The document provides a review of the book "Battle for Christmas" by Stephen Nissenbaum. It summarizes that the book delivers an entertaining yet informative view of the history of Christmas backed by extensive research, citations, and endorsements from academics. Nissenbaum has strong credentials as a historian, and the book traces how Christmas evolved from a holiday surrounded by fear and strict rules to one focused on community, hope, and celebrating the good.

1. History 146 Monroe—Jeffery Gentry
Student: Brian D. Lewis
Book Review: Battle for Christmas
It would be difficult to give a summary of the book beyond what the prelude lays out, for
it does such a good job by itself of explaining what to expect when reading the book. In
the prelude, the reader is promised Nissenbaum’s best attempt at creating an interesting
and entertaining read while still being extremely informative and opening up new
perspectives on things.
The Battle for Christmas delivers on all accounts, delivering a captivating view on the
history of the holiday, with well-researched facts to back up the author’s presentation.
Forty-six pages of citations are given in the book, four pages of acknowledgments, and a
nine-page index prove how much work went in to delivering the facts in a coherent but
accurate manner.
If the amount of research wasn’t enough to show the credibility involved, then the
endorsements given to the book would. The book has received approval from multiple
universities, from Richard D. Brown (University of Connecticut) to Michael Kammen
(Cornell University) saying the book is “astonishing in terms of research” to Richard
Wrightman Fox (Boston University) saying Stephen Nissenbaum has a ‘sharp eye for
detail’ to Jeffery Gentry.

2. The author’s background solidifies the strength of the book, as Nissenbaum’s credentials
show. An A.B. from Harvard, M.A. from Columbia University, Ph.D. from University of
Wisconsin, Teaching at the University of Michigan and the College of William and Mary
as a history professor, his recipient of friendship from (among others) the American
Antiquarian Society and Massachusetts Historical Society, his role as an advisor during
several films, his over twenty years of experience, and the book being Pulitzer Prize
finalist for the History category all reinforce this.
The Battle for Christmas hooks readers with its variety of subjects while not telling things
in a purely academic tone, as rather than giving facts, they are more being presented. As
just one example, the parallels to be found between Christmas and Halloween are
particularly strong hooks, especially to those who have recently experienced a
documentary about Halloween.
The underlying theme of the evolving holidays reflecting the society creating them is
clear to the reader, as things revolve full-circle, from moral reasons to pragmatic motives
and back to moral ones, as concerns of chaos and disorder rotate with worries of greed
and laziness.
Though much repeats with history, the book does a good job of showing how humans do
learn from their mistakes and evolve with time--whereas in the early days of America, the
solution to the problems was to inflict strict laws and regulate behaviors, as time
progressed, it shifted more towards leading by example.

3. Promoting people to help each other out is something which was slow to catch on, but the
longer time went on, the more powerful that mentality became, to the point where it
eventually would dominate and even define the holiday.
The evolution of this idea is what the book shows most strongly--that the holiday should
be a time to be celebrated and to show the good in things, rather than to show the bad.
Criticism of the holiday may have arisen for it being corrupt in some form or another, be
it that it's not found in The Bible (Protestants in New England, chapter one), or that it
promotes negative behavior such as drinking and destruction or greed and materialism.
By changing the way the holiday was viewed, by changing the mindset of how to treat
that day, it was improved for the better. From barely being able to celebrate it at all, it
slowly progressed to be a beacon to be looked forward to.
With the help of a few subjects humans dislike touching in greater detail (chapter seven),
the holiday was transformed into that beacon of hope. Because of all the negative in the
world, Christmas was allowed to become symbolic of all the good in it as well.
Each chapter tells a story, showing a consistent picture of the era, giving a viewer insight
into the subjects the chapters cover. Furthermore, every chapter manages to wrap up its
story and give a summary of what had transpired, while simultaneously providing for a
transition into the next chapter.

4. The book blends flawlessly not only from chapter to chapter, but also section to section
and page to page, with quotes and images provided to give a visual aid that assists in
keeping a reader interested.
From religion to slavery, transformed from fear into hope, the holiday of Christmas was a
representation of the struggles humanity as a whole faced, and this is the central message
to be found in Stephen Nissenbaum's book.
The theme of fear runs deep inside of us, but if there's one thing the book illustrates, it is
how that fear can be turned into strength. Though we still have many of the same
problems we had before, the push for community bonding has helped define us as a
people today--and this is reflected in our holiday as well.
Words of warning are delivered, about how good ideas can be twisted and bound to the
problems, with the book itself even closing on the note about how family ties and
commercialism are woven together. However, the process works both ways--just as the
good can be used to create bad, the bad can be transformed to create the good.
The book tells us that the struggle for Christmas has never truly ended, because it
represents the struggle of humanity as a whole, and this insight is what makes the book so
groundbreaking in its stance.

5. Stephen Nissenbaum --author of The BATTLE for CHRISTMAS
Received A.B. from Harvard, M.A. from Columbia University, and Ph.D. from
University of Wisconsin. Taught at University of Massachusetts, and is a professor of
history there. (iii)
Recipient of fellowship from (among others) American Antiquarian Society and
Massachusetts Historical Society. (iii)
He was James P. Harrison Professor of History at College of William and Mary. He has
served as a historical advisor for several film productions. (iii)
The book itself was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in the History category. (iii)
Historian for over 20 years by the time of the book's publishing. (ix)
Richard D. Brown, University of Connecticut, supported the book. (i)
Michael Kammen, Cornell University, said it was "astonishing in terms of research". (i)
Richard Wrightman Fox, Boston University, said it was insightful and that Nissenbaum
has 'sharp eye for detail'. (i)
Sources Nissenbaum cites in the Preface alone:
Charles W. Jones and the essay on St. Nicholas (x), Clement Clarke Moore’s
biographical sketch plus "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (x), Peter Burke (x), Natalie Zemon
Davis (x), Russian theorist Mikhail Bakhtin (x), essays by great British historian E.P.
Thompson and American Disciple Susan G. Davis acting as guides (xi).
BACK OF THE BOOK:
321-367 are the book's references. The sources look well-cited and fully informative,
while also being as far as the eye can tell legitimate.

6. Stephen Nissenbaum --author of The BATTLE for CHRISTMAS
Received A.B. from Harvard, M.A. from Columbia University, and Ph.D. from
University of Wisconsin. Taught at University of Massachusetts, and is a professor of
history there. (iii)
Recipient of fellowship from (among others) American Antiquarian Society and
Massachusetts Historical Society. (iii)
He was James P. Harrison Professor of History at College of William and Mary. He has
served as a historical advisor for several film productions. (iii)
The book itself was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in the History category. (iii)
Historian for over 20 years by the time of the book's publishing. (ix)
Richard D. Brown, University of Connecticut, supported the book. (i)
Michael Kammen, Cornell University, said it was "astonishing in terms of research". (i)
Richard Wrightman Fox, Boston University, said it was insightful and that Nissenbaum
has 'sharp eye for detail'. (i)
Sources Nissenbaum cites in the Preface alone:
Charles W. Jones and the essay on St. Nicholas (x), Clement Clarke Moore’s
biographical sketch plus "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (x), Peter Burke (x), Natalie Zemon
Davis (x), Russian theorist Mikhail Bakhtin (x), essays by great British historian E.P.
Thompson and American Disciple Susan G. Davis acting as guides (xi).
BACK OF THE BOOK:
321-367 are the book's references. The sources look well-cited and fully informative,
while also being as far as the eye can tell legitimate.