The Star Wars Archives. 1977-1983

Product Description

Star Wars exploded onto our cinema screens in 1977, and the world has not been the same since. After watching depressing and cynical movies throughout the early 1970s, audiences enthusiastically embraced the positive energy of the Star Wars universe as they followed moisture farmer Luke Skywalker on his journey through a galaxy far, far away, meeting extraordinary characters like mysterious hermit Obi-Wan Kenobi, space pirates Han Solo and Chewbacca, loyal droids C-3PO and R2-D2, bold Princess Leia and the horrific Darth Vader, servant of the dark, malevolent Emperor.

Writer, director, and producer George Lucas created the modern monomyth of our time, one that resonates with the child in us all. He formed Industrial Light & Magic to develop cutting-edge special effects technology, which he combined with innovative editing techniques and a heightened sense of sound to give audiences a unique sensory cinematic experience.

In this first volume, made with the full cooperation of Lucasfilm, Lucas narrates his own story, taking us through the making of the original trilogy―Episode IV: A New Hope, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi―and bringing fresh insights into the creation of a unique universe. Complete with script pages, production documents, concept art, storyboards, on-set photography, stills, and posters, the XXL-sized tome is an authoritative exploration of the original saga as told by its creator.

Top Reviews

Covers already well trodden ground.
by R. Wise,Top Contributor: Star Wars (2 out of 5 stars)
December 15, 2018

This book is a rehash of old material. I've been a Star Wars geek for 42 years and I must say that there is nothing new and inspiring in this incredibly expensive book. And you should also note that the interviews and opinions expressed within these pages were made decades after the films were released. I make this point because George Lucas has consistently tried to reshape his image by contradicting his vision of Star Wars from back when he was a struggling and humble film maker, not the arrogant prima dona that he is today. Many years ago I purchased "The Making Of" book series of Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi. These three books are still available on Amazon and for a total cost of this Star Wars Archeives book. What sets the "Making Of" books apart from this book is the interviews recorded I those books were actual words spoken back when they were making the films - not ten, twenty, thirty years after the fact. So you get a feel for what was in the heads of the people directly associated with the making of the films as it happened. None of the artwork or photographs in The Star Wars Archeives book are new. Everything contained within this massive book has been published before. If this book was priced In the $70.00 to $80.00 range, I might consider purchasing it for my extensive Star Wars library. But as it is, it's overpriced.
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Balance in the force.
by Moore grant (5 out of 5 stars)
December 16, 2018

I was not going to write a review of this book, but the negative first comment made me want to give my two cents as a counter balance.

First of all, this thing is massive. Quite a bit bigger than Rinzler's books- it's more comparable to the size of the "Star Wars: Frames" collection.

Secondly, the reviewer before me contradicts himself.

Is there no new material or is the new material full of lies from George Lucas?

The answer is C- there is plenty of fresh content in here, especially about Lucas' early films, and I'm of the opinion that Lucas is not the liar that a vocal minority of the population tries to pass off as the dominant opinion.

Anyway, R. Wise gives me weird vibes and I didn't want the crotchety Star Wars "fans" of old to control the narrative.

Of course this book overlaps toan extent with other BTS documentation for Star Wars, but the presentation and angle taken keep it from feeling like a total retread of Rinzler's books.
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Stunning presentation, and well worth it even if you own the Rinzler set.
by L. Dawson (5 out of 5 stars)
December 27, 2018

Ok...first off this is an absolutely gorgeous book that's beautifully designed. And it's HUGE and HEAVY. Therein lies one of the big differences between this and the Rinzler series of "making of" books. This book, while it has text running throughout...is less academic than those volumes and more about a knockout visual presentation. (That said, the Rinzler series are also extremely well done and essential for any Star Wars fan) The pictures... and there are many, many, that you've likely never seen before...are as big as this HUGE book...did I mention it's HUGE? ....and are crystal clear. I found myself looking at a lot of pictures that I've seen many times before in a new light due to the size alone. Now if you don't own any previous Star Wars books of this kind...prepare to have your mind blown. And once you've recovered, go get the Rinzler books for a deeper dive. And, as mentioned earlier, even if you own the Rinzler series, you'll find this an awesome companion piece to go with those. (Bonus points if you also pick up the two-volume oversized Ralph Mcquarrie art books) But what about the price? Well, it's crazy expensive at its retail price point, but it's Amazon so you know the game...just wait. It will come down at some point. Highly recommended and essential for any original trilogy Star Wars fan.
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By far the best book on Star Wars
by Ben Hazen (5 out of 5 stars)
December 29, 2018

