A Christmas Carol was originally published in 1843, The Chimes in 1844 and The cricket on the heath in 1845.

'What was merry Christmas to Scrooge? Out upon merry Christmas! What good had it ever done to him?' Ebenezer Scrooge is a bad-tempered skinflint who hates Christmas and all it stands for, but a ghostly visitor foretells three apparitions who will thaw Scrooge's frozen heart. A Christmas Carol has gripped the public imagination since it was first published in 1843, and it is now as much a part of Christmas as mistletoe or plum pudding. This edition reprints the story alongside Dickens's four other Christmas Books: The Chimes, The Cricket on the Hearth, The Battle of Life, and The Haunted Man. All five stories show Dickens at his unpredictable best, jumbling together comedy and melodrama, genial romance and urgent social satire, in pursuit of his aim 'to awaken some loving and forbearing thoughts, never out of season in a Christian land'. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

This carefully crafted ebook: “5 Christmas Books (Unabridged and Fully Illustrated: A Christmas Carol; The Chimes; The Cricket on the Hearth; The Battle of Life; The Haunted Man)” is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents. A Christmas Carol The tale has been viewed by critics as an indictment of 19th-century industrial capitalism. It has been credited with restoring the holiday to one of merriment and festivity in Britain and America after a period of sobriety and sombreness. The Chimes The story of Trotty Veck, a poor ticket porter, whose outlook is changed from despair to hope by the spirits of the chimes on New Year's Eve. The Cricket on the Hearth Short tale written by Charles Dickens as a Christmas book for 1845 but published in 1846. The title creature is a sort of barometer of life at the home of John Peerybingle and his much younger wife Dot. When things go well, the cricket on the hearth chirps; it is silent when there is sorrow. Tackleton, a jealous old man, poisons John's mind about Dot, but the cricket through its supernatural powers restores John's confidence and all ends happily. The Battle of Life In this tale, the main characters live in a rural English village that was the site of an historic battle. The battle comes to symbolize the struggles these characters face in their daily lives. The Haunted Man Is a novella by Charles Dickens first published in 1848. It is the fifth and last of Dickens' Christmas novellas. The story is more about the spirit of the holidays than about the holidays themselves, harking back to the first of the series, A Christmas Carol. The tale centers around a Professor Redlaw and those close to him. Charles John Huffam Dickens (7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's most memorable fictional characters and is generally regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian period. During his life, his works enjoyed unprecedented fame, and by the twentieth century his literary genius was broadly acknowledged by critics and scholars. His novels and short stories continue to be widely popular.

During the long, cold December weeks leading up to Christmas, as we spend our time frantically panicking about the financial side of the festive season, it's all too easy to forget the traditional nativity story. The real meaning of Christmas and the traditions that have existed for generations are shunted aside as we worry about how many shopping days we have left and how we're going to fit that monster turkey into the oven. In this charming book, Patrick Harding breathes new life into the traditions of Christmas, unravelling myths and mysteries surrounding our favourite time of year. The Christmas Book is a treasure chest of fascinating facts and tasty morsels, all in one delightful and handy volume. From setting the record straight about Jesus' birth, to explaining what a genuine Yule log is, to tracking the evolution of the Christmas card, there's something in here to entertain everyone, young and old alike. The fascinating read is guaranteed to add some much-needed spice to the festive season and will shake the Scrooge out of even the most cynical reader...

This facsimile of the Sears, Roebuck and Co.'s 1945 Christmas catalog offers a nostalgic look back at consumer goods of the era, from dolls and toy trains to housewares, clothing, furniture, candy, and much more. Also reproduced here is an insightful poem, "Christmas Peace," included in the original mailing to commemorate the end of the war.