Ronald D. Lankford, Jr.

This book was both fun and informative. I admit to paging through and looking at all the photos first, finding those of the records and books that I still have today. Beyond that, though, the narrative was interesting, especially details of some of the marketing strategies and about Gene Autry's recording. I was less interested in the later iterations of Rudolph, those occurring after my childhood, but overall, I liked this book quite a lot. It was detailed, but very readable, with a real trove of historical photos. Recommended.… (mehr)

Television was an important part of growing up in the 1970s for me, especially the animated specials that were shown at the holidays. I was a big fan of Charlie Brown (which had 2 or 3 throughout the year) but at Christmas there was also How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and especially Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to look forward to. Each one had its own charm, and although my kids didn't appreciate them as I did, I still feel a bit nostalgic for such simple pleasures.

Ronald D. Lankford has written an excellent history of how the story of Rudolph came about. He sorts through the various stories (myths, perhaps?) that have been told over the years to tell about Robert May, a staff copywriter at Montgomery Ward, who wrote a simple poem for a giveaway promotion in 1939. World War II put things on hold, but Ward again brought out Rudolph in 1946, and eventually signed over the copyright to May. But for most of us, Rudolph is the reindeer from Gene Autry's hit song (written by Johnny Marks, brother-in-law to May) and the stop-motion television special by Rankin/Bass in 1964. Lankford examines the spin-offs and product tie-ins that were sold, but also the themes that made Rudolph so popular, such as being an underdog or 'misfit,' and why that resonated with Americans. It's a thoroughly researched history that I found very fascinating. It's not an overly lengthy book and includes lots of photos, although it might be more information than most people are looking for - but it's still a great read at the holidays.… (mehr)