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Star Wars and History
At last--an analysis of the historical patterns that influenced the creation and storyline of the "Star War"s saga. "Star Wars" took place long ago in a galaxy far, far away, but its epic stories are based on our own history. From Ancient Egypt and the Roman Empire to the French Revolution and the Vietnam War, "Star Wars and History" explores the major historical turning points, heroes, and villains in human history and their impact on the creation of the "Star Wars" saga. "Star Wars and History" shows how the atomic and hydrogen bombs led to the Death Star; how Princess Leia's leadership in the Rebel Alliance resembled the daring work of intrepid women in the French Resistance during World War II and the Mexican Revolution; historical parallels between the Jedi Code and Bushido as well as those linking the Jedi culture with that of the Templar Knights and other warrior monks; and all of the history that underlies the "Star Wars" galaxy. Read how our own civilization's civil wars, slavery, international corporation states, and teenage queens were transformed into the epic "Star Wars" history and discover how Tatooine reflects the lawless frontiers of the past and Coruscant our own history of glittering and greedy capitals.The first book devoted to analyzing the actual historical events in our past that influenced the creation of the space fantasy, "Star Wars"Features 12 essays by a wise "council" of history scholars, written in close collaboration with George Lucas and LucasfilmGives new insights into central "Star Wars" characters and historical figures who helped inspire them (including Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Darth Vader, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Queen Amidala, Yoda, Jabba the Hutt, Lando Calrissian, Emperor Palpatine, and others)Includes both stunning photos from the Lucasfilm Image Archives and historical photos that demonstrate the parallels between both worlds"
Filled with fascinating historical comparisons and background that will take your experience of the Star Wars saga to a new level, "Star Wars and History" is an essential companion for every "Star Wars" fan.
Filled with fascinating historical comparisons and background that will take your experience of the Star Wars saga to a new level, "Star Wars and History" is an essential companion for every "Star Wars" fan.
382 pages, Hardcover
First published January 13, 2012
403 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
August 20, 2017
This book was enlightning and challenging at the same time. I feel like it was a good refresher for some moments in history and a good learning experience for many others. While some of the Star Wars connections are tenuous, and some of the information contained may not be entirely Star Wars accurate I still enjoyed it quite a bit. The only thing that could've been better with specific commentary from George Lucas himself one particular elements that influenced Star Wars.
March 14, 2016
Because this is a multi-author compilation, it's probably best to review the sections individually:
**Chapter 1 was overly simplistic & tried to hard to make reality fit a metaphor. 2 stars.
**Chapter 2 was better. A few examples of women in war I didn't know of. 4 stars.
**Chapter 3 was the best chapter yet on warrior-monks. This was what I was expecting out of this book. 4.5 stars.
**Chapter 4 was an interesting comparison of Star Wars and the American Civil War. Authors stretch the point a bit (metaphor only goes so far) but lots of interesting parallels. 4 stars.
**Chapter 5 was a solid chapter comparing Palpatine to historic dictators, although nothing illuminating. 3.5 stars.
**Chapter 6 was a good chapter on historic women in political leadership. Quite a few I recognized from Warrior Queens but lots of bios I need to chase down soon. While I like the premise of this chapter, the author needs to distinguish between primogeniture and male primogeniture. Also, Elizabeth I did not rule "almost a century" (actually just over 44 years), which makes me question the content/editing elsewhere. 4 stars.
**Chapter 7 on ruthless dictators was excellent. Nice to have an author with some understanding of the nuance of Machiavelli. 4 stars.
**Chapter 8 on mega-weapons was lopsided and meandered. While I agree with the conclusion, it wasn't well supported. 3 stars.
**Chapter 9 on slavery was excellent, even if it didn't distinguish between the many types of force and self discipline. (Perhaps too nuanced a topic for this collection or an essay this length.) 5 stars.
**Chapter 10 was, indirectly, a good argument in favor of free markets. Good discussion on cartels and black market trading, 4.5 stars.
There were also unnumbered pages of color photographs with text. Not a huge fan of these, as the content was repetitious and the placement was odd (sometimes in the middle of chapters). I would love to know if the Amidala/Cleopatra parallels were deliberate. Or, frankly, if any of the parallels or inspirations described herein were intended, as these authors seems to be short on quoting Star Wars creative sources or interviews.
