How did Christmas become today's bulging stocking of goodies?

In this delightful sleigh ride through Christmas history, Paul Kerensa answers the festive questions you never thought to ask... Did Cromwell help shape the mince pie? Was St Nicholas the first to use an automatic door? Which classic Christmas crooners were inspired by a Hollywood heatwave? And did King Herod really have a wife called Doris? Whether you mull on wine or enjoy the biggest turkey, the biggest tree or the biggest credit card bill, unwrap your story through our twelve dates of Christmas past. From Roman revelry to singing Bing, via Santa, Scrooge and a snoozing saviour, this timeless tale is perfect trivia fodder for the Christmas dinner table.

"Christmas sits among us like a familiar member of the family - but its history, as told here, is a story-and-a-half. A brilliant book." - Jeremy Vine - Source TBC

"If you don't know what to get someone for Christmas, and would like to know how you're in this position in the first place - this funny and interesting book could solve both your problems at once." - Milton Jones - Source TBC