St. Nicholas: A Closer Look at Christmas

Joe Wheeler and Jim Rosenthal use stories and pictures to reclaim the historical St. Nicholas that inspired the Santa Claus story. Ultimately the authors show that the tradition of St. Nicholas can make the celebration of Christmas more meaningful.

This beautiful, fully-illustrated coffee table book provides a closer look at Christmas and the St. Nicholas of history and legend. Full of historical information and rare illustrations from Christian traditions around the world, this book will entertain, inform, and inspire readers as it teaches the true meaning of Christmas giving.

Joe Wheeler and Jim Rosenthal use stories and pictures to reclaim the historical St. Nicholas that inspired the Santa Claus story. Ultimately the authors show that the tradition of St. Nicholas can make the celebration of Christmas more meaningful.

Joe Wheeler is a professional anthologist and a historian of ideas. Over the span of seventeen years, he has compiled and edited sixty-four books, forty-eight of them being story anthologies. Some of the best known are Christmas in My Heart, Heart to Heart, Great Stories Remembered, and The Good Lord Made Them All series. Wheeler earned a master's in history from Pacific Union College, a master's in English from Sacramento State University, and a PhD in English (history of ideas emphasis) from Vanderbilt University.