This collection has some high points but I would only recommend it for Star Wars fans who are reasonably well read in history and can handle reading a text with a seriously critical eye.
**Chapter 1 was overly simplistic & tried to hard to make reality fit a metaphor. 2 stars.
**Chapter 2 was better. A few examples of women in war I didn't know of. 4 stars.
**Chapter 3 was the best chapter yet on warrior-monks. This was what I was expecting out of this book. 4.5 stars.
**Chapter 4 was an interesting comparison of Star Wars and the American Civil War. Authors stretch the point a bit (metaphor only goes so far) but lots of interesting parallels. 4 stars.
**Chapter 5 was a solid chapter comparing Palpatine to historic dictators, although nothing illuminating. 3.5 stars.
**Chapter 6 was a good chapter on historic women in political leadership. Quite a few I recognized from Warrior Queens but lots of bios I need to chase down soon. While I like the premise of this chapter, the author needs to distinguish between primogeniture and male primogeniture. Also, Elizabeth I did not rule "almost a century" (actually just over 44 years), which makes me question the content/editing elsewhere. 4 stars.
**Chapter 7 on ruthless dictators was excellent. Nice to have an author with some understanding of the nuance of Machiavelli. 4 stars.
**Chapter 8 on mega-weapons was lopsided and meandered. While I agree with the conclusion, it wasn't well supported. 3 stars.
**Chapter 9 on slavery was excellent, even if it didn't distinguish between the many types of force and self discipline. (Perhaps too nuanced a topic for this collection or an essay this length.) 5 stars.
**Chapter 10 was, indirectly, a good argument in favor of free markets. Good discussion on cartels and black market trading, 4.5 stars.
There were also unnumbered pages of color photographs with text. Not a huge fan of these, as the content was repetitious and the placement was odd (sometimes in the middle of chapters). I would love to know if the Amidala/Cleopatra parallels were deliberate. Or, frankly, if any of the parallels or inspirations described herein were intended, as these authors seems to be short on quoting Star Wars creative sources or interviews.
This collection has some high points but I would only recommend it for Star Wars fans who are reasonably well read in history and can handle reading a text with a seriously critical eye.
January 25, 2019
This was a fascinating, if cumbersome book. Tracing history from it's earliest periods, down into the present era, we also traced parallels and inspirations for events in the Star Wars saga. It documents, sometimes with a lot of information behind it, sometimes on a thinner thread, how historical events, people and places helped shape the galaxy far, far, away.
I think, at times though, the language and writing got to big for itself. To me, it read like people trying to see how many multi-syllabic words they could cram into one sentence. It read way too much like a textbook, and not like a book that should have tried to better balance entertainment and knowledge.
Overall though, the Editor and authors did a magnificent job, especially with the accompanying images. A very well constructed, educational book.
I think, at times though, the language and writing got to big for itself. To me, it read like people trying to see how many multi-syllabic words they could cram into one sentence. It read way too much like a textbook, and not like a book that should have tried to better balance entertainment and knowledge.
Overall though, the Editor and authors did a magnificent job, especially with the accompanying images. A very well constructed, educational book.
December 11, 2012
I love it when a book makes a serious effort to make pop culture accessible to historians and vice versa. Janice Liedl has done a fabulous job with Nancy Reagin to bring the geeky history of Star Wars into the geeky world of real history for obsessive readers like myself. Hats off to you both, ladies. This one goes on many a keeper shelf, I'm sure. I, for one, plan to use it as secret ammunition when I'm with my regular Star Wars roleplaying gamer friends.
January 26, 2018
I think that this book does a good job of introducing the various themes found in Star Wars that directly connect and are alluded to history. It is fairly easy to read and not too history dense and it is also well sourced for someone interested in learning more. I would recommend this book to Star Wars fans everywhere.
January 26, 2018
There's some pretty interesting stuff in here.
May 6, 2020
Fantastic! I knew I was in for a treat when I saw the endnotes. This book could have easily been twice as long.
September 22, 2020
As a big star wars fan, this was a interesting read on star wars and how it was influenced by various historical events and characters.
