Product guide

Round About the Christmas Tree: Festive Stories (Macmillan Collector’s Library, 171)

Festive: Round About the Christmas Tree is a Macmillan Collector’s Library anthology of Christmas stories by classic authors. This 360-page English edition includes an introduction by Ned Halley and illustrations by Alice Ercle Hunt, in a clothbound pocket-sized format with gold page edges and a ribbon marker.

At a glance

Brings together festive stories spanning celebration, family, hardship, comedy, whimsy and crime-solving.
Includes stories by Charles Dickens, E. Nesbit, G. K. Chesterton, Saki, Hans Christian Andersen and Arthur Conan Doyle.
The edition is introduced by Ned Halley and features illustrations by Alice Ercle Hunt.
Clothbound pocket-sized presentation includes gold page edges and a ribbon marker.

Price

£6.95Save 37%

Reference price: ~~£10.99~~

Price checked: 12 Nov 2026

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Pros and cons

Pros

A varied anthology offers contrasting tones and authors in one volume.
Collector’s Library presentation details, including cloth binding, gold edges and a ribbon marker, suit display or gifting.
The introduction and illustrations add contextual and visual material beyond the stories.

Technical specifications

15 specifications

Book details
Publisher	Macmillan Collector's Library
Edition	Main Market
Language	English
Publication date	6 Sept. 2018
Print length	360 pages
Reading age	18 years and up
ISBN-10	1509866566
ISBN-13	978-1509866564

Format and dimensions
Binding and format	Clothbound, pocket sized
Dimensions	10.36 x 1.96 x 16.38 cm
Weight listed	1.05 kg

Contents and finish
Introduction	Introduced by Ned Halley
Page edges	Gold
Endpapers	Printed
Cover lettering	Gold foil

What to know before buying

Listing details to confirm

The listing gives a weight of 1.05 kg alongside pocket-sized dimensions, which may be worth checking if portability matters. The adult reading-age listing is guidance rather than a description of the stories’ suitability for every reader.

Who is it for?

A good fit for

Readers looking for a seasonal mix of classic short fiction rather than a single-author collection.
Collectors or gift buyers who value clothbound presentation and decorative finishing.

Less suited to

Readers seeking a contemporary-only collection or a single continuous Christmas novel.

Customer reviews on Amazon

4.5 / 5 · 94 ratings

5 stars70%70%
4 stars19%19%
3 stars7%7%
2 stars2%2%
1 star2%2%

The supplied evidence contains aggregate ratings but no customer-comment summaries, so specific praise or complaints cannot be attributed to readers. The overall rating distribution is mostly five- and four-star, with a smaller share of lower ratings. This offers a broadly positive but limited indication of reception, not evidence about particular stories, print quality or gift presentation.

Frequently asked questions

What kind of stories are included?

The listing describes Christmas stories ranging from heart-warming and comic pieces to whimsy and crime-solving, with authors including Dickens, Nesbit, Chesterton, Saki, Andersen and Conan Doyle.

Does this edition include illustrations?

Yes. The listing says it features illustrations by Alice Ercle Hunt and an introduction by Ned Halley.

What are the book’s presentation features?

It is described as clothbound and pocket-sized, with gold page edges, gold-foil title lettering, printed endpapers and a ribbon marker.

How long is the book?

The product details list 360 pages.