Product Description

A comprehensive look at 300 of the most financially and/or critically successful motion pictures of all time—many made despite seemingly insurmountable economic, cultural, and political challenges—set against the prevailing production, distribution, exhibition, marketing, and technology trends of each decade in movie business history.

Customer Reviews (20)

Great book!
This is very informative and a great resource to have on the history of filmmaking inside of Hollywood.

Written by accountants
This phone book sized book promised : untold secrets of the cultural and financial success of blockbusters.Blockbusting , what does it mean?To create blockbusters?Nope.This book is mostly a compilation of financial data including films of the 30s and 40s. Nothing you cannot find with a bit of research yourself. For a film lover like myself with some knowledge, I find this book a real bore.

Extermely analytical and fascinating, but could use some more additions
I got this book shortly after it came out, and I gotta say, I'm very impressed with it. It's every film lovers dream come true. Filled with facts, trivia, biographies, production and statistical details, this book is sure to keep you hooked. I have many books on films at home, but not on everything I want to know, so this filled that gap for me in some ways.

I especially like how the films are chrnologically arranged by decade, with not only facts bout the films themselves but also factsabout the film trends for that particualr decade. I like how on each of the discriptions of the films, it's arranged by plot, production and distrubution headings. These made the book very easy to read. Also really like the sstatiscal tables which helps put the facts in perspective. I also enjoyed reviewing the extensive bibliography in the back.

The one major crticism I would have of this book is that it's missing some critical films in history. It's lacking such classics as "The Shining", "Planet of the Apes", "Dracula", "The Birds", just to name a few. Maybe sometime there could be some sort of amendment, or a "Blockbusting 2" or something to that effect that covers these and other classics not mentioned.

I have loved having this book and would highly recommend it to anyone who has a passionate interest in films, or students of film.

Disappoints
The pages are the quality of a telephone book, the entries contain nothing you couldn't get from Wikipedia, and this wasn't written OR edited by George Lucas.

George's name is on the front cover, but not sure what he did to contribute
While George Lucas may not have actually written any of this book past the introduction, I imagine it may have been his idea at some point. In my little dream sequence George calls in his Personal Assistant and says "I'd like to know what the top 100 films are of all time, go get a bunch of guys to research it".

Liking the results he decides to get a few more people to write reviews on each film. And also throw in some trivia.

Despite the fact that it's not George who has written this weighty tome, it is an excellent resource. Whether you're a film trivia buff or you are interested in film making, you should get hold of this and read it. It is informative AND it is entertaining. In the very least you can pull out a few of the interesting background stories whether at lunch with friends or at a dinner party if any of the films covered comes up in conversation.

With good timing and the right delivery you'll come across as being more interesting and intelligent than you actually are. ... Read more

Product Description
Acclaimed filmmaker George Lucas re-invigorated the science-fiction genre more than 25 years ago with Star Wars, one of the greatest epics and cultural icons of its generation. He has enthralled audiences with his grand vision, mythic narratives, and groundbreaking visual effects ever since, and he remains a pivotal figure in American cinema: Star Wars: Episode II (2002) was the first film to be shot entirely with state-of-the-art digital cameras, and Star Wars: Episode III is set for release in 2005.

Marcus Hearn draws on exclusive interviews-as well as unprecedented access to the Lucasfilm archives-to craft a definitive look at more than four decades of the director's work. Lavishly illustrated, the book features many never and rarely seen images, including stills from Lucas's student films and behind-the-scenes photographs from the first Star Wars, the Indiana Jones adventures, and Star Wars: Episode III. Hearn delves deep into Lucas's achievements in the film industry as a director, writer, editor, and producer. Destined to be the classic illustrated survey of Lucas's career, the book is sure to fascinate not only die-hard fans but also general film and popular culture enthusiasts.AUTHOR BIO: Marcus Hearn is a writer, editor, and publisher specializing in film and popular culture. He is the author of the best-selling Star Wars: Attack of the Clones-The Illustrated Companion. He lives in London. Ron Howard is an actor, producer, and director whose film A Beautiful Mind (2001) won Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

If u love star wars and more...
If u not only love star wars but want 2 know more about George buy this book!

The Cinema of George Lucas
This was a gift for a BIG Lucas fan in France.I looked through it and I was taken away by the pictures and history of his career.Great documentation.Our friend loved the book.Had to ship as it was 7lbs and would of put luggage over weight limit.

Excellent book about a great story teller
When I first found out about this book, I immediately came to Amazon and read the reviews listed with this one. I must whole heartedly agree with my fellow reviewers that this book is filled with a lot of never before seen photos and information about George Lucas that the public has never had access to before. It is graphically beautiful. When I first received my copy, I literally couldn't put it down for hours. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in learning more about the man behind the Star Wars saga.

Explore a mind far far away....
This guy has got it together -a great look inside the creative process and genius of the modern film maker. Absolute must have for a Star Wars fan or anyone wanting to learn more about the cause and effect this one man has had on the film industry, movie making, motion pictures and the technology to bring them to life- far beyond any one else has ever done before.....travel into hyperspace with this book.

Remarkable!
This book is filled with rare and beautiful images from the Lucas archive. If you're interested in George Lucas, there is no alternative. The story is pretty good, although a little limited. If you combined the images from this book with the detailed story in DROIDMAKER (subtitled- George Lucas and the Digital Revolution- which i just read straight through and LOVED), I think you'd have the perfect Lucas book. Still, i highly recommend this. ... Read more

Product Description
The inside story of George Lucas, his intensely private company, and their work to revolutionize filmmaking. In the process, they made computer history. Discover the birth of Pixar, digital video editing, videogame avitars, THX sound, and a host of other icons of the media age. Lucas played a central role in the universe of entertainment technologies we see everyday. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

Ambitious
Incredible amount of information here, and gifted Lucasfilm alumn Michael Rubin presents it without being overwhelming. It's really a great, compelling read: full of surprising connections and tales of survival and failure in the corporate wild. For anyone who wants to know more about Pixar, and less about film editing, I would highly recommend David A. Price's "The Pixar Touch" as well.

A great tale of business and filmmaking.
Essentially an oral history of the less glamorous divisions of Lucasfilm.Nicely written, well researched, well put together.
A must read for anyone who is interested in building independent production entities.
It gives an insiders view of the Lucasfilm experience, but without being sycophantic.Warts and all, it's there for you to see and learn from.

Great read!
Got this book because I love all things about Hollywood Fx, CGI and model building. As many of these skills are being lost to the computer artists, this book is a GREAT read. Your own look into how things were actually done by hand, as well as the beginning of the CGI days.
You won't be disappointed.

A fascinating story of how the digital revolution kicked off.
Michael Rubin has written a well researched book into the early days Lucasfilm focusing on the developing uses of computers for computer graphics, video and sound editing. From interviews with over eighty Lucasfilm employees, including George Lucas, the story is told over three 'Acts', from Lucas' days at USC in the late sixties through to the mid eighties when much of the research and development at Lucasfilm had been divested; the computer graphics group's setting up of Pixar being the prime example. This is not a book of the latest in special effects and moviemaking. Its more the story of how things moved from the old analog film making processes to where we are today.

