The Visual Dictionary of Star Wars, Episodes IV, V, & VI: The Ultimate Guide to Star Wars Characters and Creatures - Hardcover

Reynolds, David

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0789434814 ISBN 13: 9780789434814

Publisher: DK Children, 1998

Synopsis

Filled with spectacular photographs of the Rebels, Imperials, bounty hunters, and more, a thoroughly researched reference furnishes essential facts about every Star Wars character and their weapons. 300,000 first printing.

About this title

About the Author

Dr. David West Reynolds earned his Ph.D. in archeology at the University of Michigan. A lecturer, veteran of field expeditions on three continents and author of scientific archeological publications, Reynolds has also written X-Wing: A Pocket Manual, Tie Fighter: A Pocket Manual, and various Star Wars articles. He approaches the world of Star Wars like ancient Rome or Egypt, considering it a culture from another time and place to explore. Reynolds lives in Marin County, California.

From the Back Cover

Exciting new photography and exhaustive research reveal previously onknown features of Star Wars characters, creatures, droids, and equipment. See: Cut-away views of a lightsaber and a stormtrooper helmet; C-3PO's inner workings; a wild cantina band perfomance. Discover: The names and functions of R2-D2's attachments; Boba Fett's secret weapons; all about the mysterious characters and creatures in Jabba's palace. Explore: The secrets of Darth Vader's armor; every detail of stormtrooper weaponry and equipment; and much more!

Reviews

Grade 4 Up?This oversized volume is packed with full-color photographs of the characters and costumes, equipment, weaponry, mechanical droids, and assorted creatures from the Star Wars universe. Each character or category is contained within two pages and nary a space is left uncovered. Spreads that are meant to be held vertically are devoted to pictures of some of the larger-than-life figures, such as Darth Vader and Chewbacca. All of the equipment and other items are labeled. Reynolds profiles the personal histories of the creatures and characters and includes salient details about their gear. "Data Files" provide additional, often fascinating, and personal tidbits about the inhabitants of this fantasy world. While anyone interested in Star Wars will delight in viewing this book, the technological terms and descriptions may be too complicated for young children. Nevertheless, it is a visual treat?the clear, impressive photographs from the Lucasfilm Archives and other sources will capture and hold readers' attention. While not a dictionary in the traditional sense, this excellent guidebook to an appealing fantasy world will be a welcome addition to library collections.?Linda Wadleigh, Oconee County Middle School, Watkinsville, GA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Guaranteed to catapult Star Wars fans directly into intergalactic orbit, this pair of oversize picture books provide a galaxy full of details about the inner workings of George Lucas's mythical universe. Eschewing the standard "behind-the-scenes" look at the making of the movies, both books take a realistic, reference-like approach to the imaginary realm. Reynolds's forthright treatment helps to further meld fact and fiction: an archeologist, he notes that he views the world of Star Wars as "a culture from another time and place to explore." In glorious photographs, Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary spotlights each of the characters by turn, from the big three (Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Han Solo) to the next tier, including Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader, Chewbacca, C-3P0 and R2-D2, as well as a vast supporting cast. Sidebars provide "back-stories" on many of the characters (Han Solo, for instance, was raised by space gypsies), and a close examination of clothing, weapons (including a cutaway view of Darth Vader's lightsaber) and equipment provides the answers to such questions as what does a Wookiee carry in his pouch. But novices be warned: Vader's true identity is also revealed in these pages. For Star Wars: Incredible Cross-Sections, Jenssen and Chasemore have created intricate drawings of the guts of such assorted craft as Solo's souped-up Millennium Falcon, the Empire's battle station Death Star (highlighted in a four-page gatefold), the gargantuan robotic quadruped At-At and Jabba the Hutt's sail barge. These two stellar guides (created with the support of Lucasfilm Ltd.) are sure to soar off the shelves. All ages.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Who would have imagined, 21 years after the initial release of Star Wars, that the Force would still be with us? And box office receipts in the hundreds of millions of dollars generated by the 1997 rerelease of the SW trilogy prove that interest in the series hasn't waned. This trio tell you everything you always wanted to know about Star Wars but were afraid to ask (or didn't know you should). Sansweet's Encyclopedia is an incredibly detailed A-Z listing of characters, creatures, gadgets, and gizmos gleaned from the films as well as the numerous novels and comic books they've spawned. It also offers a time line for the entire SW story and an introduction by best-selling novelist Timothy Zahn. The beautifully illustrated DK duo cover characters, costumes, and weaponry in Visual Dictionary, while Cross Sections dissects vehicles and spacecraft. Want to know how a light saber really works or what the interior of an Imperial Stormtrooper's helmet looks like? It's allhere. The most remarkable thing about the books is the amount of thought that's been expended on the workings of things that don't exist. Though the Encyclopedia is remarkably comprehensive, it will unfortunately become outdated upon the release of the first of the SW prequel films, The Phantom Menace, next May, making it a marginal purchase, especially at $50. The DK books are seriously cool and exceedingly browsable, making them solid items for libraries. Though they are aimed at kids, don't be surprised to see plenty of adults flipping through them as well.?Michael Rogers, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: DK Children
• Publication date: 1998
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0789434814
• ISBN 13: 9780789434814
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 64