A history of Santa and his elves.

"Includes U.S. president's Christmas addresses."

In 1897, eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon wrote the New York Sun to ask a simple question: Is there a Santa Claus? The editor's response was a stirring defense of hope, generosity, and the spirit of childhood. His essay has been reprinted countless times since, and the phrase "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" has become part of American Christmas lore. Based on these actual events, Yes, Virginia is the story of a little girl who taught a city to believe.

After centuries of closely guarding ancient secrets, Santa Claus has decided that the time has come to share the magical mysteries behind Christmas. All of the miraculous happenings that contribute towards making Christmas the most remarkable time of the year are finally to be revealed to the world.

The perfect Christmas gift, this beautiful book explains how the bearded, red clad, big bellied, reindeer driving jovial gent came to be the face of Christmas, and reveals the historical origins of Saint Nicholas over seventeen hundred years ago in the Eastern Roman Empire. In a winding, magical tale filled with mystery and good will towards all men, Joseph McCullough travels across Europe (and the North Pole... of course) to uncover the exploits of Santa in a book that is sure to fill even the most jaded scrooges with a little bit of Christmas magic. And for any nervous parents out there – don't worry, there are no Father Christmas 'spoilers' between the pages of this book – ensuring the wonderous children's whisperings of Santa will continue... for another couple of years at least!

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 Claus: A Biography will stand as the classic work on the long-lived and multifarious Mr. Claus.

The real story of Santa-and why he became a Saint

"Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus"Virginia grew up.Yes, THAT Virginia-who became a teacher-encouraging students through the Great Depression, World War II, and the Polio epidemic. "The Santa Claus Girl," a novel drawn from true events, imagines Virginia's far-reaching influence and her exceptional gift of inspiration. Set in New York City, December 1952, the story uncovers how a remarkable woman sparks a band of humble do-gooders to overcome the odds stacked against them-and reach for an extraordinary goal. Uplifting, inspirational story in a historical fiction book about the "Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus" girl who eventually became the principal of a New York hospital school during the Polio Epidemic in the early 50s.