Act One tells the story of Lucas and Coppola and American Zoetroppe. As Rubin says, this story has already been covered in many books and documentaries. The focus however is one of the difficulties of traditional film making and in particular the editing process which was very mechanical. The lower resolution video was hoped to improve the situation, but film and video did not play together nicely. Rubin relates the story of how Coppola was able to create a rough cut of a sequence from Apocalypse Now using video, but there was no easy way to use that to cut the original negatives since there was no way to tie the video time codes to the film reel and frame number. Both Lucas and Coppola knew there had to be a better way and from their early film successes they were able to fund research into new equipment.

I have been working in computer graphics for over twenty years. So for me this was an engrossing look into the pioneering work of people like Ed Catmull and Alvy Ray Smith. Act Two kicks off with the story of Alex Schure and the New York Institute of Technology where much of the early CG work was starting the late 70s to look at ways of using technology to improve film animation. Schure was able to purchase the then expensive equipment (in 1978 an 8 bit frame buffer cost $60,000 - four were needed to create a red, green, blue and alpha image) to allow the researchers to play with paint programs and 3D graphics. That was until they got the call from Lucasfilm,which anyone who was a fan of Star Wars would have loved to get ... "George Lucas wants to set up a research group ..."

The final Act takes us through the growing pains as some projects did not come to fruition and the company needed to decide how to manage the various groups which did not necessarily fit into their core film making business. The book is as much a look at some of the technical breakthroughs as it is about the organisational and business life cycle of a privately funded research and development group. This is something I wold normally find very dry, but Rubin has found a way to express the drama that no doubt occurs.

Rubin has an engaging writing style which brings together numerous anecdotes where the participants talk about various pivotal technical ideas (Rob Cook's use of sampling to solve the motion blur problem) and encounters with the big names that were continuously paraded through the offices to look at George's toys (Slyvester Stallone's attempts at using the paint programs).

The book could have been improved with a bit more rigorous proof-reading. There were a few too many typographical errors which interrupted the otherwise great narrative. Although referring to software to remove noise from old analog recordings as "de-nosing" was amusing. Do the recordings smell better after that?

Overall though, its a wonderful in-depth look at how someone like Lucas, with a passion for film making and independence, can use his resources to allow smart people to experiment with new ideas on the off chance that it might pay off one day. I wish I'd been there.

Michael Rubins Droidmaker: The Missing Tome From Your Bookshelf
What can i say about Droidmaker. That it is awesome? Yes. That it is the most well researched and executed piece of work about Lucasfilm .ltd available today? Sure. That you should buy it if you work with computers, film, or have any sort of interest in the history of cinema? Definitely.

This book is impossible to put down, and i dont mean like that time i glued War and Peace to my palm in 8th grade because i was bored. I mean in the "So riveting you can't bear to miss out on whats going to happen next" kind of way.

Even though we know the outcome by looking at the state of Hollywood today. Finding out how it came to the current state, and just exactly how much of it was instigated by George Lucas and Fracis Coppola [among others] because of their never ending quest to improve the craft of film making, and bring the ability to make film to the masses, is one hell of a ride. With enough landmarks along the way [like the release of the Star Wars and Indiana Jones films] to give a clear understanding of where in time you are, and how fast the innovations were progressing.

As stated in other reviews, there are other books proclaiming to tell the history of George Lucas. But none as honest, truthful and human as the tale told in Droidmaker. By focusing not just on the over arching vision of the film makers, but also on the individual people who brought those visions to life, and then went on to follow their own dreams with the technologies and methods they developed. You will see bits of yourself in these fascinating people, and get a clear mental image of the lives they were living, in order to make dreams into reality.

Not only am i glad that i bought Droidmaker, and not only do i rave about it to all my friends and family, but i can see what an important document of history this is, in that it is a candid and majestic [though not at all exaggerated] telling, of the truth behind the path of modern cinema, and its lasting effect for all users of personal computers, and all purveyors and enjoyers of entertainment, from now, into the forseeable, and unforseeable future.

Buy this book. Today. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

The stories behind Rockwell's canvases
Note: The George Lucas/Steven Spielberg connection to this book may be smart marketing,but is its least interesting aspect. Aside from contributing many of the photos and drawings for the book, they are hardly mentioned. What is worthy of discussion is the way that Rockwell painted, often by posing his friends and neighbors in period costumes, then having them photographed in various poses. It was marvelous to see a painting develop from an idea, to a series of photos, to a drawing and then to a full work in oil. "The Runaway," Rockwell's well-known painting of an arrant lad being counseled by a burly state cop, is accompanied by three of the black-and-white photos of the pair in various poses at a soda counter. I was fascinated to see what Rockwell retained (the cop's wide shoulders and kind intentions; the kid's upturned, innocent face) and what he discarded (the model who posed as the soda jerk). This gave me an insight into Rockwell's judgment as an artist.

For the most part, I found Virginia Mecklenburg's text enjoyable and informative. While she could occasionally lapse into art world otherworldliness, her text was normally straightforward and brought out element of the paintings that were easily missed at first glance. For instance, the different-sized skyscrapers in the background of "Window Washer" did not just set the stage, but were a wickedly pointed commentary about the virility of the painting's two male protagonists. Mecklenburg also brought out the many levels that Rockwell worked on in his paintings. Paintings like "Back to Civvies," showing a recent veteran of World War II trying on his old high school jacket, were more than just sentimental, showing the return of the boy-become-man. The painting also, in the "boyish" model airplanes on the hero's bureau top, paid homage to the evolution of aircraft during the war.

Skip the tendentious sections at the end of the book, but pay close attention to wonderful expositions of an under-appreciated artist whose work still attracts and inspires.

Seeing stories
If you are really lucky you will be able to go to the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington DC to see the Norman Rockwell Telling Stories exhibit, and walk around smiling like the crowds of people do that see it. This book is the next best thing; it is a 12"x9" heavy coffee table book, done mostly with colour illustrations and black and white photos and pencil drawings. It accurately reproduces the paintings and illustrations of not only the exhibit but others of Rockwell's.
Lucas reflects the Rockwellviewpoint in his and Spielberg's film ideology. "When we were in film school, we would say, we're not making movies about the way things are; we're making films about the way things should be." Rockwell's pictures tell an idealized view of America and there is a running commentary on each of the pictures and how they came into being. There are some personal thoughts of Spielberg's and Lucas on some of the pictures in the narrative. Each picture has titles and includes the date, who owns it, size and what the medium is.

There are several pages in the beginning of the book labeled"The Mythmakers" that would have been better served by using the first person narrative that is shown in a film at the Smithsonian exhibit, which includes Lucas and Spielberg's thoughts on Rockwell and their collections. The film also tells how they do not clash with each other in purchasing Rockwell's works - interesting in that, one painting ' Happy Birthday', Lucas owns the pencil drawing and Spielberg owns the oil.

