The Story of Silent Night by Paul Gallico

The Story of Silent Night – Published by William Heinemann in 1968, this charming Paul Gallico title tells the story behind one of the world’s best-loved Christmas carols, “Silent Night”. Combining history, legend and Gallico’s gift for storytelling, the book recounts how the hymn came to be written by Joseph Mohr and Franz Gruber in a small Austrian village more than a century earlier.

Rather than a straightforward historical account, Gallico blends research with imagination to create an atmospheric and moving tale of hardship, faith and inspiration. Beautifully produced, The Story of Silent Night includes musical notation for the carol and is bound in bright red boards beneath an eye-catching matching dust jacket. It is an appealing gift book for Christmas collectors, lovers of Paul Gallico, and readers interested in the origins of famous hymns.

This copy of The Story of Silent Night is the 1968 reprint of the first 1967 Heinemann edition. The work was first published in 1967 and has remained sought-after as one of Gallico’s lesser-known but most charming books.

Condition – Very Good

Hardcover in a Very Good dust jacket. The bright red dust jacket remains striking, with moderate rubbing, light surface marking and minor wear at the edges. The red boards beneath are clean and sound. Internally the book is clean and well preserved, with only light age toning. A neat Heinemann price sticker of “75p net” is present on the front flap.