Meagen Farrell's Reviews > The Saint Who Would Be Santa Claus: The True Life and Trials of Nicholas of Myra

After dozens of kid's books on Old St Nick that are pure fantasy, I wanted something more historically accurate. This is the best I have found in this category, though it is more about the history of legends about St Nicholas of Myra than a true record of his life. I found the author flipped rather loosely between imagination and historical documents. At the same time, the vivid stories depicted several tumultuous period of Christian history. In addition to the lovable gift giver, St Nick's potent memory has been invoked in epic conflicts, including the transition from the Roman and Greek pantheons to Christianity after Constantine's conversion in the 4th century, and later from Christian to Muslim control of Myra, Turkey in the 11th cent. This is heavier than the "inspirational" genre, but a more light-hearted look at Christian history than your typical academic tome.