There are more illustrations and information than what is given in the exhibit, so even if you are fortunate enough to see it, you would be well served by this book; as would anyone interested in Americana, the ideals of the 20th century and of course Rockwell. ... Read more

Product Description
Updated with information on the "Star Wars" trilogy and prequels, this full-length biography of George Lucas reveals how the director continues to alter the landscape of the film industry. 28 photos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Errors, errors, everywhere..
Although a great read - filled with factual errors!
Matmata is the Tunisan town where Luke's crater home is located- Not Matama. The Homestead dwelling is NOT 30 miles from Nefta-more like 5. The book has a nice Photo of a jerba..whatever that is?!- Dewback is the correct word. Djerba is A location NOT a creature. Ben Kenobi does NOT reside in a cave! ..And all these errors are appearing in only ONE of the Chapters, so accuracy is not an issue with Mr. Pollack.

D Slattery

Interesting, but there is... a ... better... Skywalker...
I read the older edition and loved it, but the "revised" edition is lacking. I believe that the more accurate, and far more interesting tale is spun in the recent book Droidmaker: George Lucas and the Digital Revolution. That book has a technical edge that Skywalking does not (both good and bad news, I suppose), Droidmaker smacks of deeper truths and less sensationalistic noise. Skywalking covers Lucas' youth very well, and stories of the production of his early films, but I don't think it's really that good a book. I suppose it's a must-have for the fan, but take that with a grain of salt. There are better and more current books now available -- in particular, Hearn's Cinema of George Lucas and Rubin's Droidmaker.

Well written, bot not accurate...
An extremely well written book but I find some of the information within to not be entirely true. I have researched Lucas' achievements for nearly the last 20 years and Skywalking paints him to be egomaniacal, something that Lucas is far from.

To add, Lucas pulled his support for the book due to that very issue. Pollock is no doubt a talented writer, and there is some very good info within, but the author should go get a position at The Enquirer if he wants to spread gossip, which is just what he does in the updated version of the book, after Lucas expressed his concerns. Pollock takes several cheap shots at Lucas in a new chapter, unwarranted snips that are obviously meant as retaliation by Pollock. He gives Lucas an unwarranted suckerpunch by mentioning the obviously painful divorce from his wife Marcia. This is a real low blow that you would not suspect from a man of Pollock's stature in the industry.

Moreover, Pollock also mentions that Lucas is sue-happy, threatening to sue anyone who attempts to even mention his Star Wars franchise. This is simply not true. I myself wrote a book about the Star Wars films, and I was in contact on two different occasions with Lucasfilm representatives. Never once did they try to hinder my efforts or threaten me. In fact, they were even encouraging and thankful and always remained professional and courteous.

To add more negativity, Pollock paints incorrect images in his book. He makes it sound as if Harrison Ford considers Lucas to be like a plantation owner. "Master George," so Pollock would like readers to think. This could not be further from the truth. Harrison highly regards Lucas as one of his most admired filmmakers and friends. Ford has said in many interviews that the success of his career came largely from his association with Star Wars. Ford also only signed on to do three Indiana Jones pictures because Lucas was involved. Harrison stated in an interview that he signed on because he "knew the character and abilities of the filmmakers (Lucas/Spielberg) involved." Also, Ford stated in front of millions of viewers at the AFI Lucas award ceremony "I love you man." Doesn't sound to me like Harrison dislikes Lucas.

Furthermore, Pollock states that Lucas is like a hermit, hiding inside the walls of his ranch and secluding himself from the world. However, in another paragraph, Pollock mentions how Lucas must meet and greet over a hundred people a day, per Lucasfilm's daily operations. If I had to do that I'd want to be left alone for some quiet time, too.

Pollock then includes comments by movie critics who feel that Lucas has ruined big budget action films by inspiring other filmmakers to direct "all action" and "no story" films, leaving the movie-goers of today with lackluster action and sci-fi films. This is the biggest error of all. Lucas made Star Wars, a film that touched viewers across the globe -- because of its story and likeable characters -- and brought in the biggest fan explosion that Hollywood has ever seen. Lucas made a good movie that, at the time, was cutting edge and risky. If filmmakers of today can't match Lucas' ability to make a good film, like Star Wars, how can that be blamed on Lucas? Lucas made a good film and it struck a chord then as it does now. Blaming Lucas for ruining films of today is like going to an eatery on the north side of town, getting served a crappy meal, but instead of getting angry with the person who served your meal, you go to another eatery on the south side of town, who had nothing to do with your meal, and blame them. Ridiculous.

Sounds like Pollock is just jealous. He has an impressive career in the film industry, but he'll never match the iconic status that Lucas has achieved. Really, when you say Dale Pollock who perks up? When you say George Lucas people know what he's done. And this book just makes Pollock seem bitter. Pollock set out to write a controversial book about Lucas, and that's just what he did. Now Pollock bashes Lucas in interviews and has become the mascot for all Lucas-haters. What a shame.

Lucas' reputation as an integral man abounds with those who know him and have seen his efforts. It is a shame that this book doesn't focus on the positives.

A good book but be cautious of what you read...some of it is not true.

Great read
Haven't read a bigraphy so interesting since I browsed through richard branson's 3 years ago. it's always great to read about a rollercoaster life, especially one as up and down and then up up up as george Lucas...

Really Well Written... top marks

Excellent, just needs to be updated
I'm a Star Wars fan, and always wondered what kind of person George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, was.This book pretty much answered any and all questions I had about the Master Jedi himself.

Pollock's narrative of Lucas's life begins with George's childhood, then proceeds into his rebellious teen years--which was the inspiration for American Graffiti--then straight onto Lucas' student filmmaker years and finally to his highly successful movie career.The latter of which is when Star Wars and its sequels were produced and established Lucas as one of the most influential filmmakers in the history of the medium.

The book offers a balanced, journalistic account of Lucas' life, with very little opinion injected into the book.Some places Pollock seems to praise Lucas too much, but it's nothing too extreme.

The only real problem is that the book was written during the production of Return of the Jedi, when Skywalker Ranch wasn't finished, George was still married to first wife Marcia, and before the flops Willow and Howard the Duck.I read the revised edition which has an intro mentioning these things, but the book's main narrative is about what's happened to Lucas up to 1983.

I'd recommend this book to any fan of Star Wars, and anyone else curious about Lucas himself. ... Read more

Product Description
(Abridged)

George Lucas gained fame as the man behind the STAR WARS trilogy - three of the most popular feature films of all time.His star continues to rise with the release of three new installments in the series, beginning with STAR WARS: EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE. Although Lucas has been celebrated for his commercial achievements, he is also an innovator in the film industry. His development of new technology and filmmaking techniques has revolutionized Hollywood.

