George Lucas Books

Very good book; a nice footnote to the Thrawn series and addition to the Star Wars universe.

If you've read other Star Wars novels by Timothy Zahn, you know he's the best author of the novels. Do yourself a favor and read the Thrawn trilogy. I'm still hoping Lucas will come to his senses and make a movie from those books.

I really like this book. Personally I am a fan of Luke and Mara and I have to had this book, I wanted to know how they end up together and even if some fans think they were more rational than passional, I think it is the Star Wars way for romance. They are two strong characters, they couldn't have a typical romance! I think it was very "in character" for them. The story is fast and entertaining, I like it, a lot.

I'm amazed at some of the positive reviews. This book was so boring. Probably one of Zahn's worst books, although i havent read all of them yet. To many things going on at once, no real connection to the main story. Which seemed to be the return of Thrawn. And how did it end? With a DUD. Simply horrible.

This book was great. It was longer than most Star Wars novels (almost 700 pages), but well worth it. I read it after the NJO so I could see a lot of fore shawdowing for that series and also the new Dark Nest trilogy. You will enjoy this book.

Then read this book. It is so in depth and fills many of the holes that left me wondering.

The only thing that I irked me about this book is it seems the author didnt use the information from the previous book Labrynth of Evil. In RotS the Republic is borderline collapse when in LoE which takes place righth before the Republic have pushed the Seperatist to the Outer Rim and victory is in reach.

Stop wasting time reading reviews and read this book.

This book is by far the best of all of the novelizations of the Star Wars movies. Mathew Stover is an exceptional writer and gives the reader just what is expected from a Star Wars book. Action, suspense, drama, and a great perspective of each of the major players in the George Lucas universe. I can say with great confidence that I was sucked right into this book and had a hard time putting it down. I really got a great feel for Anakin, Obi-Wan, Mace, and all of the other characters. When Anakin falls to the dark side I really pitied him. There is also a particular scene in the end when Palpatine confronts Anakin who had been rebuilt as Darth Vader and you could feel exactly what Anakin felt. Very powerful! The whole book was just fantastic, and I'm even tempted to pick up a copy to own. The last few lines were so perfect and tied the whole saga together nicely! This is an author who knows how to show, not tell! If you like Star Wars, you should read this!

I have only read a few Star Wars books, but I'm building my collection up pretty fast, and so far, this is the best one I have read. I really love the way the author breaks away to describe a character while a scene is heating up or something big is about to happen. The book was so good, and the story ( the parts that aren't really described in detail or simply not covered in the movie), even tho I knew its outcome and how things were going to happen still drew me in. I loved the Jedi order and I found myself, while reading the book hoping that somehow things would go differently. But of course they didn't. But thats just how much it draws you in. The ONLY downside I found in this book was the death of my favorite Jedi, Mace Windu. The fight scene with Palpatine was awesome and in depth, but at the end of the fight, we all know what happens and the author only chose to describe the death of arguably the most powerful Jedi in the order in only a few words. I think that part could have been written alot better. Other than that, this author is such a good book, that I have already told everyone I know ( Star Wars fan or not ) that they should read it.

I expect that most readers of this book will have already seen the film and will be familiar with the plot, If not, I suggest you read the book first and then watch the movie to see the incredible cinematic interpretation by George Lucas. The plot picks up right where Labyrinth of Evil left off. Chancellor Palpatine has been captured by General Grievous, and our heroes Obi-Wan and Anakin are coming to the rescue. They succeed in finishing off Count Dooku and force Grievous to flee to Utapau. Obi-Wan goes to Utapau to deal with Grievous while Anakin stays in Coruscant trying to decide between a future with the Jedi or a future with Darth Sidious and the dark side. We all know how that comes out with the final result being the introduction of Darth Vader and the twins Luke and Leia.

In the book of Revenge of the Sith, Mr. Stover spends a lot of time with the internal struggle Anakin has with feeling underappreciated by the Jedi while at the same time trying to grasp the possibilities of the dark side. He is desperately attempting to learn enough about the Force to be able to keep his nightmare from coming true and to keep Padme alive. Darth Sidious is unbelievably smooth and persuasive as he continually massages Anakin's mind and ego and hastens the turn to the dark side. Rather than just telling the story of the film, the author gets us to understand the thought processes of the main characters. I think that will be invaluable as I prepare to watch the film yet again.

We are also privy to a number of conversations among the Jedi masters - Mace Windu, Yoda, and Obi-Wan. They are confused by the Clone Wars. They do not understand the Senate's agreements to give Chancellor Palpatine increasing powers. They don't know what to do with Anakin. He is the Chosen One, but he is also dangerous and unpredictable. The deterioration of the friendship between Obi-Wan and Anakin is heartbreaking, but Anakin's turn to the dark side is handled in such a way that it makes sense. All in all, Mr. Stover has done a remarkable job in helping us to understand more clearly the Clone Wars, the demise of the Jedi, and the takeover by the Sith.

