You know him as the rotund merry-maker in the red suit, but set aside the childhood myth and you'll discover that Saint Nicholas was a real person. He was a fourth-century bishop, a defender of the Christian faith, a model for sacrificial giving, a protector of children, and a true churchman. By recovering the story of Saint Nicholas and exploring how each generation has reinvented him, this book offers Saint Nicholas as a model of faith, hope, and love-virtues around which all Christians can unite.