When he was young, Lucas didn't take school - or anything else - seriously.But when he enrolled in film school, it was clear he'd found his calling.And while many of his blockbuster movies have already become modern classics, Lucas continues to explore new territory in film technology and remains involved in many other creative endeavors. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

it was okay
Dana White
$22.6
George Lucas grew up in Modesto, California where the average temperature was 110 degrees.He was crazy about cars all throughout high school.He was considered a "greaser."He was a very poor student and he didn't think he would graduate.A couple days before graduation he got in to a terrible car accident because he made an illegal left turn. =2 0He smashed into a walnut tree and the impact moved the tree back several feet, roots and all.He then bled from a gash in his forehead and turned blue from not enough oxygen.He spent the whole summer taking trips to the hospital for physical therapy.
He then earned an associate of arts degree.His next step after that was to go to film school so he went to USC for four years.After that he made many movies.Some of his most famous movies are Star Wars and Indiana Jones.He made Indiana Jones with Steven Spielberg.
I would recommend this book if you need to learn about George Lucas.It was a pretty easy book and I did not find that man y words I didn't know.I was entertaining and had some cool facts about George Lucas.If you want to learn about George Lucas I suggest reading this book.

Good resource for a book report for school
Book hit the major points which is what my son needed for his 6th grade report.Not a big book, so he actually got through it!

Good Biography for Young Adults!
This is a biography for all those Star Wars fans out there.If you want the understanding of a young Star Wars fan to expand, here's one way you can do it.Begin with an easy to read, interesting biography of George Lucas.It covers his early years (not doing well in school) and a growing interest in film in college.George Lucas also had to study film and find out about its history.The book is an eye opener for many youngsters dazzled by the glitz and confused about the hard work in the movie making world.This book provides an easy but necessary dip into the pool.

Not very deep or profund
I thought that because having the name A&E associated with it, the book would be an in-depth review of the man's life. Needless to say, after reading the book in one day, I noticed that my knowledge on Lucas had not improved.
Very few is added to what fans already know (that he almost got killed in a car crash, he struggled to make American Graffitti, and Star Wars was a surprise success to him)
This book lacks the depth a figure of Lucas' status should be given. I wanted to know personal data as family members, how was the relationship with his father (rumored by many to be represented in Darth Vader) if he was the geek in school or not, etc, etc.
Good for non-fans or persons that know almost nothing about him, pass if you have read or learnt something about this modern myth-maker. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

informative
The book wasn't too long and was in chorological order for his life. It gave information on past business deals and childhood activities. The book only goes up to 1999 so don't buy it if you need info on more current activities such as star wars 3 ... Read more

Product Description
More than twenty-five years after the groundbreaking movie Star Wars: A New Hope first hit the silver screen, Star Wars remains one of the most beloved sagas ever told. Together, the three original Star Wars movies–A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi–told one epic: a heroic tale of innocence lost and wisdom gained, of downfall and redemption, of the never-ending fight between the forces of good and evil. Read the story of the movies–all three in one trade paperback volume–and rediscover the wonder of the legend that begins:

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away . . .

Luke Skywalker lived and worked on his uncle’s farm on the remote planet of Tatooine, but he yearned to travel beyond the farthest reaches of the universe to distant, alien worlds. Then Luke intercepted a cryptic message from a beautiful, captive princess . . . and found himself catapulted into the adventure of a lifetime.

Luke Skywalker, proud Princess Leia, and headstrong Han Solo . . . merciless Darth Vader, wise Obi-Wan Kenobi, loyal droids R2-D2 and C-3PO, and the inscrutable Yoda . . . Chewbacca the Wookiee, shifty Lando Calrissian, and the vile Jabba the Hutt . . . all the vivid characters from the Star Wars universe spring to life in these thrilling pages.

The Star Wars Trilogy is a must-read for anyone who wants to relive the excitement, the magic, and the sheer entertainment of this legendary saga–now and forever. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (53)

very pleased
My nephew loves these movies and this one was in great shape. He was very pleased..

It lived up to my expextation
I'm a big fan of the first three Star Wars movies. I was curious if I could read the books without seeing the movie in my mind's eye. If the books could carry the story, so to speak. They can, In my opinion. I do feel there's a grey area where moviescript and novel meet but that doesn't get in the way of enjoyment. In some parts where the books are less brilliant, thinking of the movie helps the story along and vice versa. I was pleasently surprised and glad I ordered the books. I'm enjoying Star Wars in a new way now.

the force is with this book. . .
what an excellent book, my young padawan! (I actually think not a single author of the series (including Lucas) used the padawan phrase.) A New Hope was very beautifully written. I was told to read the books a while ago and finally decided to give it a go. Was definately worth it, the way the force is described in all three novels is brilliant. I have to admit, I cried in III. The scene where Vader passes away is indeed sad. Overall, a very good read! Makes the movies all the more better now!

A fun read, but not exceptional
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!

This too is an alright Star Wars read.
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. ... Read more

Product Description
George Lucas is one of the most innovative and commercially successful players on the movie scene today.Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi, together with the three "Indiana Jones" films-all six of which he conceived, produced, and co-wrote-comprise the most popular group of films ever made.Lucas masterminded a revolutionary shift in the control of funding and profits of Hollywood films away from the studios into the hands of the filmmakers themselves.His state-of-the-art film exhibition techniques (such as THX sound systems) have transformed the cinematic experience, and his Industrial Light & Magic is the finest special effects studio in the world.Yet he has remained an enigma and a recluse--until now.Amazon.com Review
Among the wave of film directors who brought fresh blood and maverick sensibilities to southern California in the early 1960s--including Francis Ford Coppola, John Milius, Brian DePalma, and Martin Scorsese--none could have seemed less likely than George Lucas, the short, painfully shy car nerd from Modesto, California. And yet, in a mere four appearances behind the camera over 20 years, he managed to change Hollywood and fundamentally alter the culture. In this lively and informative biography, John Baxter weaves interviews with Modesto townies and Lucas cronies into a portrait of the man as an artistically gifted loner with a grocer's feeling for budgets--an important director who was also unmanned by directing and a self-effacing man whose notes for Star Wars reveal an ambition to make an American epic on the scale of Kurosawa's samurai stories. Baxter skillfully shades in Lucas's emotionally straitened adolescence, his lack-of-anything-better-to-do enrollment in USC's film school, and his relationship with Coppola, whose operatic maneuverings made the small, European-ish American Graffiti possible, even as his flamboyance estranged the two. Baxter also takes Lucas to task--Lucas lied about losing his virginity in the back seat of a car, he argues--but by the end the author has been won over, appreciating Lucas's films less than he admires the basic goodness and integrity of the man who put up money for Kurosawa's Ran and Coppola's Tucker, for no other reason than because he felt that small-town boy's sense of debt to his mentors. --Lyall Bush ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Insightful look into the life of a fascinating man
I read this book from cover to cover in less than a week (that's fast for me). The author's style finds the perfect balance between documenting facts and telling a story. Like Luke Skywalker, the hero he created in STAR WARS, George Lucas was a lonely boy who dreamt of worlds beyond his rural desert town. While his emotionally distant father (a clear inspiration for Darth Vader) made him something of a delinquent teenager (like the hot rod character from AMERICAN GRAFFITTI) it was Lucas' loving mother who made him what he is today. After nearly dying when he literally wrapped his car around a tree, Lucas awoke in a hospital bed to see his Mother crying in anguish, convinced that her directionless son would eventually kill himself. From that moment on, this quiet, shy desert farm boy devoted his life to telling stories. The book gives a fascinating history of his film school days at USC with brilliant but somewhat extremist classmate John Milius, his apprenticeship to the passionate and often scandalous Francis Coppola, to his close friendship and kinship with Steven Spielberg, and the marriage to his beautiful college sweetheart film editor Marsha Lucas which sadly ended in divorce. How his battles with studio heads who fought over mere frames just to leverage their positions in a time where the filmmaker, not the studio head, ruled. And how his plan to own the licensing rights so he could independently finance all of his movies through merchandise royalties, ironically established todays corporate studio model that has snuffed out the writer-director as the boss. If you're interested in the history of American cinema of the 60s, 70s and 80s and how the influence of counter-culture youth changed it forever, this book is a must-read.