Read the book and watch the movie.

Matthew Stover, author of the excellent Mace Windu novel Shatterpoint, does not disappoint with his novelization of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Movie novelizations are often inconsequential by-products of a marketing push behind a big event picture, but in Stover's case, he strongly builds upon the film plot and adds meaningful substance to what was already a great story. Rather than give his readers a simple blow-by-blow recap of the screen action, he adds many sequences not in the film and cuts others entirely (fans of Yoda's visit to Kashyyyk will need to stick with the movie).

The novel spends significant time in the opening space battle, fleshing out the action sequences and delving into the participants' motivations. At first I found Stover's technique here slightly jarring. The story is clipping along and we are suddenly sidelined by a page or two that start something like this (for example): "This is how it feels to be Obi-Wan Kenobi." We then get a summary of who Obi-Wan is, what he's feeling, and what role he has played in the saga to date. However, as we read more of these entries, Stover's chance-taking really pays off: I found myself looking forward to the next one more and more, as the insights he provides illuminate certain story points brilliantly.

I especially enjoyed the time he spent taking us into Count Dooku's head. Dooku doesn't get much screen time in the saga; some choice moments at the end of Attack of the Clones and his duel at the beginning of Revenge of the Sith are about it. Why would this respected and powerful Jedi have any interest in sublimating himself to a Dark Lord of the Sith? Stover paints a realistic portrait of what Dooku hoped to get out of their twisted relationship and muses about what Dooku believed would be his role after the end of the Clone Wars. Of course, Dooku is sorely mistaken with his perception of his relationship with Darth Sidious.

Another place Stover excels is in subtly tinkering with some of the storylines to deepen both the motivations and the payoff. For instance, in the film, Anakin's lust to be elevated to Jedi Master and granted a seat on the Council is driven by his ego and inner demons. Stover adds an ingredient to the mix: Anakin also wants access to the Jedi Archives, which is only granted to Masters. He believes the Archives will contain Sith Holocrons with the forbidden knowledge Palpatine alluded to, including how to stop a person from dying. This small change greatly aids the believability of how furious Anakin is at being denied the Master rank when he claims his seat on the Council.

Near the end of the book there is a noticeable shift toward more economic storytelling, and the final duel on Mustafar is very similar to what we see in the film. This didn't bother me, as by this point events are rushing to their bitter climax and interjecting long character analyses wouldn't really work like it did early in the novel. The pacing of the book taken as a whole is spot-on and well considered.

Revenge of the Sith is a sweeping, dark, epic conclusion to the prequel trilogy, and Matthew Stover's novelization is more than worthy of the film. Kudos to him for not just cashing in a paycheck and writing a blow-by-blow account of the screenplay. He chose to take some chances and the results are quite rewarding.

Given the Star Wars name, don't let the title fool you. Reading this novel was a chore, and though the ideas behind the story were stronger than The Phantom Menace, aka the screenplay and film were much better, the writing of this book was downright terrible! How R. A. Salvatore is considered a good author is beyond me. I know that he is the author of many books, and perhaps I am being a bit harsh in my judgment, having not read any of his other work, but if this is what any of those others is like then I'll be sure to skip those too. To his defense I will say that the love story aspect of Anakin and Padme was poorly fleshed out. But as a writer he should have been able to make this work much more believably.

Taking no cues from what had been established before by the other authors of the novelizations, Salvatore's work seems like it was a chore to write only to collect a paycheck. Given many fan's dislike of him for killing off Chewbacca in the Expanded Universe, though to his defense he was approached by Lucasfilm to write that novel, he is not a very good writer. (Lucasfilm's attempt to sell more books by killing off a main character is a whole other topic of debate, and is partly what led myself and many fans to stop reading the Expanded Universe material.)

My biggest argument against this book is Salvatore's consistent use of every writer's mortal sin, telling and not showing. It is better to show your readers rather than tell them what is happening. By telling, you insult your readers intelligence by running on the assumption that they aren't smart enough to figure it out themselves. If you are a Star Wars fan and must read all the adaptations, then by all means read it. If you don't feel like wasting your time and forcing yourself to finish it, then don't be bothered.

