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Silent Night

The Story of the World War I Christmas Truce

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Silent Night

By: Stanley Weintraub
Narrated by: Edward Holland
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About this listen

 In the early months of World War I, on Christmas Eve, men on both sides of the trenches laid down their arms and joined in a spontaneous celebration. Despite orders to continue shooting, the unofficial truce spread across the front lines. Even the participants found what they were doing incredible: Germans placed candlelit Christmas trees on trench parapets, warring soldiers sang carols, and men on both sides shared food parcels from home. They climbed from the trenches to meet in "No Man's Land" where they buried the dead, exchanged gifts, ate and drank together, and even played soccer.

Throughout his narrative, Stanley Weintraub uses the stories of the men who were there, as well as their letters and diaries, to illuminate the fragile truce and bring to life this extraordinary moment in time.©2001 Stanley Weintraub; (P)2001 Books on Tape, Inc. 20th Century Europe Military Modern History For Teens

Critic reviews

"Weintraub has brought an obscure and bizarre incident to life with a flair that gives the reader a detailed glimpse of a unique Christmas story."—The Seattle Times

"Deeply moving."—The Boston Globe

"Reveals [Weintraub's] skill as a researcher and deftness as a narrator."—Publishers Weekly

"Weintraub does an excellent job of preserving for posterity this remarkable wartime truce."—The New American
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I really enjoyed Stanley Weintraub's style and the manner Edward Holland (narrator) brought the book to life. Weintraub touches on the subject of propaganda and the attitudes shared by men on apposing sides after initiating the truce. The use of diary entries, letters from eye witnesses and the description of life in the trenches provided a greater understanding regarding the reluctance to continue fighting after Christmas 1914. I found it hard to break away from the audio.

Excellent listening

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