A Critical but Informed Overview of Lucas
People seem to write this off as a poor book because it is frequently critical in its view; I appreciate the refreshingly honest approach. Baxter offers a well-researched look at Lucas' life that doesn't shy away from the aspects which cannot be shied away from--the merchandising empire, the self-contradictory nature of the man, his scandolous divorce and his inflated status by the time his new Star Wars films were coming out in 1999. Perhaps Baxter focuses more attention on pointing out the subject's foibles than fans would like (naturally), but for all its flak for being "biased", this is a candid and refreshingly honest account of Lucas' life. Most books are either commissioned by Lucasfilm itself and thus carefully omitt anything even approaching criticism, and most journalists seem to spend all their time gushing over how great everything Lucas did was.

While there is the counter-effect of those who want to expose Lucas as a corrupt, money-driven recluse with a boner for technology, I would not lump Baxter with these people; he obviously has admiration for some of Lucas' accomplishments, and often reveals a much more humanised side of Lucas through his inclusion of the man's many faults.

In the end, its not a great book, but its a good one. True, the negative slant is sometimes unnecessary, however, the book is detailed and well-researched, and also gives decent respresentation to the life of Lucas AFTER 1983, a period that is often ignored or glossed over. While Dale Pollock's Skywalking is much better than this, that book only covers up to 1983, and in all honesty--this is the best alternative. Unless you like self-promotional tripe like The Creative Impulse--I think the more balanced (read: acknowledging the negative) view offered here is in many ways a reaction against superficial pat-on-the-back stuff like that.

Really Bad
This book full of mistakes with facts (i.e. Jim Hanson played Yoda) and he was more interested in writing about the negative things about Lucas.

This book is a mess
I started reading this book today and I've only made it through two chapters and the only reason I read two is because I thought I should give the book another chance after reading the first chapter. I'm really not sure where the author is going with this book, it just doesn't seem to make sense to me. I felt he was not writing this book to tell the story of Lucas's life but in stead writing in literary confusion. It did not grab me at all. So I came here to see what other people thought of this book and I'm glad it wasn't just me. This book is a mess. Glad I got it from the library and didn't spend the $27 for it. There are other books that tell of the creative work and business of George Lucas.

Good Book--Sloppy Fact Checking
This is quite a comprehensive biography of George Lucas' life to 1999, reaching all the way back to his grandfather's time, and then to George Sr.'s time, before starting in on the life of the man who brought you Star Wars and Howard the Duck.Baxter writes with an engaging style and includes interviews with primary and secondary school friends that show the depth of his due diligence.Be warned that this is not a biography that tries to present everything Lucas in a strictly positive light (Baxter gives examples of the Lucas machine's attempts in essence to re-write the legends surrounding its god).As any good biography should, this book includes not only the shining chapters of Lucas' life, but the less glorious ones as well.Still, the chapters that depict Lucas as a cold, asexual, genius do not detract from our admiration of him as a filmmaker, and the epic chapters that describe the underdog success of the first Star Wars film in fact allow us to re-live the moment as if we were back there in '77 cheering for the rebels in their battle against the Galactic Empire, for Lucas in his fight against the Hollywood studios.

Unfortunately, as much great information as this book might have, much of it is made questionable due to some glaring mistakes in the last few chapters.Despite the immense amount of research undertaken to write such a book, it is clear that Baxter has very little "street" knowledge of American popular culture.Ky Huy Huan was not the name of the Vietnamese Chinese boy who played Short Round (and later Data, in the Goonies) in Temple of Doom.No, Tom Ryan is not the name of Harrison Ford's character in the movies based on Tom Clancy's novels.No, Terence Stamp did not play Darth Sidious in Star Wars: Episode I.And no, the Trade Federation did not have an army of C3POs.For Baxter's target audience, a readership that comes from a generation raised on the films of George Lucas, these errors are painfully obvious and completely absurd, and thus cast the entire book in doubt.This is truly a shame because Baxter has put a mighty effort into giving us a very well-rounded look at the 20th century's most influential filmmaker.Four stars for the book's captivating narrative style. ... Read more

Product Description

A director, producer, and writer, George Lucas is the power behind "The Force." The son of a conservative small-town businessman, he grew up to become arguably the most identifiable and popular filmmaker in the history of the medium. Yet unlike his more publicly engaged contemporaries, Lucas rarely grants reporters an audience.

This first book of Lucas's interviews affords fans and students of film and science fiction a rare opportunity. Editor Sally Kline collects conversations from the reticent director spanning Lucas's entire career, from the making of his first film, 1971's THX-1138, through American Graffiti, the triumph of the Star Wars trilogy, and even a 1999 interview given while awaiting the release of Star Wars: Episode One--The Phantom Menace.

In interviews from venues such as Rolling Stone, Playboy, and American Film, Lucas reveals his distrust of the Hollywood establishment, his love for making movies, and his unambiguous values and how those values translate into the epic clash between good and evil created when he explores characters like Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker.

Lucas revolutionized the movie industry and created the most successful film series of all time. Along with films of his close friend Steven Spielberg, Lucas's releases invented the notion of blockbuster movies. Before the end of the millennium, he could count the loyal fans of the Star Wars trilogy in the millions.