Having read R.A. Salvatore's fantasy work, I came to the novelization of the familiar tale (thanks to the epic movie) of Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones with some higher expectations. Mr. Salvatore does an excellent job bringing the story to life and giving it greater emotional depth than the movie, adding cohesiveness even that was not there. We even come to feel for Boba Fett, and regret the ultimate demise he meets in Return of the Jedi. Anakin Skywalker's decent to the dark side is given greater weight in Salvatore's words, and we come to see Anakin for what he truly was, a remarkably gifted warrior, turned to darkness due to fear and anger. Perhaps there's a lesson for us all in that. At any rate, 5 stars for Salvatore's excellent work.

The novel opens with a prelude that features a nightmare of Anakin's on the way to mediate a border dispute with Obi-wan on Ansion. In Chapters 1, 2 and 3, we are introduced to the Lars homestead, so we get to see the interactions of Cliegg, Shmi, Owen, Beru and Threepio. We learn that Cliegg met and freed Shmi five years ago. Now Shmi silently honors Anakin's 20th birthday and it is cool to get inside her head. She misses Anakin and wonders about him, yet she feels comfort in knowing that he is much better adventuring around the galaxy than stuck on a desolate world where he wouldn't be content. Since Shmi's appearance in the movie is so brief, it's great to be able to see her as a fuller character of the story, as well as the whole extended Lars family. (This is exactly the type of thing a movie novelization is supposed to do.) We see mounting tension between the Tusken Raiders and the farming community leading up to the abduction of Shmi, and we see the rescue attempt in which most died and Cliegg lost his leg. He ironically refuses an artificial limb, thus the hover chair.

We also see an earlier introduction of Padme into the story, along with her sister Sola, her nieces and R2-D2. Sola scolds Padme for her selfless career of serving the Republic, and we begin to feel a hint of Padme's deeply hidden desire for love and children of her own. And in a nice stroke of continuity, Captain Panaka, still with Naboo security, introduces his nephew Captain Typho, who lost his eye as a teenager in the Battle of Naboo and will now serve as the Senator's security chief.

Chapter 4 features the opening of the movie. In addition to the above events that set-up the movie's story, the rest of the novel has several other elements not seen movie, some of which include and expand upon the deleted scenes. One other interesting thing I think worth mentioning here is when Anakin and Yoda hear Qui-Gon's voice, Yoda is truly puzzled at what seems like the departed Jedi Master's existence beyond death. Did Qui-Gon once discover a Jedi ability that his spirit will later teach or empower Obi-Wan, Yoda and Anakin to possess? Hmm. I felt this was better than the four previous movie novelizations. Read this book if you really loved Episode II and feel a strong desire to know a little more about the story.

After this book, I recommend the following 5-star novel for more of the mystery that began in Episode II:

Labyrinth of Evil (Star Wars, Episode III Prequel Novel)

Better than the movie? Yes! Then again most books are! But if your a big Star wars fan and espically an Anakin fan then this is a must read. This book will take you deeper into the story of the man/machine Anakin providing you a glimpse into the shadows of his soul. Be prepared to feel intense sorrow and sense of victory throughout this novel. So scary what someone can become...well told Salvatore.
*This review has been moved from my old to my new account.

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

Ten years after we left Anakin Skywalker and Obi Wan Kenobi, we meet up with them again. Anakin is fast proving his abilities as a Jedi Apprentice, surpassing Obi Wan even. Now they have a new mission. Senator Padmé Amidala is in danger with attacks on her life. She is crucial to a coming vote to form an Army of the Republic and someone will do anything to prevent her decision.

Anakin discovers upon once again meeting up with Padmé that his feelings for her have not faded, but only grown more intense over the years, putting him in a relationship forbidden to Jedi. The more time they spend together, the more dangerous to the Force his position becomes, causing him to cross the line into the unacceptable range.

Meanwhile, Obi Wan is sent on a mission to a distant planet to investigate rumors of a huge army being formed at the request of the Jedi. As he looks deeper in to the matter, he finds many mysteries that defy explanation. Who commissioned a clone army and why? Who is so desperate to stop Padmé's vote at any cost? What will become of the forbidden love between Anakin and Padmé?

Having watched the movie immediately upon its release, I just this year finally found the time to sit down and read the novelization of the story. Having done so, I found the novel to be quite enjoyable, going in to even greater depth on various plot threads in the movie. Of course nothing can compare to the visualization of the creative genius of George Lucas, but the book adds to the sometimes sketchy elements of the movie's storyline.

In the book, we get a deeper understanding of what exactly drives Padmé. We get to meet her family, characters never even mentioned in the movie. Seeing this side of her personality, she comes even more alive with warmth and compassion. We also get to spend far more time with Shmi Skywalker, Anakin's mother, and what has happened to her in the years since Anakin left her to train as a Jedi. We see her happy and comfortable in her life, to which only glimpses are granted in the movie itself. We also experience her terror and agony at the hands of the Tusken raiders who stole her away, eventually causing her death. This is of grave importance as Anakin's reaction to her kidnapping is the first huge step pushing him on his way to the Dark Side of the Force.

