The New Essential Chronology to Star Wars (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: star destroyers, grand moffs, starfi ghters, New Republic, Yuuzhan Vong, Luke Skywalker (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

At last, it’s the ultimate history of the spectacular Star Wars saga, lavishly illustrated and in full color for the first time.

With the completion of Episodes I, II, and III, the epic story that’s captivated millions can now be told in its entirety, from the time of the primordial Knights of the Old Republic and the Clone Wars to the birth of the Empire, from the destruction of the Death Star to the adventures of the New Jedi Order.

Beautifully illustrated by Mark Chiarello, Tommy Lee Edwards, and John Van Fleet, Star Wars: The New Essential Chronology offers the comprehensive and official chronicle of that extraordinary galaxy so far, far away. Herein you’ll find

• the most exciting and climactic events from all epochs of Star Wars–those explosive turning points in the shaping of the galaxy
• a gripping account of the controversial Clone Wars–the treachery that fueled them and the terrifying aftermath
• profiles of the key players in the history of the Star Wars galaxy, along with all the most popular heroes and villains from every movie, book, comic, TV special, game, and cartoon

Follow Anakin Solo’s perilous journey as he wrestles with the dark side; behold the black soul of each Dark Lord of the Sith, from Darth Sidious to Darth Vader; experience the fiery space battles that decided the fates of entire planets; and witness the ferocious invasion of the seemingly invincible Yuuzhon Vong.

The training of Obi-Wan Kenobi, the invasion of Naboo, the capture of Princess Leia, the Battle of Yavin, the lightsaber death duel between Organa Solo and Beldorion the Hutt–all of the key events are captured and preserved for all time in this drama-filled Stars Wars chronicle.

About the Author

Daniel Wallace has been chronicling the Star Wars universe for years, writing four of the most popular Essential Guides, including The Essential Guide to Planets, The Essential Guide to Droids, and the New York Times bestseller The New Essential Guide to Characters. He and his wife live in Detroit with two sons and one daughter.

Mark Chiarello is currently the Editorial Art Director for DC Comics. As a freelance illustrator, he has received the comic book industry’s Eisner, Harvey, and Reuben Awards. Mark has also done freelance illustration for, among others, the National Basketball Association, Topps Inc., Disney, and Universal Pictures. He lives in Maplewood, New Jersey.

After studying film and illustration at the Art Center College of Design in the early 1990s, Tommy Lee Edwards moved to central North Carolina. He has worked for Lucasfilm, DC Comics, DreamWorks, and Warner Bros’ on projects like Star Wars, Harry Potter, Dinotopia, and Batman Begins. www.tommyleeedwards.com

John Van Fleet grew up in New Jersey near the Delaware Water Gap, playing a lot of baseball. He has worked in comics, production design, and editorial illustration. Clients include Dark Horse, DC Comics, Paramount, Electronic Arts, the Walt Disney Company, Marvel, Warner Bros., Lucasfilm, and many more. www.Johnvanfleet.com


From the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey (October 25, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345449010
• ISBN-13: 978-0345449016
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #20,997 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb, December 4, 2005

By	Z. Stern (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews

This book is problably the most complete guide ever made. Has entire sections of time not discussed in movies (The Golden Age of the Sith, The New Jedi Order, etc.). Also includes many little-known Clone Wars battles that are very interesting (The Dark Reaper Project, Battle of Kamino, Defense of Naboo, The Battles of Lianna and Tehr, Fortress of Axion, Muunilnist, Brentaal,Null, Haruun Kal, the list goes on). Goes from up to 100,000 years before battle of Yavin to 36 years after. Also, the art is wonderfully done by Tommy Lee Edwards and the portraits look like pictures by Mark Chiarello. Just an excellent book that I'll problably read about 50 times or so. Definitely, a MUST buy (and well worth the cover price too.)