Sally Kline is film critic for The Journal newspapers. She has worked as a film commentator on a number of Washington, D.C. radio stations and as a guest lecturer at George Washington University. A freelance writer and researcher, she has contributed to two books, including a biography of Robert F. Kennedy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

STar Wars, yes, but what of the Grail?
Wouldn't it be great for Lucas to turn his genius to an epic for our time, one that has relevance. He missed Lord of the Rings. HE has a change to do Defenders of the Holy Grail, but somone will probably beat him to it. We need movies that connect us with today's emotions, GEORGE

Informative but a little repetitive
Well, this is a great book that helps you know more about the 20th century greatest myth maker: Mr. Lucas. Although the book is a little repetitive (You just can read so many times the story behind Thx or how he became afilm maker) it lets you inside the professional life of a man known for notgiving many interviews in a year. The best article is by far the 1997interview-story that John Seabrook wrote. And here's a little note for theeditors, in page 186, the writer mentions that Lucas adopted 3 daughters,so next print you may want to correct that one. Enjoyable book, but get thecheap edition :-) ... Read more

Product Description
Luke Skywalker was a twenty-year-old who lived and worked on his uncle's farm on the remote planet of Tatooine...and he was bored beyond belief. He yearned for adventures that would take him beyond the farthest galaxies. But he got much more than he bargained for....
Amazon.com Review
"'I want to come with you to Alderaan,' Luke said, resolved. 'I want tobecome a Jedi like my father.'" This marks the start of Luke Skywalker'sinvolvement with the Rebellion in George Lucas's grand narrative of goodversus evil, Star Wars. You know the story, you've seen thefilm--but this chunky little book is a real gem. Star Wars fans ofall ages will enjoy both the fine abridgment and Brandon McKinney's 146 two-colorillustrations, drawn in classic comic book style. --C.B. Delaney ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

Star Wars episode 4 a new hope
A really great book! Based off of George Lucas's Star Wars from the adventures of Luke Skywalker, When I bought this item, and read it, I fell to pieces reading it, the reason is because it had such a good storyline, and it had strange words like, sufficient, and stuff like that. I really recomend this book to anybody who likes Star Wars, I mean who wouldn't like star wars?

"If not stopped soon enough, evil eventually reaches out to engulf all men."
"If not stopped soon enough, evil eventually reaches out to engulf all men."
Luke Skywalker, a young farm lad on the remote world of Tatooine, discovers two mysterious droids, R2-D2 and C-3PO.R2-D2 contains a message of a beautiful woman, Princess Leia, who is in danger and requires the aid of Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi.Now, Luke journeys with Obi-Wan, in his quest for adventure and to take up his father's mantle of being a Jedi.

I Liked:
Ghost written by Alan Dean Foster, this little book is a well-written account of the 1977 classic movie.Foster writes in a clean fashion, with a good amount of description.His portrayal of the characters was very close to the movie (considering he was only working off a script).Luke is a wide-eyed, eager, yet obnoxious teenager.Obi-Wan is wise and very relaxed (the quote I use for my review is one he said in the book, one of the few deviations from the movie), at times almost crazy.Han is a world-weary pilot.Vader is burning with anger.Leia is brave and stalwart.Tarkin is cutthroat and evil.
The book also includes deleted scenes such as Biggs and Luke on Tatooine, Luke going to Anchorhead, and Luke viewing the spacefight while near the vaporators.These scenes add much to the background of Luke; however...

I Didn't Like:
...most of the deleted scenes remain deleted in the audiobook (quite a ripoff if you ask me).If I hadn't read the book ages ago, I wouldn't have known they were gone (the audiobook is basically a dressed up version of the movie).
And this leads to my biggest complaints about this book: One of the reasons people even read novelizations is to learn more about the characters and movie events.In the book of this movie, there is almost nothing new learned about the movie.Sure, there is an insightful section at the beginning, taken from the enigmatic "Journal of the Whills", a quote from Leia, some changes from the movie (Red Squadron is Blue Squadron, Vader has red eyes, etc.), and a lot of Earth references to ducks, smoking pipes, and dogs and the like.But this is nothing like the far superior Revenge of the Sith, which actually surpasses its source material.It's just a fleshed out version of the script: adjectives, adverbs and complete sentences.

Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:
In the book, quite a few d***s and he***s.
Luke is awed by Leia's hologram and becomes jealous when Han shows interest in her.
Luke's aunt and uncle are brutally murdered, along with Jawas.

Overall:
The very first Star Wars book, this book marks the beginning of an age.It has some interesting differences from the movie, but other than that, it isn't enough different from the movie, nor is it brilliantly well-written to recommend reading over watching the movie for the average person.As for Star Wars fans, I recommend they read it once; after that, just watch the movie instead.

Brought to you by:
*C.S. Light*

Needed book for a class
Ijust needed this book for a class it is not something I would purchase otherwise. The book came in a timely manner to my doorstep. It was in good condition and very cheap.

Need not read the book, the movie is exactly the same (and in color!)
O.K. here's the deal.Star Wars is a good story.I had to read this book for Young Adult.No problem right?So, I read it and it was alright (I remember seeing the movie a few years back); it was as I remembered the movie.In fact, after reading the book, I went back and watched the movie.Exactly the same.That's when I got mad!Oh well, we live and learn.

Not Free SF Reader
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.


... Read more

Product Description
Negotiation impacts every aspect of our lives, from the deals we strike on the job, to our relationships with family members and neighbors, to the transactions we make as customers. Yet most people do anything they can to avoid negotiating--it makes them uncomfortable, nervous, even frightened. This plague of negotiaphobia is what Don Hutson and George Lucas are here to remedy.

Hutson and Lucas tell the tale of Jay Baxter, who sells more than anyone else in his company but finds himself in trouble because his profit margins are so slim--he's giving too much away to close the deal. Enter the One Minute Negotiator, who teaches him a three-step negotiating process that not only helps him make more profit per sale but can be applied anywhere, on the job or off.

The key to the process is flexibility. Most books on negotiation preach one of two gospels: thou shalt collaborate or thou shalt compete. But no two negotiations are alike--one strategy cannot fit all. The One Minute Negotiator teaches you four viable strategies and shows how to choose the one best suited to the situation, your own inclinations, and the strategy being used by the other side.

Besides the obvious benefits, conquering negotiaphobia will reduce your stress level. You'll never walk away thinking about what you should have asked for or might have gotten. Instead, with the tools Hutson and Lucas provide, you can confidently and consistently guide any negotiation to the best possible conclusion. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Marketing tool
This book is nothing but a marketing tool to expose the reader to their co. I think that would be fine, should they have delivered a bit more of content. If you have read negotiation books or have had formal negotiation training this book is not very helpful. Would not buy this book. Instead, I would go to youtube and watch a few of Don Hutson's talks. He is a very good speaker and you will get the same content of the book for free.

good suggestions
I bought this book because of an email saying I'd also get some free video's and coaching time. It was an interesting book and I'm looking forward to putting the ideas to work for me. I think if you truly work at it, it could work well for you. It's just using it that is the hard part. You can't just read the book and think you'll be a great negotiator by osmosis. Do the work.

