I've always loved Bill Bryson's works. I was introduced to his writing with A Short History of Nearly Everything and can still remember how laugh-out-loud funny Notes from a Big Country was. I say this as context for how excited I was when I stumbled across this free audiobook on Audible (a recent subscription I've been enjoying). I knew immediately The Secret History of Christmas would be perfect fodder for my long drives to and from the office, and I wasn't wrong.
As the title suggests, this audiobook delves into the history of Christmas - from its origins in pagan times, through to its connection to the birth of Jesus and Christian traditions and then the rise of Jolly Old Saint Nicholas, aka Santa Claus, and the secular Christmas that most (here in Australia at least) enjoy today. My favourite chapter traces the history of Christmas foods through time, including the origins of the plum pudding (spoilter alert: it was plumless). And Bryson doesn't just explore the history of Christmas. He also delves into human psychology with a look at gift giving traditions of Christmas, thoughfullly considering gift giving for the giver and the recipient.
Adding something special to the experience, Bryson himself narrates the audiobook, the benefit of which is that he knows exactly the perfect tone and inflection to make the listening experience a joyful one. He mades the humour, funnier and the wit, wittier.
This could be a boring book of facts, but in Bryson's talented hands it's a joy to listen to and learn about the history of an annual holiday that brings so many people together.
3 / 5 Enjoyable, readable and reliable.
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