The Sounds of Star Wars [Hardcover]

J. W. Rinzler (Author), Ben Burtt (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2010

Any Star Wars fan can mimic Darth Vader's voice or Chewbacca's roar with ease. But how many of them would be able to identify the lion's roar used in the sound of the Millenium Falcon's engine? In this aurally astonishing and visually engaging book, New York Times best-selling author J. W. Rinzler reveals the illuminating history of the sounds that make the Star Wars universe so believable, as recounted by their creator, legendary sound designer Ben Burtt. An attached sound module with an exterior speaker and headphone jack lets readers listen to more than 250 unique sound effects, and more than 300 photographs illustrate the epic's many memorable scenes. From the first films to the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars series, The Sounds of Star Wars is Star Wars as you've never heard it before.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

J. W. Rinzler, executive editor at Lucasfilm Ltd., is the author of numerous books, including the New York Times bestseller The Making of Star Wars.

Ben Burtt is a four-time Academy Award-winning sound designer. He worked on all of the Star Wars live-action films, as well as the Indiana Jones trilogy, E.T., WALL-E, and Star Trek (2009) among many, many others.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (September 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811875466
• ISBN-13: 978-0811875462
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 11.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #123,914 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born in Lakewood, New Jersey; grew up in Manhattan/NYC and Berkeley, CA. Fell in love with old monster films, such as Dracula and Frankenstein, as well as Robin Hood and other adventure movies.

Now working on an animated short film, which I hope to finish by end of 2010.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars www.beachbrights.blogspot.com, December 8, 2010

By 

BeachBrights "beachbrights blogspot" (TX) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Sounds of Star Wars (Hardcover)

Length:: 3:57 Mins

An amazing book. A must read (listen!) for any Star Wars fan. A great gift book-

XOXO

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Amazing, September 28, 2010

By 

Elak Swindell "Movie Addict" (Georgia USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Sounds of Star Wars (Hardcover)

Being a fan of sound effects myself, though nowhere near to that of Ben Burtt, this book is great. I've always wondered what was done to make a specific creature voice or laser blast or spaceship engine sound, etc. in the various Star Wars films. This fascinating book covers them all, with the actual sounds to hear along with the information. My only complain would be that the sound unit on the side is a bit big. I can tell that 50% of the interior is probably air. Being that memory chips and electronics can be quite small these days, there was no need to make the unit so large, or as heavy. As for the book itself, it is a massive treasure trove of background information on all of the Star Wars movies to date. Any sound effect used in them is covered in detail with various pictures either from the films or behind-the-scenes shots pertaining to the sound. If you are a Star Wars or even just interested in sound effects in general, this is a must-have book.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Sounds Of Star Wars is a another good book by J.W. Rinzler., September 23, 2010

By 

Kenneth Kraly Jr. "kenkraly2004" (Elyria, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Sounds of Star Wars (Hardcover)

This book is amazing and to think of it no one' has actually done a book on the making of sound design in film. Matt Wood , David Acord and Ben Burrt are good Sound Designers and this book is great as well. This book has amazing stories on sound design work in all 6 star wars films as well as the clone wars tv series. J.W. Rinzler has again written another winner here.