (what he sees as a largely American mythological figure) and Sinterklaas/St. Nicholas/Kris Kringle/Pere Noel/etc (European mythological predecessors to Santa Claus). Those European figures are still contemporary and I think Santa Claus is part of their family: the mythological Christmas gift bringer. His best work here is on the ancient roots of wintertime gift giving (long pre-dating Christianity), the medieval roots of Santa Claus, and then the history of Santa in literature and film. His chapters on Santa as advertising tool and as patriotic military character needed to be included, but weren't as inspired in my opinion.
Still, the stuff that's good is real good and scores this book five stars in spite of its downsides.
Still, the stuff that's good is real good and scores this book five stars in spite of its downsides.
November 27, 2023
Have you ever been curious about the origins of Santa Claus? How about the different gift-bringers all over the globe? Gerry Bowler's has you covered. From the truly bizarre to the heartwarming, Santa Claus has made a lasting impact on the young and old for centuries.
Santa's role as an ad-man, a supporter of the armed forces, and an outlaw from Stalin's USSR, Santa Claus has had a storied past. Who knows what lays ahead?
This was a lot of fun. I read several of the more insane moments out loud to my wife, like Saint Nicholas resurrecting a pair of teens who were killed and thrown into a pickle barrel.
Santa's role as an ad-man, a supporter of the armed forces, and an outlaw from Stalin's USSR, Santa Claus has had a storied past. Who knows what lays ahead?
This was a lot of fun. I read several of the more insane moments out loud to my wife, like Saint Nicholas resurrecting a pair of teens who were killed and thrown into a pickle barrel.
December 22, 2020
I loved this book!
It was interesting without being pompous, funny without being silly and I genuinely learnt a thing or two.
It follows the structure of a pseudo biography, whilst being packed with history.
This book is thoroughly festive and gives an interesting perspective and context to Father Christmas.
Oh, and another thing... this book should only be read by those who believe in Father Christmas, like me ;)
It was interesting without being pompous, funny without being silly and I genuinely learnt a thing or two.
It follows the structure of a pseudo biography, whilst being packed with history.
This book is thoroughly festive and gives an interesting perspective and context to Father Christmas.
Oh, and another thing... this book should only be read by those who believe in Father Christmas, like me ;)
December 8, 2023
AN EXCELLENT HISTORICAL STUDY OF THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF SANTA
Canadian historian Gerry Bowler wrote in the Introduction to this 2005 book, “Two deities preside over the season. One is the baby Jesus, the divine infant, God incarnate to all Christians, adored by shepherds and angelic hosts� Christmas marks his birth two thousand years ago in a Middle Eastern stable. The other is Santa Claus, the dominant fictional character in our world. Neither Mickey Mouse nor Sherlock Holmes� nor Harry Potter wields a fraction of the influence that Santa does. He is a fundamental part of the industrialized economy; he is a spur to consumption but also to charitable giving� His image is recognized and loved all around the planet. All of Santa’s prestige derives from his role as the chief gift-bringer during the celebration of Christmas. Though Christmas is an ancient festival � Santa Claus himself is a rather more recent arrival� An account of his life will tell us much about the power of memory and magic, the duties of childhood and parenting, the clash of the commercial and the sacred.�
He states in the first chapter, “Though we can see the long association between Christmas and gift-giving, what the world lacked for more than a thousand years was the annual appearance of a magical gift-bringer, one who particularly cared about children. Such a figure would appear in the twelfth century in the form of Saint Nicholas.� (Pg. 13)
He recounts, “The fame enjoyed by Nicholas accelerated rapidly after his violent kidnapping in 1087� Merchants from the southern Italian port of Bari, ruled by Normans who had long been enamoured of the Nicholas cult, swept down upon Myra and made their way to the church that housed [his] tomb. Finding it guarded � [by] a mere handful of Orthodox monks, they tried reason, bribery and finally threats to make the unarmed custodians reveal where the bones lay� Joyfully, the Barians made their way back to Italy, where Saint Nicholas was reinterred and his remains began once more to ooze for their miraculous ‘manna di san Nicola.’� (Pg. 16)