Much of George Lucas' brilliance is lost in a novelization however, since he is known for the stunning visual effects in his movies. For example, Obi Wan's journey to the distant planet where the army is being grown and the events that follow pale significantly in the novel without the scenery. This is to be expected however when movies are put into words in a book. We are however, privy to the wonderful sound effects throughout the story. We get to experience the light saber battles through sound and R2D2 and C3PO would not be given justice without hearing them. Jonathan Davis is an absolutely brilliant performer, perfect for the Attack of the Clones. He does such an incredible job of bringing the characters to life through his voice. The Star Wars saga has a huge cast of characters to keep straight. I don't know how he did it, but Davis's abilities to transform himself through the mouths of all the players. Every single one of them is very distinct. That in itself is a testament to Davis' ability.

Though Attack of the Clones in novel form will not give a full vision into the Star Wars story, between the novel and the movie itself, fans will get a better concept of George Lucas' dreams than should they limit themselves to one or the other, book or movie.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, November 2006. All rights reserved.

While this book is great for the average Star Wars fan, many casual readers may find it to be not as well written as some of the other Star Wars novels. A New Hope was ghost written by Alan Dean Foster (author of Splinter of the Mind's Eye- the first official Expanded Universe Novel). As a book, A New Hope is interesting in that given the context in which it was written, as a simple adaptation of the first film, does have that bare bones charm that the original film does. The writing is good, but lacks the depth that the other stories have. As a film, A New Hope works better. The Empire Strikes Back is written better than its predecessor and features a uniquely written sequence on the battle of Hoth. Also the training scenes of Luke on Dagobah go into more detail and many fans of the Jedi will enjoy these scenes. Return of the Jedi is the best written of them all, and as a novel holds up to the film the best. The end sequence in which Darth Vader is finally unmasked by his son is actually very well written and gives readers a fleeting glimpse of the man, Anakin Skywalker. It stands to be the best scene in the whole of the book. Moving and powerful without being cliched or sappy. Overall this is a fun read and though it may not be as exciting for the casual reader, Star Wars fans would greatly enjoy it!

These novelizations (in this book) are good, but just not great. The films are so much better written and enjoyable. But these are a good read nonetheless. Just not anywhere near as good as the film they are based on. The storyline is faithful to the films for the most part, but some of the different stuff in them was just not to my tastes. All in all, each is a solid 4 star effort and they are good to have in a Star Wars fan's collection.

This book lets you experience the adventures of the Star Wars movies for yourself without a director's interference. That's the fun part about it--but don't expect some new revelations on characters you've known for 30 years.

It's a fun read if you're yearning to see some familiar characters.

every saga has a beginning. like "STAR WARS" a saga is a series. "STAR WARS" began with Episode I THE PHANTOM MENACE and ended with Episode VI RETURN OF THE JEDI but the film was connected from episodes I-VI by episode III REVENGE OF THE SITH. the worlds shortest episode is Episode IV A NEW HOPE and the worlds longest is Episode II ATTACK OF THE CLONES if you watched this 6-12 hour saga, you will foolow the story.

This neat little anthology contains all three of the original STAR WARS novels---STAR WARS, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, and THE RETURN OF THE JEDI. Given the glutinous mass of material that's grown up around STAR WARS (now numbering tens of thousands of items in every media category and form of product, and an entire "Expanded Universe" beyond the six theatrical films) it is amazing to think that STAR WARS all began with one script treatment turned into a novel.

I recall reading it while sitting in the Orlando airport on my way back from Disney World on my seventeenth birthday, just before the movie opened and formally introduced us to Darth Vader, Han Solo, Luke, Leia, See Threepio and Artoo Detoo. At first I thought the cover blurb, "Luke, armed only with his father's light saber" meant a cavalry weapon.

Sci-Fi pulp fiction yes, but these are still the best STAR WARS stories, and if they've become overly familiar, it's only because they've become so much a part of our popular culture. Having all three books in one volume is like having your cake and eating it, too.

So, if you've never read the original trilogy do so. And if you read it a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away (that would be the Carter and Reagan Administrations), read it again. IV, V, and VI---hah! They're still numero uno in that world.

NPR created radio dramas of the Star Wars Episodes 4 - 6 and they are now on audio CD. We had the audio cassette tapes and already knew they were well worth listening to. Each segment of the story is just under 30 minutes long, which makes it easy to use for a half-hour walk for exercise. While several of the voice performers are not the same as in the movie version, the different interpretations of some of the dialog give additional insights to the story background. The John Williams score absolutely rocks!