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February 10, 2025Putting the book on pause. I’ll come back later (hopefully)
June 5, 2020
This book had some interesting analogies and some dull and far fetched ones. The analogies of the Republic with earth governments was interesting to read while other chapters felt to general and thin. This book points out two topics in that 1) the Star Wars films borrowed a lot of Earth's history and 2) a myriad amount of analogies can be made between the Star Wars universe and Earth. He latter topic becomes redundant to read. Being a history buff, much of this book was dull and boring to read.
Rating Update 3/12/2019 - 3 to 2 stars. Because I found it boring, it doesn't mean I liked it (3 stars).
Rating Update 5/16/2019 - 3 stars to 1 stars. I found the majority of the book duller as I read it. I ultimately was bored except for a few excerpts. There were these mind-blowing comparisons before everything got less interesting.
Update 8 June 2019
With the adoption of my new rating system, a one star rating is befitting. The one star rating is an estimate of how I felt after reading the original review. As a resource book, the amount of valuable information that I enjoyed was little and I found it boring to read most of the chapters. A reread of the book could life the rating to a two star rating if a larger percentage of chapters are found to be interesting.
January 20, 2020
Rating Update
One star to two stars. The original review is not detailed enough to explain if the negatives are one star-rated. I wrote that the "latter topic becomes redundant to read", but I am not sure at what point these later topics begin. I also wrote that "much of this book was dull and boring to read", though these are still characteristics applicable to a two star-rating. A two star-rating for this book is a safe estimate.
June 5, 2020
Update
I have assigned the 2AAAAB rating type for this book. I created the rating type for this book. The 2AAAAB rating type replace the previous 2B rating type. I have assumed that the mentioning of "analogies of the Republic with earth governments" that were "interesting to read", as taken from the original review, constitute as three star-rated content. The 2AAAAB rating type seems most appropriate for this book, even though it is a large generalization. However, this book is colored grey with a grey outline, meaning that there are already issues with the rating choice, which means that the rating type is simply based on a grey and grey outline colored rating. The rating choice is a good choice for the information provided.
Rating Update 3/12/2019 - 3 to 2 stars. Because I found it boring, it doesn't mean I liked it (3 stars).
Rating Update 5/16/2019 - 3 stars to 1 stars. I found the majority of the book duller as I read it. I ultimately was bored except for a few excerpts. There were these mind-blowing comparisons before everything got less interesting.
Update 8 June 2019
With the adoption of my new rating system, a one star rating is befitting. The one star rating is an estimate of how I felt after reading the original review. As a resource book, the amount of valuable information that I enjoyed was little and I found it boring to read most of the chapters. A reread of the book could life the rating to a two star rating if a larger percentage of chapters are found to be interesting.
January 20, 2020
Rating Update
One star to two stars. The original review is not detailed enough to explain if the negatives are one star-rated. I wrote that the "latter topic becomes redundant to read", but I am not sure at what point these later topics begin. I also wrote that "much of this book was dull and boring to read", though these are still characteristics applicable to a two star-rating. A two star-rating for this book is a safe estimate.
June 5, 2020
Update
I have assigned the 2AAAAB rating type for this book. I created the rating type for this book. The 2AAAAB rating type replace the previous 2B rating type. I have assumed that the mentioning of "analogies of the Republic with earth governments" that were "interesting to read", as taken from the original review, constitute as three star-rated content. The 2AAAAB rating type seems most appropriate for this book, even though it is a large generalization. However, this book is colored grey with a grey outline, meaning that there are already issues with the rating choice, which means that the rating type is simply based on a grey and grey outline colored rating. The rating choice is a good choice for the information provided.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2021
I was initially extremely excited to find this sitting on the New shelf at the local library. The publisher's description starts with, "At last--an analysis of the historical patterns that influenced the creation and storyline of the 'Star Wars' saga. 'Star Wars' took place long ago in a galaxy far, far away, but its epic stories are based on our own history." This is true, and "at last" is a pretty accurate summary of feelings; who hasn't wanted to explore the parallels between Star Wars and mythology, Star Wars and history, fact woven into fiction?