He notes, “The religious revolutions that swept Western civilization in the sixteenth century did not leave Christmas or holiday gift-giving untouched� Could Saint Nicholas and his role as the Christmas gift-bringer survive? In most Protestant countries, the answer was no� We hear no more of Saint Nicholas’s nocturnal visits in England after the accession of Elizabeth I in 1558� In many areas of Germany, both Protestant and Catholic, poor Nicholas was elbowed aside for a new gift-bringer, the Christ child. Martin Luther himself � wrote, ‘This is what we do when we teach our children to fast and pray and hang up their stockings that the Christ Child or Saint Nicholas may bring them presents. But if they do not pray they will get nothing or only a switch and horse apples.’� (Pg. 21-22)
He continues, “In the early seventeenth century� for Protestants, the Christ child, or das Christkindl as he was known in German-speaking lands, was an obvious choice for the new gift-bringer: since God was the ultimate source of all good things, what better substitute for a discredited bishop could there be than the sacred infant himself whose birthday was being celebrated?� (Pg. 23-24)
He reports, “while America in 1810 was aware of a supernatural gift-bringer, that benevolent figure’s name was clearly Saint Nicholas and his form was that of an austere foreign bishop� on December 15, 1810. [a] poem, anonymously written, appeared in the New York Spectator praising the ‘good holy man! Whom as Sancte Claus name� for the gifts he brings, asking him to spare the rod, and promising him good behavior in return for his benevolence� There we have� the first mention in print of a ‘Sancte Claus� who brings holiday gifts. This � Phenomenon clearly resembles Saint Nicholas, an elderly bishop of Dutch extraction, operating under an alias� he is frightening enough that he has to be begged to leave his weapon behind, but we may consider this little poem the birth announcement of Santa Claus.� (Pg. 31-32)
He explains, “A reindeer-propelled gift-bringer first launched himself on the public imagination in ‘The Children’s Friend,' but now, in [Clement Clarke] Moore’s poem, it is not a single reindeer� eight tiny ruminants respond to an encouraging whistle and a call by name. And what names! Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Dunder and Blixem? That’s right: the original version listed ‘Dunder and Blixem.� From a Dutch oath meaning ‘Thunder and Lightning.� Subsequent editors, and Moore himself, would tinker with these names, so that ‘Donder� (or ‘Donner�) and Blitzen� are more common today.� (Pg. 42)
In Moore’s poem, “Thou our hero is referred to as SAINT Nicholas, he has been stripped of his authority as a religious official. He wears no episcopal robes and� unlike his European namesakes he neglects to quiz the little ones on their prayers or catechism. He is, in fact, entirely desacralized. Now his authority is derived from radiant goodwill and his generous bounty: he has been redefined as a petty capitalist---‘a peddler just opening his pack�---but one who seeks nothing in return.� (Pg. 45)
He recounts, “it was not until 1844 that Moore himself took credit for the work. This twenty-two-year stretch of anonymity has caused a number of critics to consider the claim of another to the authorship� The rival claimant� is Major Henry Livingston Jr. (1748-1828). According to partisans of his claim, Livingston wrote the work � during the first decade of the nineteenth century and � a young woman who had heard the poem in the Livingston household was employed as a governess by the Moore family. Though no hard evidence exists to support Livingston’s authorship, his supporters have pointed out that Moore never wrote anything resembling ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’� Moore is not without his scholarly defenders, however, and � he is still recognized as the author by most observers.� (Pg. 45-47)
He observes, “Such an attractive character would not remain unattached for long. By the 1880s, Santa Claus had a wife, and American magazines were quick to describe her. At first, Mrs. Claus was seen as a valuable help-meet for her busy husband, someone who gladly shouldered not only domestic burdens but also took part in the business end of things� it was natural that his wife should oversee the baking and candy production…� (Pg. 62)
He notes, “Though the Methodist ‘Sunday School Advocate� might inveigh against Santa Claus as a false tale� and others might complain of the excesses of Christmas theatricals, most churchfolk felt that Santa Claus was a role model who could inspire generosity and compassion in children.� (Pg. 93)
