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Rearview Mirror Chronicles
Keith Hockton, FRAS, is a writer, publisher, and award-winning podcaster based in Penang, Malaysia, with a deep passion for uncovering the stories that shaped our world. As the Southeast Asia Editor for International Living magazine, Keith explores the intersections of history, culture, and modern life across the region.
A dynamic lecturer and storyteller, he speaks internationally on Southeast Asian politics, economics, and history—bringing the past to life with clarity, wit, and insight. Keith is also a proud Fellow of The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland and is on a mission to make history not only accessible but genuinely entertaining for everyone.
His published books include:
• Atlas of Australian Dive Sites - Travellers Edition (Harper Collins Australia, 2003).
• Penang - An inside guide to its historic homes, buildings, monuments and parks (MPH Publishing, 2012; 2nd Edition 2014; 3rd Edition 2017).
• Festivals of Malaysia (Trafalgar Publishing, 2015).
• The Habitat Penang Hill: A pocket history (Entrepot Publishing, 2018)
• Alana and the Secret Life of Trees at Night (Entrepot Publishing, 2018)
• Penang Then & Now: A Century of Change in Pictures (Entrepot Publishing, 2019; 2nd Edition 2021
• Bersama Lima - Five Together (Entrepot Publishing, 2022)
www.entrepotpublishing.com
Rearview Mirror Chronicles
Christmas: A Spell Cast in Time
From humble beginnings in a Bethlehem stable to the firelit pages of Dickensian London… from the legend of a gift-giving bishop who became Santa Claus to the thunderous silence of the trenches on Christmas Day 1914, where enemies became men and played football in no-man’s-land—we uncover the heart of a holiday that refuses to be forgotten.
We'll delve into sacred stories, centuries-old traditions, and the bold reforms that tried to reshape them. Discover how a single ghost story reignited the spirit of giving, and how myth, memory, and meaning turned December 25th into something far greater than a date.
Join Keith for a journey through joy and solemnity, miracle and myth—where history flickers like candlelight and Christmas reveals itself not just as a celebration… but as a feeling that’s endured across centuries.
This isn’t just Christmas. This is how Christmas became.
Referral Links:
For books written and published by Keith Hocton