Star Wars Chronicles [Hardcover]

Deborah Fine (Author), Aeon Inc. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2006

The most spectacular tribute to the Star Wars phenomenon yet, this deluxe limited edition features the most comprehensive collection of photographs, production stills, sketches, and outtakes ever assembled. Nearly the entire Lucasfilm archives, with hundreds of never-before-seen images and dozens of creatures, and sections on Star Wars TV specials that have never been published in book form, are brought together in this luxurious, slipcased volume. With its enticing size and elegant design, Star Wars Chronicles is the ultimate collection for serious Star Wars fans.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This is the ultimate must-have for the Star Wars fanatic. Spendy, but definitely worth it, the Star Wars Chronicles is a big, beautiful book that comes in a gold and black box--it will look great on your coffee table next to your Star Wars Logbook. The Chronicles cover the beloved trilogy of movies in thousands of behind-the-scenes and up-close photographs, many you've never seen before. From the creation of all the aliens to the details of Boba Fett's jet pack, you'll find fascinating facts, drawings, paintings, and photos to pore over endlessly. Each detail is lovingly presented for the appreciation of serious fans, and the whole package will be a delight to collectors.

Review

1998 Lucasfilm Ltd. STAR WARS , THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK , RETURN OF THE JEDI (TM) and THX and associated elements and logos are property of Lucasfilm Ltd. All content (e.g., clips, stills, designs, artwork, etc.) is protected by intellectual property laws and any use other than for private, non-commercial purposes is strictly prohibited.

STAR WARS 1977, 1998 Lucasfilm Ltd.; The Empire Strikes Back 1980, 1998 Lucasfilm Ltd.; Return of the Jedi 1983, 1998 Lucasfilm Ltd.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (October 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081181498X
• ISBN-13: 978-0811814980
• Product Dimensions: 15 x 10.5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #991,359 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Have A Very Good Feeling About This!, June 28, 2000

By 

Mark Hills "Nobody gets me, I'm the wind, baby!" (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Star Wars Chronicles (Hardcover)

I think that I now have all of the truly `big' Star Wars books - I have all of the `Art Of' and `Makings Of' books there are, and the two Industrial Light and Magic hard covers. And now, thanks to the most wonderful woman in the world, I have the Star Wars Chronicles. The enormity of the book is overwhelming, and the fact that it comes in its own black and gold box with a magnetic clasp seems to spotlight the quality representative in its contents.

In other words:

WOW!

This book does not disappoint in any way, mostly though it's an expansive overview of models, vehicles, props and sets used in the three movies, the forgettable Ewok TV show abominations, and the Star Tours attraction at the Team Rodent theme parks in California and Florida. The book really shines especially in the rarity of a lot of the photos, about half of which have never been seen all that much, whereas several books in a similar vein simply reprint the same pictures over and over. Chronicles instead goes for originality by showcasing the more rare pictures. It has wonderful gate fold pages and ship scale comparison sheets, and it takes the reader from the design stage of a particular ship right on through to the finished model.

The Star Wars movies have always been the best there is as far as special effects go, (well, the best there is as far as anything is concerned, but I'm biased). From model makers to set and prop designers, few films approach that level of detail, and if they do it's because their effects were also done by ILM. Even though the Phantom Menace wasn't as worthy of the Star Wars name as the other films, no one can argue the quality of the production. The Phantom Menace isn't featured in the Star Wars Chronicles, and I hope they don't add it to a later edition, because this book is big enough as it is.

Is it worth the money? Take it from me, if you love Star Wars on as primal a level as I do, and are as fascinated by what goes on behind the camera as in front of it, it is. It may have been a gift, but I would have bought it eventually. The fact it was a gift just makes it even more special. Like the lady who sent it to me, it is now priceless.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Reissue, January 11, 2006

By 

K. Jan "Collector" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Star Wars Chronicles (Hardcover)

No doubt, this is a great book and worth its price. But don't be fooled by the amazon description: this is not the 1997 first edition that is sold for many hundred dollars in the marketplace, but the 2005 Reissue. Just a note...

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A sure-fire favorite for your Star Wars library., April 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Star Wars Chronicles (Hardcover)

What can I say -- this one's reeeeeeeally cool. Packed with tons of rare photos that I've never seen, chock full of excellent reference material on vehicles and costumes. A bit light on real meaty info, although I did find out a few things that -- gasp! -- I didn't know before (which is saying quite a bit since I'm kind of a sponge for useless Star Wars info...my friends refuse to play SW Trivial Pursuit with me anymore ^_^). The book's real strength is the behind-the-scenes shots: for example, there are five pages dedicated to the building of the prototype Star Destroyers *alone*, and seven pages packed with tons of photos of the development of Boba Fett and his costume. And if the contents of the book alone aren't worth the hefty price tag (which they are), the book itself as an artifact definitely is. Beautifully huge and heavy, very high-quality paper, well-made, excellent construction and layout, complete with a nice sturdy slipcase which is equally well-designed with a large flap that opens and closes with a metal clasp. If you wanna take the plunge on just about the ultimate pre-Special Edition Star Wars tome, I definitely recommend this one to my fellow hardcore SW fans.