The First Christmas Tree A Story of the Forest [Kindle Edition]

Henry Van Dyke (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

About the Author

Henry van Dyke (1852-1933) was an American clergyman, educator, and author. He graduated from Princeton in 1873, and from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1874. He was pastor of the Brick Presbyterian Church, New York City (1883-99), professor of English literature at Princeton (1899-1923), and U.S. minister to the Netherlands (1913-16). Among his popular inspirational writings is the Christmas story The Other Wise Man (1896). As President Wilson's ambassador to the Netherlands from 1913, Van Dyke was a first-hand witness to the outbreak of World War I and its progress, and was a key player in the President's diplomatic efforts to keep the U.S. out of the conflict.

Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 71 KB
• Publisher: Public Domain Books (June 25, 2005)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B000JQTZQA
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Apostle of Germany and the First Christmas Tree, December 25, 2009

By 

Dr B Leland Baker (Colorado Springs, CO) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The First Christmas Tree A Story of the Forest (Kindle Edition)

Winfried (a.k.a Boniface) was charged by Pope Gregory II to convert the pagans east of the Rhine. This is his tale of converting German pagans to Christianity.

I. The Call of the Woodsman. The story begins in the German Forrest in 722 AD. King Winfried asks his grandson, "Shall I tell you what religion means to those who are called and chosen to dare and to fight, and to conquer the world for Christ? It means to launch out into the deep." The King asks his grandson to travel with him into the forest.

II. The Trail Through the Forrest. King Winfried, Prince Gregor and their band travel through the forest to the Thunder-Oak of Geismar (a tree representing the God of Thunder and War) with the goal of teaching their kinsmen and supplanting the Hammer of Thor with the Cross of Christ.

III. The Shadow of the Thunder Oak. The travelers come upon a great throng of people around a fire awaiting the human sacrifice of Gundhar's son, who was chosen to die so that he could bring a message to Valhalla, and bring a message to Thor. King Winfried intervenes.

IV. The Felling of the Tree. As the council of kinsmen convened to determine whether to kill Winfried, a miracle occurs; and the Thunder Oak is replaced by a Christmas Tree.


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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed this short story, February 27, 2011

By 

RKirsch (Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The First Christmas Tree A Story of the Forest (Kindle Edition)

I enjoyed this quick historic Christmas read. An update that includes the picture described in the text would be nice.