Stories Behind the Greatest Hits of Christmas

You know these songs by heart. They’re the “greatest hits” of Christmas. But do you know the fascinating, inspirational stories behind them—who wrote them and how they came to be? In his latest book, Ace Collins reveals the stories behind the greatest hits of Christmas—all the songs you have enjoyed for generations. For example, as the story goes, jazz great Mel Torme wrote “The Christmas Song” after visiting a friend in California, who, longing to escape California’s heat for the cold winters of his New England, doodled these now-famous phrases on his spiral pad: “Chestnuts roasting ... Jack Frost nipping ... Yuletide carols ...” Torme saw those words and one of the most famous Christmas songs of all time, first recorded by Nat King Cole, was born. Within these pages, you’ll discover the origins of such famous Christmas songs as “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Winter Wonderland,” “White Christmas,” “Little Drummer Boy,” “Feliz Navidad,” “O Holy Night,” and two dozen others. Although not yet as famous as the Christmas songs of which he writes (he’s working on that), Collins’s many books have sold tens of thousands of copies and have become treasured family classics, read and enjoyed by young and old alike. His new book is a treasure-trove of the kind of magic that makes Christmas the beloved holiday it is. This is Ace Collins at his storytelling best ... which means it’s sure to become a “greatest hit” with your family, too.