Ice planet panic.


Or, if you really don't know how this one goes that is possible evidence for alien life, as I am not quite sure where you have been to miss it.

The rebels are hiding out on a very cold planet when they are discovered leading to a pitched battle, evacuation, and reunion with an old friend for Han Solo, etc.

If you like the you-know-what you will probably like this too if you go in for this sort of thing.

The book is pretty good. I was a lttle disappointed with the scenes pictured in the book. They were dark and I believe there were better scenes to pictorially represent the movie.

This is a review of The Empire Stikes Back: The Radio Drama. Amazon seems to have reviews of the radio show mixed up with reviews of Empire Stikes Back books. Anyway... The success of the radio adaptation of the first Star Wars movie led to this radio drama based on the second Star Wars movie. It was presented as ten half-hour episodes. This being about two and a half times as long as the movie, additional scenes were added. The only actors from the movie to reprise their roles on radio were Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Anthony Daniels as C-3PO and Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian. This is a fun program that Star Wars fans will enjoy.

We all know the story that unfolds in The Empire Strikes Back, and many people consider it to be the best of the films. So what does an author do to make the story seem fresh to the reader? Add details? Change the story? Closely follow the film? In the case of this book, Mr. Glut has elected to follow the film. I think he made the right decision, and he describes the action very well. I was not distracted by being familiar with the story, and I think that the unique individual who has not seen the film would obtain a good grasp of the tale by reading this book. Just as in the film, it was great fun to follow our heroes from Hoth to Bespin and Dagobah. One can only wonder what happens next.

Absolutely Love Love Love this book! The pictures are fabulous and the costumes gorgeous! The designer did a terrific job! I recommend this book to anyone who loves design. I would've loved to have seen more but alas I'll just have to check out the website Star Wars Fit for a Queen, its combines both.

Great photos. NOT recommended for people looking for Episodes IV, V, VI costumes. A lot of this book is dedicated to Padme Amidala and her handmaidens' wardrobe, but they had the most costume changes throughout the first 3 movies. The costumes are beautiful and detailed. I love this book.

Say what you want about the Star Wars prequels, but one thing I think even the staunchest critics of those films must agree on is this: they had fantastic costume designs. This fact is brilliantly attested to in Dressing a Galaxy: The Costumes of Star Wars. Within the pages of this hardbound volume you will find vibrant preliminary sketches as well as radiantly photographed examples of the costumes used throughout the prequels (that's right - this book only contains the costumes form Episodes I, II, and III; the title is a little bit misleading. The revolutionary costumes from the original trilogy are only mentioned in passing a couple of times). For anyone who has an appreciation of the art of costuming, for someone who's a big Star Wars fan, or for someone who, like me, is always looking for a good visual reference for art, this is a tremendous buy - a bargain at any price. Enjoy!

This book is a fabulous collection of photographs and information on the Star Wars costumes. The photographs show each costume in great detail and discuss the making of each costume from the sketch stage all the way through completion. I would definitely recommend this book! You do not have to be a Star Wars fanatic to appreciate this book.

Each picture in this book is beautiful. Every costume from Star Wars is in here including how to make each costume. Its amazing how beautiful most of the costumes really are especially Padme, Padme's Handmaidens, the Queens of Alderaan and Naboo and the Jedi. Buy this book and it'll make you want to go out and make each costume yourself.

My children have enjoyed reading this series several times.

I liked this bok for variuos reasons, the main one was bacause it is a science-fiction novel. Science-fiction novels are my favorite type and the creatures in this book will never ever exist. I saw the movie and it was awsome, so I thought the book would be better and it was.

The best part in this book was when Qui-Gon Jinn and Odi-Wan Kenobi , his padawan fought Darth Maul. Darth Maul is a sith and the Jedi destroyed all the sith a long time ago, so they thought. Darth Maul survived the destruction and now wants to kill every jedi that lives.

The characters in this book were very descripted. Every one of the characters actions were explained with excrutiating detail. All of the settings were also explained very well. There are more than one hundred planets in this book, and every planet they land on is explained by the characters or the narrator.

