The Unauthorized Star Wars Companion: The Complete Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy [Paperback]

Ted Edwards (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1999

Join the celebration with THE UNAUTHORIZED START WARS COMPENDIUM, a comprehensive chronicle of the entire history of Star Wars, from its moment of conception through the release of the newest big-screen installment. Meet the personalities involved and explore how one man's vision changed the nature of motion pictures forever.

Within the pages of THE UNAUTHORIZED STAR WARS COMPENDIUM you'll find:
* The Making of the firs film trilogy - Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi - and the people behind it
* The story of the expanded National Public Radio adaptations, and how they stack up against the films
* A guide to the dozens of Star Wars novels and comic book adventures
* A peek at the long-awaited episode one of the new trilogy
* Photos of cast and crew, many in print for the first time, and much more....

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The word "unauthorized" combined with the words "Star Wars" brings to mind sordid details involving drugged-up Jawas, Sandpeople mistreating their Banthas, and Wookiees canoodling with Twi'leks. Readers may be disappointed to discover that author Ted Edwards had no such intention. Kitty Kelley he isn't: The nearest thing to dirt he dishes is that George Lucas didn't get along with John Dykstra, head of special effects on Star Wars. What Edwards does offer is a (predominantly) affectionate look at the Star Wars phenomenon. Chapters (or "Episodes") look at the making of the original trilogy and the special edition films and present a detailed description of the radio dramas. Other chapters include a history of the various comics and a "fiction guide" with synopses and reviews of the SW novels. A chapter entitled "Rebirth" recounts how Shadows of Empire came about and offers information (now rather dated) about the prequels. Hardcore fans will appreciate the exhaustive timeline which places all the novels, short stories, and comics in loose chronological order. Sidebars contributed by other SW experts add some extra spice to the text. Dan Vebber's "Death Star=Death Trap" is hilarious, and his piece (cowritten by Dana Gould), "Fifty Reasons Why Jedi Sucks," is reason enough to buy this book. --C.B. Delaney

From School Library Journal

YA-The "& More" of the subtitle includes the radio dramas, a catalog of the changes made for the Special Edition movies, rumors about The Phantom Menace, and an appendix. A time line places everything in the Star Wars universe in context of the first three movies. It begins at ANH-5000 (5000 years before A New Hope) and ends at ROTJ+21 (21 years after Return of the Jedi). That alone is worth the price of admission for any confused Stars Wars fans. Edwards's fiction reviews are graded and generally positive. The chapter on comic books/ graphic novels covers their publishing history and critiques adaptations and series by both Marvel and Dark Horse. The author lists the differences between the movies and the radio dramas, including scenes that were cut from A New Hope but included in the dramatization. The chapter on the original movies is a history apparently culled from previously published interviews. The essay by Dan Vebber and Dana Gould, "Fifty Reasons Why Jedi Sucks" (including a sidebar, "Ten Reasons Why Jedi Doesn't Totally Suck"), is an entertaining, opinionated read. Unfortunately, the book contains only speculation about The Phantom Menace. Surely the Ewok-hating compilers of the "Fifty Reasons" list would have had something to say about Jar Jar Binks. A top choice for any library in which "Star Wars" books soar off the shelves.
Susan Salpini, Purcellville Library, VA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Little Brown and Company; 1st edition (January 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316329290
• ISBN-13: 978-0316329293
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,945,896 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very interesting look at the Star Wars genre, December 9, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Unauthorized Star Wars Companion: The Complete Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy (Paperback)

This book is very interesting, since it brings together the movies, the comics and the novels into one book. It goes over how the trilogy was conceived, and why it became so popular. It gives the reader an insight to the thoughts behind the creative process. The book also puts together many of the major novels and short stories in chronological order, and give a short synopsis/review of the titles, complete with rating. It also goes over the special additions, the comics by Marvel and Dark Horse, and the upcoming prequel. It ends on a humorous note, with 50 reasons why Return of the Jedi Stinks. Since this is an unauthorized book, it is honest and to the point. I would recommend this to any serious fan of the Star Wars universe.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars COMPENDIUM a concise take on the legend that is STAR WARS, July 12, 2001

By 

Steven Bailey "Cinemaven" (Jacksonville Beach, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Unauthorized Star Wars Companion: The Complete Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy (Paperback)

This Unauthorized Star Wars Compendium was published just four months before the highly anticipated Star Wars Episode I movie was released. Therefore, the book could only speculate as to the quality of the third Star Wars sequel. But this is the only dated aspect of the book; otherwise, it's a valuable (and very readable) compact version of the legend that is Star Wars.

The book re-tells the familiar anecdotes about the movie's creation--how writer-director George Lucas shopped his script around 20th Century-Fox took a chance on it, and so on. Once the groundwork is laid, the book gives in-depth insight into the groundbreaking technical work and mythical story that fills Star Wars and its sequels. The book also offers incisive critiques of the myriad Star Wars spin-offs, such as novels, comic books, and a late-1980's National Public Radio version of the movies' stories.

My only complaint is that the book offers a smidgeon too much sugarcoating of how happy everyone was with the saga. (For example, the book offers only the most positive quotes from Sir Alec Guinness, who loudly commented in his autobiography about how he did not wish to be remembered solely as Obi-Wan Kenobi.) As a partial remedy to this, however, the book closes with an insightful and hilarious essay titled "Fifty Reasons Why Return of the Jedi Sucks." All in all, an enjoyable account of a movie legend.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny and entertaining, July 16, 2002

By 

Mario G. Perez Fonseca "Gerry Blue" (Guitarland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Unauthorized Star Wars Companion: The Complete Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy (Paperback)

This great book not only does give you insight and complete (though short) history of how the Original Trilogy came to be. From early inceptions to the new Special Editions (1997). The book leaves off just weeks to the release of Episode I but has some chilling insight when refering to the future of the Saga. For instance, when they comment on the burp jokes on Return of the Jedi the authors write "whats next? Bodily function humor? Maybe we'll see that on the next movies" Well, they got it right, didn't they. This books makes a complete recollection of all things Star wars since from 1977 to 1997. From an extensive detail of all the books so far published, to the comics and radio dramas. Especially amusing is the sections 50 reasons why Return of the Jedi sucks. Never had I laughed so hard at any form of Star Wars humor. You will see ROTJ with different eyes after reading this. If you are a SW fans, don't let this one pass.