How Star Wars Conquered the Universe: The Past, Present, and Future of a Multibillion Dollar Franchise - Hardcover

Chris Taylor

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1784970468 ISBN 13: 9781784970468

Publisher: Head of Zeus, 2015

Synopsis

Why do most people know what an Ewok is, even if they haven't seen Return of the Jedi? How have Star Wars action figures come to outnumber human beings? How did 'Jedi' become an officially recognised religion? When did the films' merchandising revenue manage to rival the GDP of a small country? Tracing the birth, death and rebirth of the epic universe built by George Lucas and hundreds of writers, artists, producers, and marketers, Chris Taylor jousts with modern-day Jedi, tinkers with droid builders, and gets inside Boba Fett's helmet, all to find out how STAR WARS has attracted and inspired so many fans for so long. 'It's impossible to imagine a Star Wars fan who wouldn't love this book. There are plenty of books about Star Wars, but very few of them are essential reading. This one goes directly to the top of the pile' Booklist (starred review).

About this title

About the Author:

Chris Taylor is the deputy editor of Mashable, one of the world’s largest independent news websites. He has covered the intersection of business and culture for two decades as a writer and editor for Time, Business 2.0, Fortune Small Business, and Fast Company. A graduate of Merton College, Oxford and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, he lives in Berkeley, California.

Review:

"Exhaustive.... those of us more casually in tune with the Force will find more than a few tasty nuggets."―Wall Street Journal

"Insanely microresearched and breezily written."―New York Times Book Review

"An excellent look at the genesis of Star Wars.... [Taylor's] put together a volume that's honest and interesting--and one that's completely reignited my passion for Star Wars."―io9

"An unconventional approach that serves to bring a spark of life that might otherwise go missing from a straightforward commercial or cinematic look at Star Wars."―Washington Post

"Even obsessives will likely find much that's news to them ... worthy of being savored ... amusing ... reveals what a huge role serendipity played in Star Wars."―New York Post

"Delivers a payload of information... you will find intense emotions in its observations of a battle for autonomy within corporate cinema, and to the public that swoons for Lucas' products."―San Francisco Chronicle

"An immensely readable look at the worldwide impact of the Star Wars saga over the decades."―McClatchy

"Taylor brings a genuine love of pop and nerd culture to this comprehensive retrospective on one of the 20th century's most popular film series.... Taylor has compiled an impressive collection of background research and insider info that any fan would be glad to own."―Publishers Weekly

"Taylor's fan-boy enthusiasm coupled with his inviting narrative style make this a fun and informative read for sf enthusiasts, media studies and marketing students, film industry professionals, and aspiring Jedi Knights."―Library Journal

"It's impossible to imagine a Star Wars fan who wouldn't love this book.... It really is hard to imagine a book about Star Wars being any more comprehensive than this one. It's full of information and insight and analysis, and it's so engagingly written that it's a pure joy to read.... There are plenty of books about Star Wars, but very few of them are essential reading. This one goes directly to the top of the pile."―Booklist (starred review)

About this edition

• Publisher: Head of Zeus
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1784970468
• ISBN 13: 9781784970468
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 496