He states, “Soon after his appearance in America, Santa Claus began to feature as a merchantile tout. The figure who had recently been described by Clement Clarke Moore as ‘a peddler just opening his pack� was a natural choice as a salesman. Christmas advertising was becoming increasingly a part of the holidays as merchants view to take advantage of the new interest in year-end gift-buying, and who better to bring together sellers and consumers than Santa Claus?� (Pg. 114)
He asserts, “It is far too frequently believed that [Haddon Hubbard] Sundblom’s work for Coca-Cola created the familiar red-and-white-clad Santa of the modern era. In fact, the Coke Santa was in no way groundbreaking; illustrators for the ‘Saturday Evening Post� � had already helped fix the standard Santa in the public’s mind� Sundblom’s genius � was not that he added anything to our knowledge of Santa Claus but that he made a familiar image even more likeable and widespread. Sundblom’s vision of the gift-bringer emphasized lavishness and self-indulgence. In the middle of the Depression, he scorned the meagre street-corner and department-store Santas to produce one who was the roliest-poliest yet, clad in an abundance of furs, with a jaunty angle to his white moustache, and a penchant for raiding other people’s refrigerators.� (Pg. 122-123)
He acknowledges, “Despite some questionable theology, fundamentalist objectors do raise points that concerned parents had first posed in the nineteenth century: isn’t propagating the Santa Claus myth really telling a lie? Aren’t there moral and spiritual consequences to such an untruth?... Santa …was to meet a new enemy in the twentieth century: the psychiatrist� psychiatrists � [tell] us that children, left to themselves, would have nothing to do with Santa Claus, a figure who confuses then and who instills no sense of trust.� (Pg. 222-226)
He concludes, “Santa Claus will continue to be attacked and resisted, but as the family comes increasingly under assault, he will be evermore necessary. Parents will weigh the potential harm of telling � a ‘noble lie� against their desire to manifest love in the form of myth� they will conclude with Gamaliel Bradford that ‘� the law of love is higher than the law of truth� We toil and tire ourselves and sacrifice our lives for the dim goddess Truth� But love grows firmer and surer and more prevailing as the years go by.’� (Pg. 249-250)
This book will be “must reading� for anyone seriously studying the origin and development of Santa Claus.
Canadian historian Gerry Bowler wrote in the Introduction to this 2005 book, “Two deities preside over the season. One is the baby Jesus, the divine infant, God incarnate to all Christians, adored by shepherds and angelic hosts� Christmas marks his birth two thousand years ago in a Middle Eastern stable. The other is Santa Claus, the dominant fictional character in our world. Neither Mickey Mouse nor Sherlock Holmes� nor Harry Potter wields a fraction of the influence that Santa does. He is a fundamental part of the industrialized economy; he is a spur to consumption but also to charitable giving� His image is recognized and loved all around the planet. All of Santa’s prestige derives from his role as the chief gift-bringer during the celebration of Christmas. Though Christmas is an ancient festival � Santa Claus himself is a rather more recent arrival� An account of his life will tell us much about the power of memory and magic, the duties of childhood and parenting, the clash of the commercial and the sacred.�
He states in the first chapter, “Though we can see the long association between Christmas and gift-giving, what the world lacked for more than a thousand years was the annual appearance of a magical gift-bringer, one who particularly cared about children. Such a figure would appear in the twelfth century in the form of Saint Nicholas.� (Pg. 13)
He recounts, “The fame enjoyed by Nicholas accelerated rapidly after his violent kidnapping in 1087� Merchants from the southern Italian port of Bari, ruled by Normans who had long been enamoured of the Nicholas cult, swept down upon Myra and made their way to the church that housed [his] tomb. Finding it guarded � [by] a mere handful of Orthodox monks, they tried reason, bribery and finally threats to make the unarmed custodians reveal where the bones lay� Joyfully, the Barians made their way back to Italy, where Saint Nicholas was reinterred and his remains began once more to ooze for their miraculous ‘manna di san Nicola.’� (Pg. 16)
He notes, “The religious revolutions that swept Western civilization in the sixteenth century did not leave Christmas or holiday gift-giving untouched� Could Saint Nicholas and his role as the Christmas gift-bringer survive? In most Protestant countries, the answer was no� We hear no more of Saint Nicholas’s nocturnal visits in England after the accession of Elizabeth I in 1558� In many areas of Germany, both Protestant and Catholic, poor Nicholas was elbowed aside for a new gift-bringer, the Christ child. Martin Luther himself � wrote, ‘This is what we do when we teach our children to fast and pray and hang up their stockings that the Christ Child or Saint Nicholas may bring them presents. But if they do not pray they will get nothing or only a switch and horse apples.’� (Pg. 21-22)