However. This book contains a very few interesting tidbits. Mostly, it is a collection of essays by people largely uninformed about their topic -- ignorance or misunderstanding of historical, biblical, or Star Warsian canon is evident at least once in every single section. Here are some examples... Historical ignorance: significant and relevant players in the Russian counterrevolution are missed; situations and circumstances of the American Civil War, French Revolution, and Vietnam conflict are misunderstood or expressed badly; Machiavelli's The Prince is taken at face value rather than as satire. Examples f biblical ignorance: One essay says you can read in the Old Testament about Judith's assault on a Syrian general. Actually, the "book of Judith" is apocryphal, and never considered canon by the Jews. (Also, biblical slavery laws have nothing in common with other ancient slave laws.) The icing on the cake, examples of Star Wars ignorance: One essayist comments that neither we nor Anakin ever learn his father's identity, but canon is explicit that Shmi literally meant "there was no father" -- however close to blasphemy the apparent virgin birth may be, even Qui-Gon remarks the child was conceived by midichlorians. Speaking of Qui-Gon, his name is frequently misspelled.
Finally, the films are often misquoted, and dubious sources are cited as canonical -- whether Star Wars or historical canon. I say give it a skip. The most interesting part of the whole thing were some of the pictures. Additionally, the emphasis is heavily on the prequels and the recent cartoons, so if your canon is original trilogy only, you really won't find anything worth reading.
However. This book contains a very few interesting tidbits. Mostly, it is a collection of essays by people largely uninformed about their topic -- ignorance or misunderstanding of historical, biblical, or Star Warsian canon is evident at least once in every single section. Here are some examples... Historical ignorance: significant and relevant players in the Russian counterrevolution are missed; situations and circumstances of the American Civil War, French Revolution, and Vietnam conflict are misunderstood or expressed badly; Machiavelli's The Prince is taken at face value rather than as satire. Examples f biblical ignorance: One essay says you can read in the Old Testament about Judith's assault on a Syrian general. Actually, the "book of Judith" is apocryphal, and never considered canon by the Jews. (Also, biblical slavery laws have nothing in common with other ancient slave laws.) The icing on the cake, examples of Star Wars ignorance: One essayist comments that neither we nor Anakin ever learn his father's identity, but canon is explicit that Shmi literally meant "there was no father" -- however close to blasphemy the apparent virgin birth may be, even Qui-Gon remarks the child was conceived by midichlorians. Speaking of Qui-Gon, his name is frequently misspelled.
Finally, the films are often misquoted, and dubious sources are cited as canonical -- whether Star Wars or historical canon. I say give it a skip. The most interesting part of the whole thing were some of the pictures. Additionally, the emphasis is heavily on the prequels and the recent cartoons, so if your canon is original trilogy only, you really won't find anything worth reading.
August 12, 2013
When I first heard about this book, I knew I had to read it. The concept combines two of my favorite things: Star Wars and History! Unfortunately, the book did not entirely live up to my expectations. I still enjoyed several of the articles, but my main criticism is that the book tried to do two very different things and did neither with great skill.
First, the book seemed to be channeling the coffee table book genre. Lots of pictures with articles to go along with them. Unfortunately, this failed somewhat because the pictures, even though many and interesting, were mostly in black and white. In a high quality coffee table book, I expect the photos to be crisp and full color if possible.
Second, the articles had aspirations to be more serious, scholarly works but were ultimately just a series of parallels with no payoff. Granted, I learned a lot of interesting stories from history that I never would have from not reading this book, but I was left with the question my 10th grade English teacher hammered into our heads: "So What?" It is great and interesting to look at parallels in real life and cinema, but I wanted something more. I wanted some discussion about why this is important, or what implications these parallels bring. Maybe I was expecting too much from the book, but the articles in general left me feeling bored and in no way intellectually challenged.
The book is not bad by any means, but do not pick it up expecting excellence or superior quality articles. It is good at giving you a bunch of facts and showing how those facts compare or contrast with the Star Wars universe. Interesting read, but in the long run, easily forgotten.
First, the book seemed to be channeling the coffee table book genre. Lots of pictures with articles to go along with them. Unfortunately, this failed somewhat because the pictures, even though many and interesting, were mostly in black and white. In a high quality coffee table book, I expect the photos to be crisp and full color if possible.
