Silent Night, Holy Night: The Story of the Christmas Truce with CD (Audio) [Hardcover]

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir (Author), Walter Cronkite (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2003

December 1914 was grim for the thousands of soldiers who had dug into the frozen trenches on either side of Flanders Field. What lay between them in the early months of the First Great War was a field of sorrow - No Man's Land - littered with barbed wire and decaying corpses. This sober background is the setting for this very powerful and poignant true story previously known as "The Christmas Truce".

For two days, their guns were silent as men who had shot at each other only hours before experienced a miracle, as they laid down their weapons to exchange gifts and special holiday traditions. This common bond of Christmas was shared in a spontaneous celebration that culminated in the singing of the beloved carol "Silent Night." Almost a century later this amazing story is retold by Walter Cronkite with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square in this beautiful Christmas gift book, Beautifully illustrated by Robert T. Barrett. A CD with Walter Cronkite's incomparable narration of the story and the Choir's stirring rendition of "Silent Night" is included with this must-have Christmas keepsake. This book and CD will become a Christmas tradition for families across the country. The book contains Cronkite's narration and so families can listen to the CD as they follow along in the book.

This story of peace on earth is as applicable today as it was then.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Thousands of young men died every day in the trenches of WWI as Christmas approached. And then came the remarkable "Christmas Truce" when soldiers on both sides rose from their trenches and greeted each other in "No Man’s Land," a field littered with barbed wire and frozen corpses.

For two days, the guns of war were silent as men who had shot at each other only hours before, after defying officers, laid down their weapons to exchange gifts and traditions. This story is told in Silent Night, Holy Night: The Story of the Christmas Truce, a new book with CD, narrated by Walter Cronkite, accompanied by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square. The Silent Night, Holy Night book, CD, VHS and DVD are available. The common bond of Christmas was shared in a spontaneous celebration that culminated in the singing of the beloved carol "Silent Night" in many languages. Other carols were sung and soccer was even played in No Man’s Land.

Walter Cronkite narrates this true story of amazing brotherhood, in the midst of war, and is accompanied by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square. The narration is followed by the Choir’s singing of "Silent Night, Holy Night." A highlight of the performance came when Cronkite conducted the Choir in the "Hallelujah Chorus." The entire concert and the narration of "The Christmas Truce" are captured on DVD and VHS.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Shadow Mountain (November 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590381661
• ISBN-13: 978-1590381663
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 9.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,188,827 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Human Potential, December 23, 2003

By 

Richard John Matthew Sullivan (Staten Island, ny United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Silent Night, Holy Night: The Story of the Christmas Truce with CD (Audio) (Hardcover)

It's amazing when you think that on any given day people who were killing each other would and could be friends under different circumstances. This story just shows the human potential for peace even under the worse conditions. War is always tragic but it shows that mankind has much more in common then it has differences. Pray for peace.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful Book, December 8, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Silent Night, Holy Night: The Story of the Christmas Truce with CD (Audio) (Hardcover)

This is a terrific book that shows the juxtoposition of the horror's of war with the moving power of the Spirit of Christmas to bring enemies together. The book offers a great opportunity to discuss forgivness and brotherhood. It also shows true Christian behavior at its finest.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Prince of Peace, December 8, 2005

By 

J. England - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Silent Night, Holy Night: The Story of the Christmas Truce with CD (Audio) (Hardcover)

Wonderful true story told by a comforting Walter Cronkite voice and heavenly Mormon Tabernacle Choir. This is one of the "regulars" that I read with my children each Christmas, illustrating that the power of the spirit of Christmas can disarm complete armies. A wonderful testament that Jesus Christ literally is the Prince of Peace.