Excellent Negotiating Tips - Enjoyable Writing Style
This is one of the best negotiating books I've ever read. It's a quick, easy read; you can complete it in a day or two. If you liked the One-Minute Salesperson or Raving Fans, the style is similar and there is plenty of substance. I highly recommend this for both the person who considers him/herself to be an experienced negotiator and the person who dreads the thought of negotiating anything. That it will appeal to both types and teach everyone something is a good indicator that this is an excellent book.

One Minute Negotiator - Beyond the Basics
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R77834IQJVN0H In The One Minute Negotiator, Don Hutson and George Lucas take you beyond the basics and give you valuable real-world ideas.Watch this video I just shot and discover what is hiding in this gem of a work for you.You owe it to yourself and your future sales to watch this video and learn what you can do to improve your negotiating skills.This is not just about "gambits and tactics" but a way to look at it for a 3-way win (watch the video!).

Do yourself and your people a favor and get this book --- before your competition does!

Terry L. Brock

We all need to negotiate more
This quick read by George Lucas and Don Hutson gives the reader simple steps (as the subtitle states) to getting over our fear of negotiating.Many cultures negotiate for almost everything, but we Americans rarely do -- except for cars and houses.Everyone can learn and confidently try the suggestions given in everyday situations and purchases.
While a very informative book for people who negotiate in business, it is also written for the rest of us.
I have had the opportunity to try a couple of the book's suggestions this past week and am really pleased with the results.I will definitely keep practicing!
... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Not Free SF Reader
Short guy and crazy guy with a sword to rescue short person from crazy woman without a sword, but with spells.


Or, this is a novelisation of the movie Willow, in other words. Your humble short person hobbitesque hero is entrusted with doing the right thing by a rugrat, and has various adventures along the way, generally with people that behave strangely and are much, much taller.

Great for fans of the movie, so-so otherwise
Willow Ufgood is a nelwyn (little people) farmer who aspires to being a good farmer, a good father, and (if possible) the village sorcerer's next apprentice. However when he finds a daikini (tall people/us) baby, his whole world is turned upside-down. This baby is Elora Danan, a child of prophecy, destined to be the end of the evil witch-queen Bavmorda, and Bavmorda's army is looking for her. There's a destiny at work here, and Willow must see it through. But along the way he will find help in unexpected places, most unexpectedly in the form of Madmartigan, a rogue of rogues and self-proclaimed "greatest swordsman that ever lived."

All right, this book is a novel based on the screenplay for the movie of the same name. It doesn't seek to be a mere text edition of the movie, but sets out to expand and improve upon the screenplay. Do you want to know where Vohnkar learned to be a great warrior? Do you want to know about the rise of Fin Raziel and Bavmorda? Do you want to know the past of Madmartigan and Airk Thaughbaer? Well, this book is the place to look! Being a fan of the movie, I deeply enjoyed all of the background information that this book gave me. It really filled in a lot of blanks.

Now, that said, how does the book do as a standalone novel? Overall, I found it to be somewhat thin when it came to motivation. That is, the characters often seemed to be marionettes going through an act, rather than living, breathing people, caught up in a dark adventure. But, in spite of that, I did enjoy the book, and am very glad I read it. I highly recommend it to all fans of the movie, and guardedly recommend it everyone else.

Mostly enjoyed. A couple disappointments.
Overall I enjoyed the book. I liked seeing the new background to the story. I wonder how much of it was cut from the movie, and how much of it was created by Wayland Drew. The beginning starts out well. There were a few small but nice scenes from the movie that were not in the book. That was a bit disappointing, because there was no need to cut them out. Madmartigan's character seemed to be slightly off, and in my opinion the ending in the book wrapped things up a little too quickly.

Willow's Missing Bits Made This Good
I am a big fan of the film and decided I would read the Chris Claremont/George Lucas trilogy that carries on the story recently.

I figured I would start with the novel before the trilogy, Willow (the film'snovelization).

I have read some pretty terrible novelizations, and somereally great ones.This one I'm giving an average rating.Overall itmoves just like the film, although some of the action and most of thecomedy that was in the film, is missing in the novel.Madmartigan's humourmust have totally relied on Val Kilmer's performance.The other charactersare up to par though.

The greatest reason to read this novel as a fan ofthe movie are the few scenes that must have been cut, or too expensive forthe film.One thing that totally shocked me was the entire new characterand storyline that was missing from the film!Sorsha's father!In thefilm you never meet him.In the novel it is great!

It's a short novelthat took me a sitting to read.I don't recommend this novel to anyoneother than fans of Willow, who will really enjoy the missing bits from thefilm!

Loved The Film, Not The Novel.
I have always been a huge fan of the Willow film.Val Kilmer and Joanne Whalley had great chemisty and it worked perfectly.

In the novel Kilmer's Madmartigan character doesn't come through as well.His wise-crackingantics and such are not presented well, if they are present at all.

Thenovel lacks description.Not of just places and people, but of actions. Too much does it rely on script-like dialogue to tell the story.Leavingthe reader to figure out on their own what s happening duringdialogues.

Like most novelizations, I read this one to hopefully hear alittle more that went on in the story.Thankfully it was there.Somestrange additions and welcome additions were in this novel.Entirely newcharacters and small new storylines are there.To my shock there is ared-haired king involved of which I don't want to go into too much detail,but the novel really surprised me with this little tidbit.

I grabbed acopy of this novel mainly to introduce me to the stories by George Lucasand Chris Claremont series that takes place after this story.Shadowmoon,Shadowdawn, and Shadowstar.

I don't regret that I read this novel as itonly took me one sitting, but hopefully the rest of the Willowish novelswill be better. ... Read more

Product Description
The first major biography (since 1983) of the great movie mogul George Lucas, whose marketing techniques have transformed the film business. His fourth Star Wars film, The Phantom Menace, released in 1999, was perhaps the most eagerly awaited cinematic event of all time.George Lucas is one of the most innovative bigtime players on the movie scene. His three Star Wars films and the trio featuring the action hero Indiana Jones (all six of which Lucas conceived, produced and co-wrote) comprise the most popular group of films ever made. To finance them, he masterminded a revolutionary redrawing of the financial agreements under which films were produced in Hollywood, snatching away control of funding, intellectual content and the distribution of profits from studios, and placing them in the hands of the film-makers themselves.Yet Lucas remains (like Stanley Kubrick, the subject of John Baxter's recent biography) an enigma and a recluse. He has specially built the Skywalker Ranch a long way from Hollywood -- a Victorian village community in a redwood forest where he and his friends can work in splendid isolation, free of studio pressure but with the highest technology. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Author with a pre-conceived dislike of Lucas...
It's one thing to chronicle a man's life clearly (and a biographer of any notable subject ought to have the professional courtesy to address the notions out there about his subject, then dispassionately analyze and either support or reject them) and another to set out to prove a set of pre-conceived notions.Baxter, much as he did with his Kubrick biography, already decided that Lucas was a cold-hearted [...] who took credit for everyone else's work and from a few cliche'd ideas, made a fortune.