Second, the articles had aspirations to be more serious, scholarly works but were ultimately just a series of parallels with no payoff. Granted, I learned a lot of interesting stories from history that I never would have from not reading this book, but I was left with the question my 10th grade English teacher hammered into our heads: "So What?" It is great and interesting to look at parallels in real life and cinema, but I wanted something more. I wanted some discussion about why this is important, or what implications these parallels bring. Maybe I was expecting too much from the book, but the articles in general left me feeling bored and in no way intellectually challenged.
The book is not bad by any means, but do not pick it up expecting excellence or superior quality articles. It is good at giving you a bunch of facts and showing how those facts compare or contrast with the Star Wars universe. Interesting read, but in the long run, easily forgotten.
March 17, 2013
A mixed bag. Tony Keen's chapter comparing the rise of Augustus with Napoleon, Hitler and Palpatine is sane as modern leaders have often explicitly presented themselves as the heirs to Rome, and Star Wars clearly has Roman influences. Crucially, because this isn't nailing a wafer thin metaphor to a historical idea, he's able to contrast as well as compare Star Wars to history.
There are some other good chapters Kevin S. Decker is also able to usefully find ancient parallels and differences. Lori Maguire compares the Death Star to modern thoughts about nuclear weapons and the influence of the film on ideas about the USA's SDI "Star Wars" defence.
Some chapters are ok and some are poor. Often Star Wars is used as a starting point for whatever the authors really wanted to talk about.
One chapter, by Paul Horvath and Mark Higbee is surely a Sokal-style send-up of the idea. Their chapter includes the sentence: "In A New Hope, the Rebels destroy the enemy's most powerful weapon, the Death Star; in the Civil War, emancipation destroyed the Confederates' reason for war, as well as the foundation of their economic system." The idea that two people would sit down and sincerely say: "In many ways freeing the slaves of the Confederacy is just like blowing up a Death Star," is absolutely terrifying.
On the whole, the book seems to be pitched as a history book for people who don't really like history, but like Star Wars. If this sounds like you, I'd go for a Star Wars book instead.
There are some other good chapters Kevin S. Decker is also able to usefully find ancient parallels and differences. Lori Maguire compares the Death Star to modern thoughts about nuclear weapons and the influence of the film on ideas about the USA's SDI "Star Wars" defence.
Some chapters are ok and some are poor. Often Star Wars is used as a starting point for whatever the authors really wanted to talk about.
One chapter, by Paul Horvath and Mark Higbee is surely a Sokal-style send-up of the idea. Their chapter includes the sentence: "In A New Hope, the Rebels destroy the enemy's most powerful weapon, the Death Star; in the Civil War, emancipation destroyed the Confederates' reason for war, as well as the foundation of their economic system." The idea that two people would sit down and sincerely say: "In many ways freeing the slaves of the Confederacy is just like blowing up a Death Star," is absolutely terrifying.
On the whole, the book seems to be pitched as a history book for people who don't really like history, but like Star Wars. If this sounds like you, I'd go for a Star Wars book instead.
May 3, 2013
Every writer uses his own way of life, his views and knowledge when creating his worlds and his charactrs. Star Wars is no different... The whole saga resembles our history, though it is placed far far away. The heroines are not that dissimilar to humane history women of valor, the imperial rise and fall happened on Earth again and again. Heroes who stand to the overwhelming forces of evil power-holders were present in our history and in the Skywalker's galaxy chronologies. Rebels and their actions - fairly the same. Family arguments, deceits and deceptions, the forces of light and dark side, even enterpreneurs and mobs thriving throughout the crises without any major problems at all - these were all present, if not constantly repeated during the 20th century, then happening permanently throughout our history. Nancy Reagin only chooses to show a few examples showing how the whole Star Wars were scripted after our history, how every creature present in the movie simply follows the lifelines of hundreds of earthlings, how the story twists often unravelled here. Giving many examples and discussing who, why and when allows everyone to see the connection between the little 3rd rock from the sun and the galaxies far far away where many races coexist and spread between stars and worlds of wonder. Great read for SW maniacs, even better for those who simply have seen the movie. Not a very good idea for someone who haven't seen the movie yet... but is there anyone here on this earth who gets close to this book and haven't seen it?
February 8, 2013
This is a collection of essays that take various aspects of the Star Wars universe and does a side-by-side comparison between various elements of our own history. This includes looks at slavery, revolutionaries, civil war, the leadership roles of women, economic organizations, piracy, cities, and religion. I thought each of the essays was well constructed providing a clear definition of the historical elements being presented so the reader gets a good understanding while being compared with similar characters, places, or situatons in the various film and television versions of Star Wars.
