Amazon.com: The Autobiography of Santa Claus (9781585424481): Jeff Guinn: Books
The Autobiography of Santa Claus and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more

Buy Used
Used - Very Good See details
$3.89 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
Kindle Edition
 
   
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
The Autobiography of Santa Claus
 
 
Start reading The Autobiography of Santa Claus on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

The Autobiography of Santa Claus [Paperback]

Jeff Guinn (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (72 customer reviews)


Available from these sellers.


Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
Kindle Edition --  
Hardcover, Bargain Price $7.18  
Paperback --  
Audio, CD, Unabridged $29.95  
Audible Audio Edition, Unabridged $14.95 or Free with Audible 30-day free trial

Book Description

October 19, 2006
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 the North Pole to meet with this “very important friend,” and the rest is, well, as they say, history.

An enchanting holiday treasure, The Autobiography of Santa Claus combines solid historical fact with legend to deliver the definitive story of Santa Claus. And who better to lead us through seventeen centuries of Christmas magic than good ol’ Saint Nick himself? Families will delight in each chapter of this new Christmas classic—one per each cold December night leading up to Christmas!


Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jeff Guinn is books editor at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He is the author of eight 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.

Jeff Guinn is also the author of the bestselling Christmas Chronicles series, which includes The Autobiography of Santa Claus, How Mrs. Claus Saved Christmas, and The Great Santa Search. He lives in Fort Worth, Texas.



From AudioFile

Where exactly did Santa Claus come from? How did he meet Mrs. Claus? Who named the reindeer? We've all asked these questions and a million more, and Jeff Guinn uses a wonderful mix of scholarship, fantasy, folklore, and faith to answer them all. According to this "authoritative" autobiography, St. Nicholas began giving gifts in the third century A.D. and never looked back. John H. Mayer's warm and leisurely reading certainly puts one in mind of the classic nineteenth-century Claus, but it's the generous sprinkling of facts that draws one in. Did you know the Roman calendar had only 10 months and 355 days and that Christmas caroling was introduced to the world in the thirteenth century? A fine way for the whole family to receive a dash of history and humor relating to holiday cheer. B.P. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Details

  • Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  • Paperback: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Tarcher (October 19, 2006)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 158542448X
  • ISBN-13: 978-1585424481
  • Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (72 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #643,781 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

 

Customer Reviews

72 Reviews
5 star:
 (45)
4 star:
 (9)
3 star:
 (9)
2 star:
 (5)
1 star:
 (4)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (72 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 62 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful mixture of fantasy and history, December 17, 2003
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
I can't even imagine how long it must have taken Jeff Guinn to research and piece together this unusual book, but the hard work was worth it. "The Autobiography of Santa Claus" is part novel, part history, and something that anyone who loves Saint Nicholas will be grateful to read.

Guinn tracks down the origins of nearly all pieces of the Santa Claus legends and pieces them together, beginning with the birth of Nicholas in 280 A.D. He traces a life that lasts over 1700 years and explains how every well-known story of Santa Claus came to be, mixing in science with magic and throwing in actual historical figures to color the piece. (You'll never believe who some of Santa's "helpers" actually turn out to be.) He takes the character through the dark ages, through the Victorian era, mixes him in with European and American history and literature and finally brings it all together in the present day.

The book doesn't have much of a climax, but that's because it is written as an "autobiography," not a novel. The stories just stop because they've all been told... for now. That's part of the miracle -- the knowledge that Santa Claus will outlast us all and continue bringing his true gift, hope, to children all over the world long after you and I are gone. It's a wonderful book,and for people who love Christmas, I can't recommend it enough.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars When You Believe, November 12, 2003
By 
Erika Sorocco (Southern California, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
While visiting Barnes & Noble this past weekend on my annual Christmas book hunt, I stumbled across Jeff Guinn's THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF SANTA CLAUS. Little did I know, at the time, was that I stumbled across a true Christmas treasure.

THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF SANTA CLAUS tells the complete story of Saint Nicholas, from the day that he was born, up until present day. The story is not only a fantastical tale, but features many facts from history, and many Christian undertones.

As we are taken on this incredible journey with Santa Claus, we also meet up with many of Santa Claus' good friends, including Mrs. Claus, who also posess the gift of magic.

This is a must-read this holiday season for everyone the world over. Whether you are 1 or 100, you will be amazed with Santa Claus' fantastical life story.

Erika Sorocco

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars This is the BEST gift from Santa yet!, December 21, 1999
By A Customer
While Christmas shopping a few years ago, I happened across this book at a local shopping mall and Christmas has not been the same since! This book is historically accurate, which adds to its believability. Santa explains his life and how many of the legends that surround him are made possible.

Santa is careful to consistantly tie the holiday back to it's true meaning--to celebrate Jesus' birth.

It's a wonderful combination of magic and logic to make Christmas as wonderous for adults as it is for children!

An subtle touch that was given to the book is that it's 24 chapters, which lends to starting the reading on December 1 and leading through to Christmas Eve, just in time to go to bed and dream of Santa's visit.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews











Only search this product's reviews



Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
I live at the snowy North Pole now, but my life began surrounded by sand. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
toy factory
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
The Autobiography of Santa Claus, North Pole, Saint Nicholas, Willie Skokan, New World, New York, Christmas Eve, Father Mohr, Ben Franklin, Father Christmas, Marco Polo, Clement Moore, Washington Irving, Amelia Earhart, Charles Dickens, Christmas Carol, Happy Christmas, Silent Night, Leonardo da Vinci, Bill Pickett, Fort Orange, Hard Times, Franz Gruber, Christmas Day, General Washington
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:

Citations (learn more)
4 books cite this book:

What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?


Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   
Related forums





Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject