On the heels of Celebration V this past weekend, DK Publishing is releasing a comprehensive timeline of events that influenced the Star Wars series — and how the fabric of our culture was forever changed by it. Star Wars Year by Year: A Visual Chronicle is a combination of a history lesson, trip down memory lane and an enchanting look behind the scenes.
The book starts out with a look at the events that shaped George Lucas’s vision, from the science fiction comics of his youth to meeting special effects pioneer, John Dykstra. From there on, chapters examine each year from 1973 to 2010, each passage packed with plenty of pictures, illustrations and bite-sized chunks of facts, trivia and fun.
Many of the toys, books and accessories inspired by the movies are found within these pages and it’s an enjoyable trip down nostalgic lane looking at action figures, comic books and more. There’s plenty of behind the scene photos and insight, related images (like the Skywalker Ranch Research Library), but the book also looks at world events, cultural changes and events in moviemaking that have affected Star Wars over the years.
The book was written by a few guys who know a little about Star Wars: Ryder Windham, author of more than sixty Star Wars titles, Pablo Hildago, managing editor of StarWars.com, Gus Lopez, creator of the Star Wars Collector’s Archive, and Daniel Wallace, who – in addition to writing the New York Times bestselling Star Wars: The New Essential Guide to Characters – has also written about all things Marvel, DC and Indiana Jones.
Star Wars Year by Year: A Visual Chronicle is a fun romp through the three-plus decades that the Star Wars saga has captivated our culture. If you have a Star Wars fan in your universe, pick up a copy — you (I mean he or she) will love it.
Disclosure: GeekDad received a review copy of this book from DK Publishing.