It is actually a fairly quick read, and each chapter/essay can be read independently and in any order. The essays are written by academic historians, and they obviously are fans of Lucas' creation.
Even those with a strong grasp of general history will find a surprising amount to learn as the book focuses not only on well-known facts, but also on periods and elements outside of Western Europe and even some powers within the Western culture that we might not be as familiar with, such as the Dutch.
I would definitely recommend this one!
It is actually a fairly quick read, and each chapter/essay can be read independently and in any order. The essays are written by academic historians, and they obviously are fans of Lucas' creation.
Even those with a strong grasp of general history will find a surprising amount to learn as the book focuses not only on well-known facts, but also on periods and elements outside of Western Europe and even some powers within the Western culture that we might not be as familiar with, such as the Dutch.
I would definitely recommend this one!
December 30, 2012
While the book could have used of more comparisons and I think it spend too much on the first chapter on drawing comparisons from the Vietnam War which granted Lucas has officially stated he did draw inspiration from (also WWII) for the Original Trilogy (IV,V,VI); and the American Revolution. The book excelled in drawing comparisons between the figures and the society George Lucas and others involved in the continuity of SW universe, have created to our own history and sometimes even to our own current problems. A long, long time in a galaxy far, far, away proves to be not far away.
Science fiction is one of those mediums that often draws from history to create complex societies and characters.
It is a book I recommend and not only to Star Wars fans as myself but also history majors and buffs as myself and anyone interested in either two.
Contains various essays from scholars and professors and the visuals certainly help in moving the narrative, especially during the chapter of the women of SW and the spy and guerilla women of our past.
Science fiction is one of those mediums that often draws from history to create complex societies and characters.
It is a book I recommend and not only to Star Wars fans as myself but also history majors and buffs as myself and anyone interested in either two.
Contains various essays from scholars and professors and the visuals certainly help in moving the narrative, especially during the chapter of the women of SW and the spy and guerilla women of our past.
April 7, 2016
"The Star Wars saga may appear to be just entertainment - great storytelling, stunning visual effects, and terrific adventure on an epic scale. Yet the galaxy we see there also reflects humanity's real history of conflict and economic exploitation more than many fans may realize."
As a long time, shamelessly adoring fan of the said Saga, I find this an accurate description of what it means to me. I can spend hours talking about all the intricacies of this world and possible (conspiracy) theories. Nevertheless, I was surprised at the amount of new and interesting theories (that haven't even crossed my mind before) in this book.
The book is a part of the "Pop culture and history" series of books and through essays, written by various experts (who also happen to be Star Wars junkies), draws comparisons between the world of Star Wars and our own world (from ancient times to modern world history).
The only problem I have with the essays is that they are more about the real history than about Star Wars. Hence the rating A-.
As a long time, shamelessly adoring fan of the said Saga, I find this an accurate description of what it means to me. I can spend hours talking about all the intricacies of this world and possible (conspiracy) theories. Nevertheless, I was surprised at the amount of new and interesting theories (that haven't even crossed my mind before) in this book.
The book is a part of the "Pop culture and history" series of books and through essays, written by various experts (who also happen to be Star Wars junkies), draws comparisons between the world of Star Wars and our own world (from ancient times to modern world history).
The only problem I have with the essays is that they are more about the real history than about Star Wars. Hence the rating A-.
March 19, 2013
I wish there was a 2.5 star option. 2 stars just seems sort of low, because the history portions of this book are really good. And several of the chapters are better than others. Plus, what makes this book really good is that these are academics who are attempting to bring some history credibility to science fiction, which is really cool. Unfortunately, the parallels are mostly tenuous and the writing reflects that. There's a superficiality to the whole process. I suppose, if you're attempting to get the novice Star Wars fan interested in history, this is your go to. But, I'm an advanced Star Wars fan (to say the least...I think the term is "geek"), and I'm no slouch in the history department either. So, to say I was underwhelmed is an understatement. Still...there are history segments that are totally worth looking into, and the reference sections are invaluable, probably worth that extra half star.
