The History of the Snowman (Hardcover)

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Key Phrases: branch libraries, snowman making, first snowman, The Picturetown Collection, Bob Eckstein, Jack Frost (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Thoroughly researched, lavishly illustrated. There's more to the snowman than meets the eye." -- David Smith, New York Public Library --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Description

Who made the first snowman? Who first came up with the idea of placing snowballs on top of each other, and who decided they would use a carrot for a nose? Most puzzling of all: How can this mystery ever be solved, with all the evidence long since melted?

The snowman appears everywhere on practically everything -- from knickknacks to greeting cards to seasonal sweaters we plan to return. Whenever we see big snowballs our first impulse is to deck them out with a top hat. Humorist and writer Bob Eckstein has long been fascinated by this ubiquitous symbol of wintertime fun -- and finally, for the first time, one of the world's most popular icons gets his due.

A thoroughly entertaining exploration, The History of the Snowman travels back in time to shed light on the snowman's enigmatic past -- from the present day, in which the snowman reigns as the King of Kitsch, to the Dark Ages, with the creation of the very first snowman. Eckstein's curiosity began playfully enough, but soon snowballed into a (mostly) earnest quest of chasing Frosty around the world, into museums and libraries, and seeking out the advice of leading historians and scholars. The result is a riveting history that reaches back through centuries and across cultures -- sweeping from fifteenth-century Italian snowballs to eighteenth-century Russian ice sculptures to the regrettable "white-trash years" (1975-2000).

The snowman is not just part of our childhood memories, but is an integral part of our world culture, appearing -- much like a frozen Forrest Gump -- alongside dignitaries and celebrities during momentous events. Again and again, the snowman pops up in rare prints, paintings, early movies, advertising and, over the past century, in every art form imaginable. And the jolly snowman -- ostensibly as pure as the driven snow -- also harbors a dark past full of political intrigue, sex, and violence.

With more than two hundred illustrations and a special section of the best snowman cartoons, The History of the Snowman is a truly original winter classic -- smart, surprisingly enlightening, and quite simply the coolest book ever. --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 177 pages
• Publisher: Simon Spotlight Entertainment; 1 edition (October 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416940669
• ISBN-13: 978-1416940661
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #43,701 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Let it Snow!, November 15, 2007

By	L. King (Columbus, OH USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Your holiday gift-giving plans are right now going to be saved by a single person! The perfect gift has finally arrived in the form of a new book,"The History of the Snowman." Bob Eckstein's wonderfully infectious look at our collective fascination with this universal symbol of wintertime fun is both anthropological and socially curious. This charming history book is an instant classic and a one of a kind nice-touch addition to the traditional holiday bookshelf. There's plenty here for everyone, but add a handful of great cartoons and over 200 illustrations to the mix and it's guaranteed to cure any symptoms of the winter blues you can think of.We owe the author a huge amount of happy thanks for bringing to our all too serious world something as light, as delicious and as inviting as this meal for the mind. Pass it around.Everyone will want a taste. D.Price

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Serious & Funny (actually, Seriously Funny), November 27, 2007

By	B. Wolf (NY, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Bob Eckstein's "History of the Snowman" arrives in time for the start of Winter, but don't hesitate to send a copy to your friends sweltering in the Southern Hemisphere. So if you ever wanted to see 19th Century advertisements of drunken snowmen chasing kids, or postcards of children abusing snowmen, this book is for you! You'll also learn about snowmen in Colonial America, Renaissance Belgium, and The Franco-Prussian War. Yes, there's real scholarship going on here, but you'll always return to Chapter Five - The Dean Martin Years: Drunken Debauchery and Other Misgivings.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unexpected Hoot, December 2, 2007

By	Daniel Gold "Dan" (New York City, USA) - See all my reviews

Did you know that since snowflakes are 20% water snowmen are 80% air?
I'm a snowman expert. I've read "The History of the Snowman"
and I did it laughing all the way.

Bob Eckstein is a natural humorist with a warm, engaging voice.
In this charming, unexpected book he strikes the right balance
between history and humor.

This is one of those can't-go-wrong Christmas gift gems,
a hoot for most of the folks on your list.