He continues, “In the early seventeenth century� for Protestants, the Christ child, or das Christkindl as he was known in German-speaking lands, was an obvious choice for the new gift-bringer: since God was the ultimate source of all good things, what better substitute for a discredited bishop could there be than the sacred infant himself whose birthday was being celebrated?� (Pg. 23-24)
He reports, “while America in 1810 was aware of a supernatural gift-bringer, that benevolent figure’s name was clearly Saint Nicholas and his form was that of an austere foreign bishop� on December 15, 1810. [a] poem, anonymously written, appeared in the New York Spectator praising the ‘good holy man! Whom as Sancte Claus name� for the gifts he brings, asking him to spare the rod, and promising him good behavior in return for his benevolence� There we have� the first mention in print of a ‘Sancte Claus� who brings holiday gifts. This � Phenomenon clearly resembles Saint Nicholas, an elderly bishop of Dutch extraction, operating under an alias� he is frightening enough that he has to be begged to leave his weapon behind, but we may consider this little poem the birth announcement of Santa Claus.� (Pg. 31-32)
He explains, “A reindeer-propelled gift-bringer first launched himself on the public imagination in ‘The Children’s Friend,' but now, in [Clement Clarke] Moore’s poem, it is not a single reindeer� eight tiny ruminants respond to an encouraging whistle and a call by name. And what names! Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Dunder and Blixem? That’s right: the original version listed ‘Dunder and Blixem.� From a Dutch oath meaning ‘Thunder and Lightning.� Subsequent editors, and Moore himself, would tinker with these names, so that ‘Donder� (or ‘Donner�) and Blitzen� are more common today.� (Pg. 42)
In Moore’s poem, “Thou our hero is referred to as SAINT Nicholas, he has been stripped of his authority as a religious official. He wears no episcopal robes and� unlike his European namesakes he neglects to quiz the little ones on their prayers or catechism. He is, in fact, entirely desacralized. Now his authority is derived from radiant goodwill and his generous bounty: he has been redefined as a petty capitalist---‘a peddler just opening his pack�---but one who seeks nothing in return.� (Pg. 45)
He recounts, “it was not until 1844 that Moore himself took credit for the work. This twenty-two-year stretch of anonymity has caused a number of critics to consider the claim of another to the authorship� The rival claimant� is Major Henry Livingston Jr. (1748-1828). According to partisans of his claim, Livingston wrote the work � during the first decade of the nineteenth century and � a young woman who had heard the poem in the Livingston household was employed as a governess by the Moore family. Though no hard evidence exists to support Livingston’s authorship, his supporters have pointed out that Moore never wrote anything resembling ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’� Moore is not without his scholarly defenders, however, and � he is still recognized as the author by most observers.� (Pg. 45-47)
He observes, “Such an attractive character would not remain unattached for long. By the 1880s, Santa Claus had a wife, and American magazines were quick to describe her. At first, Mrs. Claus was seen as a valuable help-meet for her busy husband, someone who gladly shouldered not only domestic burdens but also took part in the business end of things� it was natural that his wife should oversee the baking and candy production…� (Pg. 62)
He notes, “Though the Methodist ‘Sunday School Advocate� might inveigh against Santa Claus as a false tale� and others might complain of the excesses of Christmas theatricals, most churchfolk felt that Santa Claus was a role model who could inspire generosity and compassion in children.� (Pg. 93)
He states, “Soon after his appearance in America, Santa Claus began to feature as a merchantile tout. The figure who had recently been described by Clement Clarke Moore as ‘a peddler just opening his pack� was a natural choice as a salesman. Christmas advertising was becoming increasingly a part of the holidays as merchants view to take advantage of the new interest in year-end gift-buying, and who better to bring together sellers and consumers than Santa Claus?� (Pg. 114)