A Wrinkle in Time
By: Patricia C. Wrede
...
P.1

The book Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace is a great book. In the beginning of the book, two Jedi knights, Qui-gon Jinn and Obi-wan Kenobi travel to a Trade Federation control ship. When they are there, they find out that they are planning an invasion on the peaceful planet of Naboo. They then sneak onto one of the landing ships and inform the queen of the invasion. While they are there, they meet a Gungan named Jar-Jar Binks. The two jedi, the queen, and her maidens barely escape the planet on a Naboo cruiser. They stop on a planet called Tattoine on the outskirts of the galaxy because their hyperdrive is leaking. When they are there, they meet a young boy named Anakin Skywalker. Qui-gon senses that the force is strong with him, so he takes him with them to Courasant, the planet where they can talk to the supreme council about the invasion. After that, they go back to Naboo. They fight a big battle and finally get the planet back.
One reason why I liked this book is because of the good story line. It is a good story because of all the great characters and the setting. I especially liked the Jedi knights and the planet Courasant. It is a planet that is entirely a city.
The second reason why I liked this book is because of the action. In the beginning of the book, Qui-gon and Obi-wan have to fight their way out of a Trade Federation ship, and in the end of the book, there is a battle between the Gungans and the Trade Federation battle druids.
My favorite part of the book was when Anakin was in a podrace. I liked it because it is like racing cars, but with different vehicles. It was very exciting, and in the end Anakin won and was no longer a slave. I would definitely recommend this book to other readers.

This book is good. It has excellent pictures. The print is clear so you can read it. So come on. What are you waiting for? Go and read it. You'll love it!

Episode I: The Phantom Menace, the prequel to the original Star Wars Trilogy, tells of the beginning of the Sith, Dark Sidious's plan to topple the Republic and create the Dark Empire. The start of his plan begins with the Trade Federation's invasion of the small peaceful planet of Naboo, which Dark Sidious thinks will be very easy to take over, for the ruler is only a very young 14-year-old named Padme Amidala. However he is in for a surprise... When the two Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn, and his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, negotiations with the Trade Federation fail and Naboo is taken over by the Trade Federation the two Jedi rescue the young queen and try to escape to Corusanct, hoping the Senate would intervene. However mechanical problems cause them to have to land on Tatooine, a remote planet controled by the Hutts who are gangsters. There the Force brings them to a young boy named Anakin, we know the eventual Darth Vadar. It is herre that Padme and Anakin first meet and we know what happens later... Qui-Gon knows there is something special about the boy and when they are finally able to leave Tatooine he takes him with him to Corusant to have him trained as a Jedi and the long saga of Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vadar begins. This was a superb beginning to what is to be 3 new movies-novels. I have always loved Patricia C. Wrede's writing style and this didn't disappoint. To see the first interactions with Anakin and Padme was just great. One not to be missed!

This is definitely a fun book, and I used to be able to do quite a bit of quoting from the material in my younger days.

The one thing that we used to wonder 'why' about, was why was Luke Red 5 in one, and Blue 5 in the other. One of the mysteries of the universe.

Definitely a good read though.

I really like Star Wars and have read different Star Wars books including the Last Jedi and Boba Fett series. I liked this book because it is like watching the movie but you find out more about the people from the story. In the movie you see how people are acting but when you read the book it will tell you what they were thinking.

The prologue in the book tells more about what happened before the story starts than the movie does. The action starts right away and kept me interested. I have to read for school, but when I read the Star Wars books I am able to read something I like and it counts as my homework.

Here's my perspective on this --- it's been a very long time since I've seen the original films. So I came into this with the more recent films fresh on my mind.

Overall, I'd say that this is an enjoyable book, especially for someone who's been spending time with the more recent editions in the series and wants to go back to the roots. One noticeable thing about this and the earlier stories is a sense of fun and humor that doesn't seem nearly as palpable (heh heh) in the later trilogy. Being more of a casual fan, I can't comment much on the differences between this and the actual film series, but overall, it still stands as a great story.


This book comes with an introduction by George Lucas detailing the original release and explaining that this is ghostwritten by Alan Dean Foster. Though only about a page long, it's an excellent intro to the book.

Reading and reviewing the book of A New Hope is impossible without using the film as a frame of reference. For most of us, the film was our introduction to the amazing new world of Star Wars. This is when we first met Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie, Obi-Wan, R2-D2, and C-3PO. We all know how the story goes and that is my only problem with the book. It is still great fun to read, but it is so much like the film that it is almost too familiar. It is not precisely like the film, but it is extremely close. The book was ghostwritten by Alan Dean Foster in late 1976 based on the George Lucas screenplay. Considering that Mr. Foster did not have the visual benefit of seeing what Star Wars looked like on screen, I think he did a remarkable job.

The story begins on Tatooine as Luke acquires R2 and 3PO and our favorite little droid is bound and determined to deliver a mysterious message to some one named Obi-Wan Kenobi. The adventures that follow lead us through the cantina at Mos Eisley where we meet Han and Chewie and on to Luke's destruction of the Death Star. You undoubtedly know how it goes.

