Star Wars Encyclopedia [Hardcover]

Stephen J. Sansweet (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 30, 1998

Its vast history and environs have been explored, studied, and chronicled extensively for more than twenty years. Now, this landmark volume--a definitive reference devoted exclusively to the Star Wars milieu--draws together data from films, radio dramas, novels, short stories, computer games, and more, running the full gamut of this extraordinary galaxy.

From science and technology to history and geography; from culture and biography to ecology and cosmology; from "abo" and "Abrax" to "zwil" and "Zirtran's Anchor," this all-encompassing, fully illustrated, alphabetical reference covers all the elements which have developed and expanded the Star Wars universe, creating a rich and diverse history that spans millennia. Its scope ranges from the renowned and infamous ("Luke Skywalker," "Darth Vader") to the obscure and enigmatic ("Tnun Bdu"); from the history of the Sith Wars to the Galactic Civil War that pit the Rebel Alliance against the Empire. It introduces us to the natives and customs of planets as diverse as Tatooine and Dagobah, and even to the secrets and beliefs of the Jedi Knights.

As a bonus for the intensive researcher, this massive reference includes the complete timeline of major events in Star Wars history.

Every key element that exists in the world of Star Wars is supplied here--in clearly defined entries that have been researched and written by one of the leading authorities on the Star Wars universe.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Since 1977, the Star Wars universe, conceived by George Lucas, has been explored by authors and artists eager to build on the foundation laid by the blockbuster movies. The Star Wars Encyclopedia is the essential guide to every detail of the history, planets, vehicles, politics, aliens, and weapons described in countless books, comics, stories, and (of course) movies. You'll find extraordinary details about old favorites here--for instance, did you know that Luke Skywalker helped rescue Han and Leia's children from the dark side of the Force? Or that the primary food of Jawas is the hubba gourd? Endless hours of browsing pleasure await you, from A-1 Deluxe Floater (a luxury air speeder) to ZZ-4Z (Han Solo's housekeeping droid). Each item is cross-referenced to the book, movie, or comic in which it appears, but fans looking for "real-life" information about the Star Wars phenomenon won't find it here--this is strictly a resource for those who want to keep track of how all the stories and characters fit together, the clothes they wear, the foods they eat, and the planets they call home. --Therese Littleton

From School Library Journal

YA-Pulling together data from all of the official sources of Star Wars information, Sansweet presents this alphabetically arranged volume on characters, planets, weapons, technology, events, and just about anything else that appears in any of the various comics, movies, books, toys, and collectibles currently available. Made for easy browsing, the entries lead to cross references and interconnections as needed. Fans may spend hours serendipitously flipping pages back and forth reading entries as well as perusing the countless full-color photographs, black-and-white sketches, and cartoons. A "Source Code and Bibliography" listing provides the key to the sources and complete bibliographic information used. The time line aides the chronological understanding of the epic story. Serious fans will find this a major source of helpful facts presented in a useful format.
Pam Johnson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: LucasBooks; lst ed edition (June 30, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345402278
• ISBN-13: 978-0345402271
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 1.3 x 11.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (101 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #108,095 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > Education & Reference > Encyclopedias > Pop Culture
  • #9 in Books > Education & Reference > Encyclopedias > Military
  • #13 in Books > Education & Reference > Encyclopedias > Science Fiction & Fantasy

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great source of general STAR WARS information, November 23, 2001

By 

Zagnorch (Terra, Sol System) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star Wars Encyclopedia (Hardcover)

If you're a big geekin' fanboy who needs to occasionally bone up on your general knowledge of that "Galaxy Far, Far Away", then the Star Wars Encyclopedia is the best A-to-Z quick reference guide to get. Not only does this giant tome cover subjects from the original trilogy, it also includes tidbits of info from the various Dark Horse comic books, the novels (including the Timothy Zahn trilogy), the Droids and Ewoks cartoon shows, and even the Ewoks TV movies and the infamous `Star Wars Holiday Special'! There's all sorts of characters, weaponry, ships, equipment, planets, and much more between the covers! It's also a wonderful resource that'll help put an end to many of those knockdown-dragout Star Wars fanboy arguments you're always having with your buds! Well, maybe not that Greedo-firing-first debacle in `Star Wars: The Special Edition', but you can't have everything! Also included: a quick-reference timeline so you can see which when each particular story- be it a movie, comic-book story arc, novel, or otherwise- happened in relation to the `first' Star Wars flick, which is designated point zero in the timeline.

Although it's fairly pricey, the book is printed on semi-slick paper, and includes full-color photos & illustrations. Because of these two things, and other stuff that makes this trade-size tome a higher-quality Star Wars book than usual, I think it's more than worth the asking price!

`Late

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Star Wars (before the prequels) from A wing to Zuggs...., October 1, 2003

By 

Alex Diaz-Granados "fardreaming writer" (Miami, FL United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Star Wars Encyclopedia (Hardcover)

Ever since the first Guide to the Star Wars Universe was published in 1984, there have been many reference books written about the characters, weapons, spacecraft, fauna, flora, and worlds of that "galaxy far, far away...." Raymond Velasco's first Guide had precious little to go on back in '84. Bill Slavicsek was luckier a decade later; the Expanded Universe had grown a bit larger with the new wave of Star Wars-related novels, role-playing game guides, graphic novels, and even young readers' books.

But even though Slavicsek's 1994 and 2000 Guides are very well-done, Steven J. Sansweet's huge Star Wars Encyclopedia is a treasure trove of information about the Star Wars saga's details. Following the same format as the Slavicsek "Guides," Sansweet's large and lavishly illustrated one-volume Encyclopedia covers every imaginable topic from the Rebel A-Wing to the Imperial officer known as Zuggs.

Because it was published in 1998, precious little information from the current "Prequel Trilogy" appears in this edition of The Star Wars Encyclopedia. Also, the Expanded Universe has gotten larger, so readers who want to find out about topics covered in the New Jedi Order series will be disappointed. Fans will have to wait until 2006 to see the second, updated edition.

Still, Sansweet's book is considered to be the best reference work, not only for its thoroughness, but because the author is a vice president at Lucasfilm and is the owner of one of the world's largest private Star Wars collections. He also appears frequently on the "Ask the Jedi Council" forum at www.starwars.com.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Information for the Star Wars fan, September 9, 2002

By 

Scott R Shackleton (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star Wars Encyclopedia (Hardcover)

This volume describes and depicts the various aspects of the Star Wars EU (Extended Universe - movies, books, comics, card games, computer games, etc.). Any fan of Star Wars, whether a movie buff or EU fanatic will enjoy the comprehensive coverage of topics from alien species to specific character biographies, from objects to planets, history to spacecraft. Each entry is referenced to the various sources that include it, whether it be from a specific movie, book, comic, etc.

On the positive side, the Star Wars Encyclopedia is filled with interesting information, stills from the original Star Wars trilogy films, illustrations from various artists, and a nice timeline of events at the beginning. On the negative, this book was published in 1998. It is therefore missing references to most of the interesting aspects of Episodes I, II, and III (ep. III not released at the time of this review) as well as any Extended Universe material since published. I hope that a second edition will be forthcoming following the release of Episode III.

** Additional information for the serious Star Wars geek:

I purchased this book in order to prepare myself for the upcoming release of Star Wars Galaxies, the massively multiplayer online game that is going to be released later. As that game "occurs" during the period of the original trilogy, much of the information needed to familiarize oneself with the environment is present within this work. However, since the game creators are using material from the entire EU, and since so much material has been released since 1998; I was a bit disappointed by the information that is not included (no fault of the author).