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    The Autobiography of Santa Claus
    The Autobiography of Santa Claus
    The Autobiography of Santa Claus
    Audiobook9 hours

    The Autobiography of Santa Claus

    Written by Jeff Guinn

    Narrated by John H. Mayer

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    "You're right to believe in me," Saint Nicolas assures us.

    Old St. Nick, Santa Claus himself, reveals the definitive story, through seventeen centuries of Christmas lore, of how he came to be known as the all-knowing, all gift-giving man from the North Pole!

    Listen as this enchanting holiday treasure recalls Santa’s quest for universal gift-giving, spreading his message of kindness to countless others so they, too, could share his belief in the goodness of giving! Children, parents and entire families will delight in each entertaining chapter of this holiday classic-one for each cold December night leading up to Christmas!
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherListen & Live Audio
    Release dateJan 1, 2004
    ISBN9781593163150
    The Autobiography of Santa Claus
    Author

    Jeff Guinn

    Jeff Guinn is the bestselling author of numerous books, including Go Down Together, The Last Gunfight, Manson, The Road to Jonestown, War on the Border, and Waco. He lives in Fort Worth, Texas, and is a member of the Texas Literary Hall of Fame.

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    Reviews for The Autobiography of Santa Claus

    4/5

    36 ratings16 reviews

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    • 5/5
      This book is for EVERYONE! If you love a good historical timeline then this book works. If your children are on the cusp of not believing, this book reads so sincere with historical figures and events that Santa is a part of, it should keep the magic in anyone's heart for a little longer. I think it would work great as the book you read from Thanksgiving to Christmas to your school-age children so that you can tell them some background on the events and people along the way. From Jesus to computers and everything along the way. What a fun timeline assignment this would be! Really loved it and will read the next couple in the chronicles.
    • 3/5
      Book on CD narrated by John H Mayer

      From the book jacket This enchanting Christmas Chronicles classic combines solid historical fact with glorious legend to deliver the definitive story of Santa Claus. For anyone who has ever wondered … you’re right to believe in him!

      My reactions
      I should really pay closer attention to book jacket information. Somehow I expected this to be a light , fluffy, humorous story of the “jolly old elf.” But it is a history of Western civilization told through the lens of the legend that has become Santa Claus. It starts with the birth in 280 A.D. in Lycia (now Turkey) of a baby who would become Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, who would be known for his generosity in giving to the poor.

      The magic begins when he sets out to travel and give more gifts and finds he can cover much more land than a normal man, and never tire. He meets a beggar / thief named Felix who becomes his first helper. Soon they realize that as long as they continue to give gifts anonymously, they are immortal. Through the years (and the history lessons), they meet and collect a variety of helpers including Attila the Hun, King Arthur, Leonardo da Vinci and Amelia Earhart (among others).

      John Mayer’s delivery on the audio is ponderous. He gives so much weight to the history lesson that I grew quite bored. I had a text version handy and read several sections myself rather than listen.
    • 2/5
      Because what the Santa story needs is Christian apologetics? Bleh.
    • 3/5
      The story of Santa Claus with a lot of historical information included. I started this book with no expectations. Overall, the premise of the story was okay. Guinn did a good job of weaving all of the historical figures and facts into Santa's story, but it came up a little short for me. There were tons of details and dates at the beginning of the story and toward the end the details got more sparing, which was actually better. I spent most of the book wishing that Santa would get to the North Pole already.
    • 5/5
      This was the best use of 9 hours we've spent in a long time...I'll preface with the fact my daughter, 10 years old, has dyslexia. I wasn't sure if this would bore her, but it held us BOTH spellbound. Each time we got in the car, we couldn't wait to put it on. It's structured that you can do 1 chapter each night, Dec 1-24, but we couldn't wait. It wrapped in history, folklore and the explanations for everything about Santa was enough to make me believe again! I think we bought at least another year of believing for our daughter with this set!
    • 1/5
      I tried really hard to get into this book. I found the premise entertaining, uncovering who is this man Santa Claus and what his background. This is the first book that I couldn't get into and actually gave up on. There was a ton of history, with a multitude of characters, and a very choppy story. I tried for 60 pages and when it didn't work for me, I decided this would be the first book that I wouldn't force myself to finish. The feeling of not "having" to finish a book that I wasn't enjoying is rather empowering and I only wish I made this decision earlier this summer with "Sexing the Cherry". Life is too short to read books that I can't connect with.
    • 3/5
      Funny and whimsical but totally unbelievable. Yes, I know it is an autobiography of Santa, but this made leaps that make no sense. Since I read this at Christmas time, it was enjoyable, but really, just complete nonsense. If you want something entertaining with no believability, this is the book for you.
    • 4/5
      This book looks like a nice, historical story of Santa Claus. It covers from the time he was born, how he got his name, to how he started giving toys out to good little girls and boys. This book covers everything you could possibly ever have want to know about Santa Claus. This looks like a really good story will be a nice book to read and reread every holiday season. There are some black and white drawings inside throught that are pretty cute.
    • 5/5
      This was a great book. I really loved how Guinn wove the story of Santa Claus around famous historical events and persons. This is truly classic to enjoy with the entire family and if you start on Dec 1st, there are exactly 24 chapters. One for each night of December thru Christmas Eve.
    • 3/5
      Nicholas of Myra, the Bishop of Myra, eventually St. Nicholas, was the real, historical bishop who became the basis of St. Nicholas/Father Christmas/Santa Claus, beloved gift-giver to children at the darkest time of the year.