If by some fluke of nature you actually have not seen the film, then you definitely should read the book. It is a rousing adventure story and leaves you wanting to read more. The edition I read was the very nice trade paperback version of the Star Wars Trilogy that was published in 2004. Having all three of the trilogy books in one volume is a good feeling.

This novelization of the first Star Wars film is the alpha ancestor of the entire Star Wars universe. Published several months before the release of the film (which was simply titled "Star Wars" in 1977, picking up the "A New Hope" signifier in the 1979 theatrical re-release), the book was a success on a small scale but did not take off until the film became a phenomenon. George Lucas is credited with authoring this novel, but as he acknowledges in his introduction, the book was ghostwritten by Alan Dean Foster based on Lucas' screenplay. Foster went on to write two more Star Wars novels, Splinter of the Mind's Eye in the late 70's and The Approaching Storm in 2002.

Credit must be given to Foster for capturing a Star Wars "feel" in this novel without any preceding Star Wars material to work from and without knowledge of the scrutiny every scrap of Star Wars literature would eventually be subjected to. He follows the screenplay quite faithfully, and except for the inclusion of a sequence on Tatooine that was shot but cut from the film late in the editing process, his novel follows the film's sequence of scenes exactly. He does toy with the dialogue to an extent, re-writing lines throughout. To a modern-day Star Wars nut, this can sometimes be jarring, as everything about this story is so familiar. It's interesting in movie novelizations how the authors often change dialogue but nothing else: I like seeing a little more experimentation, such as that in Matthew Stover's superb novelization of Revenge of the Sith.

Foster is a descriptive writer and this story flows along briskly. One quirk that happens multiple times is he often uses comparisons rooted in our own mundane Earth to describe something, such as "like a dog padding on plastic," "like an Oriental poppy in a sea of oats, " and "like the damping rods in a nuclear reactor." Foster definitely had his work cut out for him in trying to describe such a visual universe before any visual media had been released to the public, but the dozen or so Earth allusions often shatter the otherworldly feel of the story.

As I mentioned earlier, the book contains a sequence set on Tatooine that did not make the final cut of the movie. It occurs early in the story with Luke observing the capture of the Tantive IV in orbit and rushing off to Anchorhead to tell his friends about the battle. When he arrives at Tosche Station, he has an unexpected joyful reunion with his old friend Biggs Darklighter. This segment with Biggs plants the seeds of sympathy toward the Rebellion in Luke's mind and also heightens the impact of Biggs' death during the Death Star attack at the end of the story.

The novelization of Episode IV is a serviceable rendition that does not add too much to the film. It would be interesting to see a new interpretation, either by Foster or another author, written in the modern day that could incorporate material from the prequels and the Expanded Universe material that has been released since 1977.

lots of sketches on environment, and outfits for the queen, its really cool art book to collect

Sometimes is easy to forget the amout of design works that takes to make a star wars movie, with lots of designers hired trying to get the ship, landscape or character design that fits into the visuals and story of the movie.
This book gathers lots of artwork, focused on the Star Wars Attack of the Clones movie and will satisfy both old and new star wars fans for sure.

The first time I really started Really liking Star Wars was with The Phantom Menace. Personally, I don't go in for the dissecting crtisicm kind of thing. So Yea, there may be a some flaws, but to me there was more right than wrongs.
So about this book; I am crazily into art, and my copy of this one
is starting to look worn out. It is an amazing collection of conceptual art (drawings, paintings, digital designs, ect.) arranged chronologicaly paralleling the script. I believe that when
I started studying the works of Iian McCaig, Dermot Power, and others; my ideas and artwork really took off, and seeing the quality and height of what I wanted to reach laid out inspired me
greatly. Well, in all, this book is brilliantly executed and would be awesome to look at for any Star Wars fan or art fanactic.

Ok, I'm right now too short on words, but I have to say something... the Art of Attack of the Clones book is the best one in the series... probably the best designed one and the most comprehensive, containing images and descriptions, AND in the other section the full movie script. This hasn't been done before, adding several points to the book. The other books in the series only had or the descriptions or the script.

Great, diverse artwork. I just hope that Art from Revenge would be as nice as this one.

I was hyped up for Episode 1 only to be let down by one 3-worded mistake: Jar Jar Binks. Of course, if you've read my review for The Art of Episode 1, the you know that I still thought well of that book, despite certain Gungan monstrosities. The Art of Episode 2 proves that the Stars Wars films are like leftovers from dinner, they just taste better and better. Aside from showing the reader sketches of returning locations (Such as Tatootine, Naboo, and Coruscant), it also expands on these locations by showing us things like Coruscant's lower levels, and new areas of Naboo. Added to this is artwork for two new planets in the Star Wars universe: the dry and desolate Geonosis and the watery and storm-shrouded Kamino. Also there are sketches of a certain army cloned from a certain bounty hunter whose son captured a certain Han Solo. If you're a Star Wars addict then get this book as soon as humanly possible because the only Art of Star Wars book better than this will probably be The Art of Episode 3.

it was great but it wasn't, if ya see what I mean... anyway, I'm gay. it was goooooooooooooogley good! aha aha.