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing., April 6, 2006

By	Adam Kingrey "Adamwankenobi" (Glasgow, KY USA) - See all my reviews

The authors have done an EXCELLENT job of compiling the VAST amount of information presented in both the films and the expanded universe. They have seamlessly and consistently intertwined the information to create what is the equivalent of a history textbook of the Star Wars universe. The information is concise, while being thorough and informative. This book is perfect for those like myself who love everything about Star Wars, but don't want to set and read every single novel and comic or play every single video game. This book is also perfect for those who have read everything, but may need their memories refreshed. So, in conclusion, I guess you could say this book is perfect for ANY fan!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The history of the "Star Trek" universe up to 36 A.B.Y., April 28, 2006

By	Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

Now that George Lucas has completed Episodes I, II, and III of the "Star Wars" saga, it is time to take a moment and put together all of the pieces into a comprehensive chronology that account for everything in the "Star Wars" universe from the Pre-Republic Era to the Killik Expansion (so the chronology goes 35-36 years beyond the end of the original "Star Wars" movie). The six movies are at the heart of everything, but there are all those novels, comic books, and graphic novels, not to mention references to historical events that can be fleshed out. Putting everything in order is what "Star Wars: The New Essential Chronology" is all about. With text by Daniel Wallace, with Kevin J. Anderson, this "new" version is updated for "The Phantom Menace," "Attack of the Clones," "Revenge of the Sith," and the new Jedi order. It also has dozens of full-color illustrations by Mark Chiarello, Tommy Lee Edwards, and John Van Fleet, who distinct styles certainly complement each other.

Ever since the hologram of Princess Leia named Obi-Wan Kenobi as her only hope and mentioned the Clone Wars fans of "Star Wars" have been trying to expand their knowledge of that galaxy far, far away in a time long ago. The history of the "Star Wars" universe is divided into a dozen parts: (1) Tales of the Ancient Republic; (2) The Fall of the Republic, which includes films I-III; (3) The Empire and the New Order; (4) Profiles in History of Han Solo, Lando Calrissian, and the Skywalkers; (5) The Galactic Civil War, which covers the original trilogy; (6) Birth of the New Republic; (7) Empire Resurgent; (8) The Return of the Jedi Knights; (9) Uprisings and Insurgencies; (10) A Lasting Peace; (11) Generations of Jedi Knights; and (12) The New Jedi Order. The attempt by Wallace, with Anderson, is to write history rather than tell stories, although the result falls pretty much somewhere in between. If you want to now what happened before, in between, and after the two movie trilogies, then this chronology certainly does tells you what you need to know.

The dating convention employed in the chronology uses the Battle of Yavin as its zero point, treating the destruction of the first Death Star and the dawning of "a new hope" for the people of the galaxy as the symbolic beginning of the current society. Therefore events preceding that point in time are indicated B.B.Y., and those afterwards as A.B.Y. The only real complaint here is that you have to go to the "Star Wars" web site to track down the extensive list of historical resources, so unless you are as well versed in the various "Star Wars" novels, comic books, and computer games as you are in the twin movie trilogies, you are not going to know where Wallace and Anderson are getting all of the puzzle pieces. So you have a couple of hoops to jump through to even find out whether there is a story about the Battle of Dreighton or the death of Zsinj to track down let alone to read. There is a four-page index, so that if you already know about the Kaiburr Crystal or want to see everything there is to know about Chewbacca or Mon Montha, you can find what the chronology has to say about them.

The back of the book includes a map of the galaxy, so you can find Hoth and Bespin in the Outer Rim, trace the Corellian Run and the Perlemian Trade Route, and distinguish the Core Worlds from the Colonies and those of the Inner Rim. "Star Wars: The New Essential Chronology" is one of seven volumes in this series of reference books, the others being: "Star Wars: The New Essential Guide to Characters," "Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Droids," and "Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Planets and Moons" (all of which are also written by Wallace), along with "Star Wars: The New Essential Guide to Weapons & Technology," "Star Wars: The New Essential Guide to Vehicles & Vessels," and "Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Alien Species." At face value this volume is the best of the bunch because it is the most useful in terms of putting all of the pieces together. Of course, if you are interested in adding your own stories to the "Star Wars" galaxy, you would probably need the entire library to make sure you have yourself covered. You would not want to have R2-D2 colored the wrong way or something.