      This is Nicholas of Myra's own story, in his own words, of how he became Santa Claus. It's light, upbeat story for the holiday season, as Nicholas and slowly growing band of helpers both create Christmas traditions, and respond to traditions that develop without their help.

      They meet many historically important figures along the way, but while no one is allowed to look too bad, as the story stays suitable for all ages, there's also care taken to not introduce any obvious historical inaccuracies. Nicholas, eventually preferring "Santa," avoids getting involved in any doctrinal controversies except whether or not Christmas should be celebrated--he's obviously on the pro-Christmas side of that one. As a result, any family that does celebrate Christmas should be able to safely enjoy this book or audiobook with their children.

      It's light, fun, and an interesting look at the growth of Christmas customs over the centuries.

      I bought this audiobook.
    • 2/5
      This book started off well, presenting the actual legend of Santa Claus. However, it tries to take on too much history in too short of a time span and winds up being a very choppy read. Also, supposedly, Santa takes on several historical figures as helpers (or "elves") and that required too much suspension of disbelief.
    • 5/5
      Am currently reading this wonderful narrative --- and will finish it up by tomorrow (Christmas Eve 2010). I've known much about the historical St. Nicholas as well as many of the cultural overlays that have become associated with him. I have not been able to put this book down and have found it to be a very enjoyable holiday read. It is structured with 24 chapters, one for each day in December leading up to Christmas. I'm not sure I could have waited and read only one chapter each night. I highly recommend this book for families with any aged children, as well as for those who love holiday traditions...and magic!
    • 5/5
      Great Christmas book. Also a good history lesson on the celebration of this man. Loved it.
    • 5/5
      This imaginative tale of Saint Nicholas combines history with a health dose of whimsy and fantasy. Readers will learn some facts, tempered with a load of fiction. Saint Nicholas was noted for many wonderful acts, but living for centuries, having flying reindeer, and residing and working at the North Pole are not among them. Neither did he partner with Attila the Hun, King Arthur, Ben Franklin, Leonardo da Vinci, and Felix, among others. Still, many of the aspects now associated with the modern day Santa Claus are “explained” in this book. We see how Clement Moore’s poem and Virginia’s letter influenced the Santa legend. It’s quite a tale, enjoyable for both the history that the author adhered to and the fantasy that he wove around the truth.
    • 5/5
      A cute story, creatively written to include historical figures through time.
    • 2/5
      Author Jeff Guinn helps Santa tell his life story in 24 chapters, one for each night in December leading up to Christmas. It is intended for families to read aloud. It's one of those books where the idea is better than the finished product. I started reading with enthusiasm, but it gradually became a chore to read all the way to the end. I enjoyed being read to for many years after I was able to read independently, but I can't imagine myself looking forward to listening to my father read a chapter a day of this book for more than 3 weeks. I'm sure my family would have abandoned it before reaching the end. Unfortunately, the book's concept favored length over content. I think the book would have been more engaging if it had been edited down to novella length.