If you are willing to buy the TPM screenplay(you can get it for free on the Internet), this is your best bet. It has a selection of the orginal storyboards, cut scenes(this is the uncut screenplay), a introduction by producer Rick Mccalum, and the underwater and battle storyboards in order, kinda like a movie effect. If you like Star Wars, buy this!

First off, I thought the flick was pretty good, though a little too slow in the middle. It needed more action, more depth, less clumsy dialogue, and less kiddie stuff. We all know that now. Okay. With that in mind, the screenplay is great in some parts, and groan out loud bad in others. If you're one of the more forgiving (and less bandwagon-jumping obsessed) hardcore fans, it's a treasure. Even with all it's faults, it's cool to sit down and read how the pieces begin to fall into place. Also, this is an uncut script, so a lot of the deleted stuff you see on the DVD is in here, as is some cut dialogue. Again, I wouldn't advise this for the passive Star Wars fan, but it is a must-have for the REAL (being a relative term, of course) Star Wars fan.

I say this is WAY BETTER THAN THE NOVEL, you gotta read this if you want to know Lucas's TRUE vision of Episode I; but still the book has some low points however: they could at least improve the paperback quality, and I would had fill it with real screenshots among the storyboards. Besides you can use it to learn more about Lucas's storytelling style: this was written entirely by George Lucas that's why the whimp hollywood critics say that the film has a very chessy dialogue, I partially agree with them, but I still say Lucas is a wonderful storyteller and he deserves more credit, however there are some problems on these writtings that even a man with a big imagination has to deal with: I know that when you write a whole story and you make the dialogue yourself you tend to repeat the same lines again later (ex.: "you assume to much") the Star Wars IV's script has the same problem, good thing Lucas has hired another guy to help him finish the Ep.II script. I definitely liked the way this book is written, and I'm sure the film's dialogue would have been better if some lines of this book were not deleted.

I have been fascinated with screenplays and the art of writing them since I read my first copy of Carol Titleman's The Art of Star Wars, a trade paperback which, along with production paintings, costume designs, photos of models, composites, and storyboards, contained the uncut fourth draft of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. (This, by the by, was the first time I saw the new moniker for the film everyone still calls "Star Wars.") In that book, I not only read lines of dialogue and relived some of my favorite movie moments (this was before I owned my first VCR), but I also saw scenes that had been left out of the final film, either left unshot or deleted after filming (such as Han's encounter with Jabba the Hutt.)

Shortly before the premiere of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, I was stunned when I saw The Illustrated Screenplay and Terry Brooks' novelization at my usual bookstore. Lucas had clamped down on the release of the Return of the Jedi novelization 16 years before (to prevent certain plot revelations from getting out too soon), and I had expected him to do the same with The Phantom Menace. Being the dedicated Star Wars fan that I am, I bought both and read them as the soundtrack album played in the background.

The Illustrated Screenplay's version of The Phantom Menace differs somewhat from the finished movie. It is essentially the same, of course, following the Naboo Crisis from the arrival of Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi aboard the Trade Federation flagship to the parade at Theed. However, in an attempt to cut the film's running time to just over two hours, several heavily political scenes set in the Galactic Senate were nixed, which in a way helped the film. Sadly, a few lines which I really liked, including one involving Obi-Wan and a shorted out lightsaber, didn't make it to the finished film. (Other scenes, which were filmed but later deleted, can be read in their entirety and in context; it's up to the reader to decide whether or not deletion was necessary.)

To me, reading the screenplay ahead of the May 19, 1999 premiere enhanced rather than detracted from the enjoyment of the picture. In fact, even while I was watching the much maligned Episode I (I think I am one of only the few non-Lucasfilm-connected persons on Earth who really likes The Phantom Menace) I not only understood what Palpatine was up to, but I could also see parallels between Anakin Skywalker's experiences and his son Luke's in Episode IV (which is set 32 years later).

The storyboards presented in this book are only a fraction of the thousands used during the pre-production stages, yet they give the reader a hint of the film's visual rhythm and energy. They are almost as good as the ones by legendary visual artist Joe Johnston, who worked on the more popular "classic" Star Wars trilogy more than 20 years ago.

For anyone interested in the finer points of screenplay writing and/or the strengths and weaknesses of the prequel saga, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace: The Illustrated Screenplay is a good reference.

Alex Diaz-Granados