The Greatest Gift: A Christmas Tale

Van Doren Stern, Philip

ISBN 10: 1476778868 / ISBN 13: 9781476778860

Published by Simon & Schuster, 2014

About this Item

Used book in very good condition. May have some minor wear. May NOT include discs, or access code or other supplemental material. Ships directly from Amazon and is eligible for Prime or super saver FREE shipping. We ship Monday-Saturday and respond to inquiries within 24 hours.

Seller Inventory # BXM.C3Y9

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Greatest Gift: A Christmas Tale
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Publication Date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1476778868
• ISBN 13: 9781476778860
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: very_good

About this title

Synopsis

A beautiful gift edition of the heartwarming story that became the Christmas classic, It’s a Wonderful Life.

For almost seventy years, people the world over have fallen in love with Frank Capra’s classic Christmas movie It’s a Wonderful Life. But few of those fans know that Capra’s film was based on a short story by author Philip Van Doren Stern, which came to Stern in a dream one night.

Unable at first to find a publisher for his evocative tale about a man named George Pratt who ponders suicide until he receives an opportunity to see what the world would be like without him, Stern ultimately published the story in a small pamphlet and sent it out as his 1943 Christmas card. One of those 200 cards found its way into the hands of Frank Capra, who shared it with Jimmy Stewart, and the film that resulted became the holiday tradition we cherish today.

Now fans of It’s a Wonderful Life, or anyone who loves the spirit of Christmas, can own the story that started it all in an elegant, illustrated edition that’s perfect for holiday giving. It includes an Afterword by Stern’s daughter, Marguerite Stern Robinson, that tells the story of how her father’s Christmas card became the movie beloved by generations of people around the world.

About the Author

Philip Van Doren Stern (1900–1984) was an American author, editor, and Civil War historian whose story, “The Greatest Gift,” became the basis of the classic Christmas film, It’s a Wonderful Life.