October 24, 2014
There are two things in life that I will always love: the first is history, mainly due to the fact that my grandfather was a history professor and let me read his books at a young age. My other deep abiding love is for Star Wars and its expanded universe, so imagine my delight when I discovered a book that combined the two of them.
Star Wars and History is a collection of essays focusing on different probable historical influences for things ranging from the Jedi Knights to women in rebellion to smuggling. While some of the essays were a stretch to read (there was one attempting to tie Star Wars into the Civil War, and it doesn't make any sense), for the most part, they do a good job of bringing real world context into the Star Wars universe.
I don't know if I would recommend this book for casual fans of Star Wars, but for those who love taking a deeper look under the hood and what surprises it might contain.
Star Wars and History is a collection of essays focusing on different probable historical influences for things ranging from the Jedi Knights to women in rebellion to smuggling. While some of the essays were a stretch to read (there was one attempting to tie Star Wars into the Civil War, and it doesn't make any sense), for the most part, they do a good job of bringing real world context into the Star Wars universe.
I don't know if I would recommend this book for casual fans of Star Wars, but for those who love taking a deeper look under the hood and what surprises it might contain.
July 18, 2014
This is a fun and interesting read. The book is a series of articles on varying subjects that show the parallels in world history and that of the Star Wars Universe. Articles with titles like; "I, Sidious: Historical Dictators and Senator Palpatine's Rise to Power", "Fear is the Path to the Dark Side: Nuclear Weapons and the Death Star", and "Part of the Rebel Alliance and a Traitor" Women in War and Resistance".
Some articles are better than others, I especially enjoyed the one which showed the parallels between the Jedi and other monastic orders: the Knights Templar, the Shao Lin Monks, and the Samurai.
While maybe not the most academic work out there, still fun for any history buffs / Star Wars fans.
Some articles are better than others, I especially enjoyed the one which showed the parallels between the Jedi and other monastic orders: the Knights Templar, the Shao Lin Monks, and the Samurai.
While maybe not the most academic work out there, still fun for any history buffs / Star Wars fans.
July 10, 2013
An interesting look at the parallels between the Star Wars trilogies and events in world history. Each section is authored by a different expert, and while some of the connections seem legitimate (the Trade Federation as compared to the Dutch and English East India Companies, for one), a few seem to be stretching (Padme as Cleopatra).
All in all, it puts the series in new historical contexts, and could be useful as a means to spark interest in history among young Star Wars fans. The book never says whether Lucas was aware of, or deliberately used, any of the parallels that it finds. It would be interesting to know.
Good summer read for Star Wars/history buffs.
All in all, it puts the series in new historical contexts, and could be useful as a means to spark interest in history among young Star Wars fans. The book never says whether Lucas was aware of, or deliberately used, any of the parallels that it finds. It would be interesting to know.
Good summer read for Star Wars/history buffs.
May 24, 2015
Described themes from human history that might have inspired Star Wars. An interesting juxtaposition in the way these themes are played out time and again. It looks at disease, urban planning, international trade, smuggling, atomic weaponry, sexual slavery, general slavery, how a revolution occurs, dictatorship, spiritual warriors, amongst other topics.
Relatively light and entertaining, yet still informative.
Relatively light and entertaining, yet still informative.
March 8, 2013
Interesting premise but became a bit dull after the first couple of chapters. Perhaps if I were more knowledgeable about all things Star Wars I would have appreciated it more. Every aspect of war is examined and then the authors show how those themes are incorporated into the Star Wars saga.
April 12, 2016
42 WORD REVIEW:
This collection of academic articles, ostensibly undertaken in close collaboration with George Lucas, purports to show the manner and extent to which Star Wars draws on real history. In truth it clutches at loose parallels, showing little or no evidence of causation.
This collection of academic articles, ostensibly undertaken in close collaboration with George Lucas, purports to show the manner and extent to which Star Wars draws on real history. In truth it clutches at loose parallels, showing little or no evidence of causation.
May 19, 2013
Ho-hum.
April 4, 2016
OK, love Star Wars, but the pairing with history was a bit too much. Interesting in places, but a big stretch in others. Could have been better done, in my opinion.
July 13, 2013
How in heaven's name do you write a book about Star Wars and history and make it boring?
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews