The Carols of Christmas: A Celebration of the Surprising Stories Behind your Favorite Holiday Songs is written by Andrew Grant and published by Nelson Books.
I am not a huge fan of the hype surrounding Christmas, meaning I detest all of the commercialism that Christmas has become. I do, however, love to listen to and sing Christmas carols, especially the very old ones. I had heard that those carols of Christmas Past are rich with history and meaning. After reading through The Carols of Christmas, I wholeheartedly agree.
This interesting book contains history and information concerning 21 of the best loved Christmas carols. Some of them are more well known than others, for instance, #21 - Jingle Bells versus The Holly and the Ivy. Each carol in the book is published (with the sheet music) at the end of its particular chapter.
I learned loads about these great songs. My favorite carol of all-time is O Holy Night. I come from a very French family background, so to learn that my favorite Christmas carol originated with the French was surprising but thrilling.
The way this book is organized is good. Grant's research and extra information he provides the reader is wonderful. I even like his writing style very much.
The only thing I don't really care for is the look of the book (the cover art is very nice, however). It reminds me of a small textbook somehow. But don't let that deter you from reading it. The content more than makes up for that. Be sure to read the introduction as well as the epilogue. Both are filled with additional information that you will want to see.
*I received The Carols of Christmas: A Celebration of the Surprising Stories Behind your Favorite Holiday Songs in exchange for my honest opinion.*
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