Notwithstanding that this is precisely what a producer's job is, Baxter focuses on every negative aspect of Lucas, Coppola and Spielberg's lives.There is more than a sense of professional jealousy/envy at work here.It seems as if Baxter has decided that he is going to "out" the hack that is Lucas and prove that his wife, his producer and his special effects technicians should all be given credit over Lucas for Star Wars' conception.

As another review has cited here, the book is crisply written and entertaining, but one does weary of Baxter's negative view after awhile.

A brutally honest look at Lucas's life
This book is the antithesis of the usual sycophantic, revering style biographies of living people is written in. Clocking in at 406 pages, it includes history and facts, but also much to my chagrin, frequent analysises of the subject's character, almost all of them devastatingly negative. The authors view on whether Lucas created the blockbuster mentality or not, should have been included in a book of its own. Baxter seems to have gone in writing with the presupposition that Lucas is a cold-hearted money-hound and written the book from there. No chapter fails to mention either his greed, antisocial traits or lack of emotion. I have no trouble with honest biographies, but this one seemed a little bit much.

For all its faults, though, it's an intriguing read, with lots of gossip, industry insider information and explanations of special effects. There are many pictures, most of them good, and they really flesh out the book. ... Read more

Product Description
In the 20 years since director/producer George Lucas formed Lucasfilm, Ltd., he has had an unparalleled record of creative and technical innovations and box-office successes. This is the first book to deal with all the films in which Lucas has been involved. Lucas' biography; summaries of each movie; a complete filmography. Index. 221 illustrations, including 90 in full color. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Great Stuff!!!!!!
Wonderful book about the great filmaker who gave us such masterpieces as THX 1138,Raiders of the Lost Ark and Star Wars. . . .very rich and well done with beatiful colored pages, and comments from other filmaker on the movies of George Lucas. . . . a wonderful edition that would look great on anyone cofee table,so go out and buy it today.

George is great, but still misses sometimes...
We all love parts of Star Wars, but why settle? For example, he could take a novel like Defenders of the Holy Grail and make it as magical as Lord of the Rings. His fantasies miss connections with the modern world His studio could be making real statements about the human condition instead of lightweight _______.

Highly Inspiring
This book gives you a sequence of events in Lucas' creative empire. It also contains interesting quotes from the man himself as well as other significant contributors to his work. It may come as a surprise to some ofus that Lucas' goals are quite similar to our own; the only difference isthat he has a very strong will to make it all come true.

Contained inthis book are his projects that touched many who will never imagine thesame way again.

TRUE JEDI MASTER
George gave us visions of a future never before seen - this book is a chronicle of his works. The full page images and stories behind the ideas will leave you with a better sense of how this incredible universe came tobe.

A GREAT BOOK!

An in-depth look at the man behind the mogul
George Lucas: The Creative Impulse is a great book which gives the reader a view over George Lucas and his life and filmography. The book introduces in sections Lucas' "early years", his films and also briefly his companies (ILM, Skywalker Sound, LucasArts) and also takes to a tour around Skywalker Ranch.

Although there isn't as much behind-the-scenes info I would have hoped for, the book was really interesting with lots of big photographs taken during the production of Lucas' films and other neat stuff.

Great book. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (12)

An old favorite
I was 8 years old when the original Star Wars was released, and I probably read the novelization a dozen times that summer. I read it again recently and it's still a great story, bringing back many nostalgic memories of that summer for me.

This book is Alan Dean Foster's child
Okay let's get this straight. George Lucas of course wrote the story. But he did not write this novel. It's really a novelization. Alan Dean Foster wrote this. It's like the Battlestar Galactica books are written by Robert Thurston, and the stories are by Glen A. Larson, although both are credited and this should not be. This book is solely credited to Lucas, and there is no mention of the ghost writer Foster, and there should be. Foster's writing, at first, seems a little bit awkward, then as I keep reading, I get aligned with it and I simply love how this book "reads". It makes you absorb it and, believe it or not, you don't wish for the movie while you're inside of the book.

STAR WARS is an awesome book!!!
STAR WARS by George Lucas is an awesome book! You can really picture the book in your head. The setting is "The Future" and George Lucas portrays this setting well. Luke Skywalker is the protagonist of this book. He is a "farmer" on a planet that is one big desert. He meets some interesting androids (called `droids) that have crash landed on his planet. After learning of a task that he hears of, he wants to complete this awesome task. There is some pretty sweet stuff, like a damsel in distress mission etc. To make it worse a Dark Lord (a very powerful man) who has extraterrestrial powers called the force named Darth Vader is constantly on Luke's tail!When Luke gets into a ship with the smuggler Han Solo, his life will never be the same. He goes off and completes the task in due time though. This book is about 220 pages, so it is a short and sweet book to read. I really liked this book because of the vivid verbs, and awesome adjectives used in this novel. Since there were so many cliff hangers, every chapter makes your bodies muscles just turn that page. I also really liked this book because the sub plots such as the `droids adventures, the damsel in distress mission, and the saving of the universe. Since the subplots are left on a cliff hanger, you want to read further to uncover what will happen, but you must read through another chapter before then, thus you are kept reading and glued to the book. This was a great book, and I urge you to read this book.

This is NOT the movie book.....
It is a shame that this book did not remain more readily available, and it is a shame that some of the reviews obviously have not read THIS version of Star Wars.I was lucky enough to have acquired this volume before word of the movie had hit the press.This title was later used for a re-written book that followed the move screenplay.The ORIGNAL book is a fantasic story and goes far beyond the movie in its story telling.I read a wide variety of genres, from mysteries to historical fiction, from science fiction to science fantasy, from drama to detective, from classic to techno-thriller, and THIS is one of my all-time favorite reads.If I weren't worried about keeping my volume in great shape, I would read it again more often.

ANOTHER GALAXY, ANOTHER TIME
With those immortally rewritten words, George lucas created a phenomena like no other film event.Hundreds of action figures, over 100 novels and TBP comic books and 5 movies later, he created for millions of fans a living galaxy that was a long time ago, in a galaxy far far away.

Only recently has a revival emerged via a remake of some old books.. Lord of the Rings.But Star Wars stands above them all. ... Read more

Product Description
Some of the most bizarre monsters & aliens ever seen populate the films of George Lucas, creator of the ''Star Wars'' trilogy. Here are portraits & descriptions of a never-before-assembled group of Lucas' eeriest strangelings & other-worldly beings. Sometimes beautiful, sometimes horrifying, & often hilarious, the 31 full-color images presented in this book are drawn from paintings of creatures seen in Lucasfilm movies, artist's renderings of oddballs not yet built, film stills, & photos. The text is an amusing compendium of interesting personal data in the form of diary entries, recipes, resumes, want ads, & weight-training routines. Sufficiently witty, sophisticated, & engaging for adults, this book is scary enough for any child. ... Read more

Product Description
Examines the personal life, career, and success of the creator of the "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" movies, whose technological innovations have had a major impact on the film industry. ... Read more