He asserts, “It is far too frequently believed that [Haddon Hubbard] Sundblom’s work for Coca-Cola created the familiar red-and-white-clad Santa of the modern era. In fact, the Coke Santa was in no way groundbreaking; illustrators for the ‘Saturday Evening Post� � had already helped fix the standard Santa in the public’s mind� Sundblom’s genius � was not that he added anything to our knowledge of Santa Claus but that he made a familiar image even more likeable and widespread. Sundblom’s vision of the gift-bringer emphasized lavishness and self-indulgence. In the middle of the Depression, he scorned the meagre street-corner and department-store Santas to produce one who was the roliest-poliest yet, clad in an abundance of furs, with a jaunty angle to his white moustache, and a penchant for raiding other people’s refrigerators.� (Pg. 122-123)
He acknowledges, “Despite some questionable theology, fundamentalist objectors do raise points that concerned parents had first posed in the nineteenth century: isn’t propagating the Santa Claus myth really telling a lie? Aren’t there moral and spiritual consequences to such an untruth?... Santa …was to meet a new enemy in the twentieth century: the psychiatrist� psychiatrists � [tell] us that children, left to themselves, would have nothing to do with Santa Claus, a figure who confuses then and who instills no sense of trust.� (Pg. 222-226)
He concludes, “Santa Claus will continue to be attacked and resisted, but as the family comes increasingly under assault, he will be evermore necessary. Parents will weigh the potential harm of telling � a ‘noble lie� against their desire to manifest love in the form of myth� they will conclude with Gamaliel Bradford that ‘� the law of love is higher than the law of truth� We toil and tire ourselves and sacrifice our lives for the dim goddess Truth� But love grows firmer and surer and more prevailing as the years go by.’� (Pg. 249-250)
This book will be “must reading� for anyone seriously studying the origin and development of Santa Claus.
December 6, 2022
This is a nice history of the character of Santa Claus in all of its incarnations. There is even a rather thoughtful chapter at the end about the future of Santa Claus in the "woke" age and beyond. I learned some things and I enjoyed that it is written with hints of whimsey and snark.
March 27, 2017
Entertaining and interesting for the most part. It's a shame that the author let his personal bias and politics slip into the last chapter "Does Santa Have a Future?" C'mon, Bowler. The "ironically named American Civil Liberties Union"? Yes, it's a shame that the government has to observe separation of Church & State during the holidays. *eye roll* Also, Santa is not universally loved; did you read your own book about how Santa isn't even universal? An American invention?
I'm also curious as to complete lack of acknowledgement of The Nightmare Before Christmas. But then again, he didn't really cover Santa Claus Conquers the Martians either. But Bad Santa? All over that.
I'm also curious as to complete lack of acknowledgement of The Nightmare Before Christmas. But then again, he didn't really cover Santa Claus Conquers the Martians either. But Bad Santa? All over that.
December 18, 2016
95% of this book was a cute, mostly trivia laden, history of the Santa Claus myth. I was going to give it 4 stars until the final chapter. The final chapter is an angry partisan treatise on the Jon existent "war on Christmas." The author abandons all third person detachment and open mocks atheists, psychiatry, liberalism, and even the field of women's studies. What a disgusting end to an otherwise pleasant read.
January 3, 2024
I think an attempt to write a Biography of Santa is a pretty big job. This is a non-fictional approach to the data and facts that brought us to the 21st Century Santa Claus (or at least the 20th Century Santa Claus). The book is divided into 7 chapters. The first two about the evolution from Saint Nicholas to Santa. After that (around page 80) Bowler interprets Santa as how he is used as an advocate for causes (political and others), an adman for selling an unusual range of products and Santa during military conflicts. The 6th Chapter is a variety of reviews of Movies and Songs, which is really just short synopsis of what they are about. I think a better approach to keep with the idea of the book would be to address movies and songs that made a change in how people see Santa, but not sure there even are any, but this is just kind of a throaway chapter. The final chapter is "Does Santa Have a Future?" And, Bowler talks about a number of attempts to get Santa removed from towns/cities/countries for political reasons. This could have been more in depth. I would have preferred more of a focus on what happened and the response. It is really just a series of incidents that have happened without any insight, and the ones chosen seem kind of random in nature.
