Synopses & Reviews
An elegantly written, idiosyncratic biography of Santa Claus, from his saintly origins in Turkey to his current reign as the king of Christmas.
Nicholas is a biographical travelogue tracing the evolution of one of the greatest cults of modern timesthe rise of Santa Claus from his origins in Byzantine Turkey to his role as the jolly man who grants every childs wish. It is a compelling story of religious worship and strife, cultural interpretation, and mass commercialization brilliantly framed by Jeremy Seals modern-day voyage in Santas footsteps. Saint Nicholas, as Santa was originally known, lived and worked in Myra on the southern coast of Turkey 1,700 years ago. He became a revered figure in the Orthodox and Catholic churches, attracting devotees across the Christian world as his cult shifted westward with the centuries. The saints bones are said to still exist, and Seals dogged pursuit of these relics launches his quest for Santas true lineageone that takes him through present-day Turkey, Italy, Holland, England, America, and finally Lapland as he pieces together the history of this extraordinary man-to-myth transformation. In the tradition of Bruce Chatwin and Tony Horowitz, Jeremy Seal is a natural storyteller, weaving fascinating history and intrepid travelogue into a book every bit as enchanting as its subject Jeremy Seal is the author of several books, one of which, A Fez of the Heart, was shortlisted for the Thomas Cook/Daily Telegraph travel book award. He is also a contributor to London's Sunday Times, Sunday Telegraph, and Conde Nast Traveller. He lives in Bath, England, with his wife and daughters. Nicholas is a biographical travelogue tracing the evolution of one of the greatest cults of modern timesthe rise of Santa Claus from his origins in Byzantine Turkey to his role as the jolly man who grants every child's wish. It is a compelling story of religious worship and strife, cultural interpretation, and mass commercialization brilliantly framed by Jeremy Seal's modern-day voyage in Santa's footsteps. Saint Nicholas, as Santa was originally known, lived and worked in Myra on the southern coast of Turkey 1,700 years ago. He became a revered figure in the Orthodox and Catholic churches, attracting devotees across the Christian world as his cult shifted westward with the centuries. The saint's bones are said to still exist, and Seal's dogged pursuit of these relics launches his quest for Santa's true lineageone that takes him through present-day Turkey, Italy, Holland, England, America, and finally Lapland as he pieces together the history of this extraordinary man-to-myth transformation. "Seal has a knack for attracting comic adventures of persuasive authenticity."Boston Sunday Globe
"A marvelous mélange of travel and history . . . original and beautifully observed."The Independent (UK)
"Intelligent, funny, and informative . . . a skilled and entertaining portrait of modern Turkey."The Sunday Times (London)
"Now we know: when the editor of the New York Sun wrote the famous 'Yes Virginia' letter, he was just being lazy. Jeremy Seal, on the other hand, has literally gone to the ends of the earth to bring us the bones of old St. Nick. Combining historical research, epic travel writing, and graceful reflection, Nicholas tells the remarkable story of how a Byzantine bishop evolved into the familiar Santa Claus and Father Christmas. Seal ranges from the Roman Empire to the Russian Revolution, from the rugged shores of Turkey to the crowded floors of Macy's, to show how the image of this doggedly resilient saint has changed over time and space. The result tells us much about our changing culture, and even about human nature itself. Is there a Santa Claus? Just try getting rid of him."T.J. Stiles, author of Jesse James: Last Rebel of the Civil War
"Nicholas, the fourth-century resident of Myra, Anatolia, one of the most popular saints, is the subject of this ornate biographical treatment. British travel-writer Seal acts as exploratory pilgrim, tracking the spoor of the saint by train, ferry, bus, vaporetto, auto and jet. He follows Old Saint Nick's long career, which started modestly enough as he provided wedding dowries, then-posthumously-as patron of seafarers and protector of travelers to the Holy Land, later as an emigre to Russia aiding wayfarers and, eventually, as blessed supplier of aid in general. The redoubtable saint survived Protestantism, and his bones, when picked over, yielded holy relics. Alas, he turned commercial in Amsterdam. Finally, arriving in the New World, like many other immigrants, he changed costume and name (to Santa Claus, naturally) and now the jolly jelly belly, in his trademark red outfit, endorses products like Coca-Cola and finds employment in department stores, posing for photos . . . Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. Here is evidence in an investigative report on who he was before he became the cult personage in the polar parsonage."Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
An elegantly written, idiosyncratic biography of Santa Claus, from his saintly origins in Turkey to his current reign as the king of Christmas.
Nicholas is a biographical travelogue tracing the evolution of one of the greatest cults of modern times—the rise of Santa Claus from his origins in Byzantine Turkey to his role as the jolly man who grants every childs wish. It is a compelling story of religious worship and strife, cultural interpretation, and mass commercialization brilliantly framed by Jeremy Seals modern-day voyage in Santas footsteps. Saint Nicholas, as Santa was originally known, lived and worked in Myra on the southern coast of Turkey 1,700 years ago. He became a revered figure in the Orthodox and Catholic churches, attracting devotees across the Christian world as his cult shifted westward with the centuries. The saints bones are said to still exist, and Seals dogged pursuit of these relics launches his quest for Santas true lineage—one that takes him through present-day Turkey, Italy, Holland, England, America, and finally Lapland as he pieces together the history of this extraordinary man-to-myth transformation. In the tradition of Bruce Chatwin and Tony Horowitz, Jeremy Seal is a natural storyteller, weaving fascinating history and intrepid travelogue into a book every bit as enchanting as its subject
About the Author
Jeremy Seal is the author of several books, one of which,
A Fez of the Heart, was shortlisted for the Thomas Cook/Daily Telegraph travel book award. He is also a contributor to Londons
Sunday Times,
Sunday Telegraph, and
Conde Nast Traveller. He lives in Bath, England, with his wife and daughters.