So, while I admire the attempt and I've been learning a lot more about Santa these days, I think the book could have been a lot stronger with more research and insight.
So, while I admire the attempt and I've been learning a lot more about Santa these days, I think the book could have been a lot stronger with more research and insight.
November 13, 2021
A lot of interesting information delivered in a not quite engaging manner with smatterings of the writer's own opinions coming through.
Begins with a good look into the origins of Santa Claus, takes a much too long walk through his use as a military propaganda tool, continues to a sort of head-scratching retrospective of Santa in film and song and ends in the baffling section "Does Santa Have a Future" where we learn the author isn't super in favor of the ACLU or separation of church and state and probably thinks there's a real war on Christmas before finally basically saying "yeah, people tend to like Santa and he will probably be around a long time."
Begins with a good look into the origins of Santa Claus, takes a much too long walk through his use as a military propaganda tool, continues to a sort of head-scratching retrospective of Santa in film and song and ends in the baffling section "Does Santa Have a Future" where we learn the author isn't super in favor of the ACLU or separation of church and state and probably thinks there's a real war on Christmas before finally basically saying "yeah, people tend to like Santa and he will probably be around a long time."
December 21, 2017
Good, not great. It was a very thoughtful rendering of the whole of the Santa Claus legend and I did learn a few things. I really enjoyed that there were illustrations throughout that are referenced. Unfortunately, though because the illustrations are grouped together, I didn't know that they would be shown and it would have been nice to read the explanation and immediately look at the picture. My main frustration was that the information didn't feel well ordered to me and there were definite points of repetition. Interesting read but nothing I'd pick up for a reread.
October 22, 2018
Had to read for school and while it had a lot of interesting history, the formatting made it difficult to read when it would quote passages and such.
December 13, 2018
Not bad, some information was a little sad, especially when you want to read a Christmas book. I did think there was some interesting information though.
December 16, 2019
The book had a lot of potentials but it is badly organized. Like another reviewer, I would also say that it started off really well but it got disorganized later on.
December 15, 2013
I've often wondered about the true origin and evolution of Santa Claus, and my interest sparked my impulsive buy of this biography this year. Much of what is discussed in this book is information I already knew to one extent or another, and the content I was most interested in--Santa Claus's appearance in history and his morph from a Catholic saint to a seemingly secular jolly old man--didn't encompass most of the book. The most interesting facts of the early days seemed glossed over to a certain extent for me, so while the commentary at times brought up good points, it wasn't as enlightening as I hoped.
October 31, 2012
This is really 2.5 stars. Not the most entertaining biographical boom I have ever read. It had some interesting stuff, but a lot of not very interesting stuff too. I loved the ironical story of the modern age grinches protesting the amount of money spent at Christmas by buying a $1200 billboard to say so. It was eye opening to realize that not only do some religious people dislike Santa because he is not the true reason for the season, but he is also attacked by non Christians because he represents a religious holiday. The guy just can't get a break.
April 17, 2016
Probably more 3.5 stars. It was an entertaining read. I enjoyed the early chapter on the history of Santa Claus and the last chapter on the future of Santa. I found that some of the middle chapters - advertising featuring Santa, movies about Santa - became little more than lists in their efforts to be all-inclusive. Overall, it was a fun read, made me laugh out loud in a couple of places, and left me with a smile on my face. And isn't that what Santa's all about?
December 25, 2012
An alright Christmas book, some of the earlier Christmas history was more interesting than the present day stuff. It got a bit list-y after a while. Still a fun read about the tradition that is Santa.
July 24, 2016
I still believe in Santa, and loved having a read through Gerry Bowler's research on the man, and his history throughout the years. No one will ever change my view that every child should know the spirit of Santa, red suit or otherwise.
Read
April 6, 2008UK: Toby Mundy
January 7, 2014
Krampus!
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