I can't begin to explain the number of books I've gone through regarding the making of The Star Wars Trilogy...I own the three incredible books by J.W. Rinzler and the two massive volumes on Ralph McQuarrie's art and this book book blows them both out of the water. This book blew my mind. It is stunning from the first page to the last page. Usually I can find a problem with a book, or something I don't like: something is missing, too much time is spent on one area, not enough art work is included, it's not laid out thoughtfully... etc and this book LITTERALLY, has it all. I can't say enough about it. The chronology is amazing. The flow is scene to scene from beginning to end. My only two slight negatives would be that the book is incredibly heavy and large. It's not a very practical book in that regard. But, being so large makes the pictures so vibrant and enjoyable. And second, a few times they chose to put an incredible photo, usually a McQuarrie piece of art, right across the center of the book, wrapping onto the other page...and that is a pet peeve of mine. I'd rather a slightly smaller image that fits fully on one page. But they only did it a few times. I recommend this book so highly, it is well worth $160-$220. Buyers/Collectors should buy with extreme confidence and anticipation!
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"Look at the size of that thing!"
by Martini Houdini (5 out of 5 stars)
December 27, 2018

Big beautiful book.

Without a doubt, one of the most beautiful books about the original trilogy. Duncan has done his research and it shows. The book is organized chronologically and it is full of tons of images I had never seen before. But images aside, the wealth of information is truly inspiring. Quite simply, a beautiful piece of work.

The book was not cheap, but it was worth every single penny. Without a doubt, this has instantly became the highlight of my Star Wars reference materials/books.

Pick this up as soon as you can-you won't regret it.

The Force is strong with this one.
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SUPER BOOK, DON'T LET THE NEGATIVE STEER YOU AWAY!!!!!
by Amazon Customer (5 out of 5 stars)
December 26, 2018

t❤️❤️This was not a bad book. Pretty hefty and it does cover some of the stuff covered in other materials, but for the price there are stuff in there that I had not seen in quite awhile. Let's face it, Star Wars was big and it went through a lot of iterations before the final product was released and even then, its gone through numerous additions and deletions. This book is a must have if you are. STAR WARS FAN.
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Big! Bold! Beautiful!
by R. Burns (5 out of 5 stars)
January 21, 2019

I love the angry Star Wars fan in the first review..."and another thing!"

Unfortunate that they can't appreciate this book for its big, bold attitude. The Star Wars Archive is beautiful. It's a joy to sit down and peruse the gorgeous photography or read the brand new interviews with George Lucas (no matter where his head is at these days, he IS, and WILL ALWAYS BE, the maestro). Is there some redundancy? Of course there is. There's only, like, a gazillion Star Wars books out there; there's bound to be a little overlap. Don't like the price for something you may think you've seen before? Don't buy it...BUT...you'll really be missing out on something quite special. A veritable celebration, of sorts. So, for me, a fan that was there in the front row back in 1977, I loved it! Five stars!
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Lovely Book
by Graham B. Wilson (5 out of 5 stars)
December 28, 2018

This is by far the most beautiful book I have ever owned. And yes, I have all of the other Star Wars books mentioned in these reviews. This one is head and shoulders above all of them. Absolutely gorgeous, it is a must-own!
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Can this STAR WARS Archives BE any bigger?? NO!
by Bill Duncan (5 out of 5 stars)
January 15, 2019

To say this is the ultimate coffee table book is a misnomer: put legs on this thing and it could BE a coffee table. I'm hopeful these 5-Star reviews displace the disappointing 2-Star that doesn't do justice to this tome. First of all, 16 lbs, 600 pages, so 1200 front and back filled with interviews, drawing, behind-the-scenes, production notes, and hundreds of glorious color photographs. In fact, practically every other page is a full-page, full color photo. Stunning. Plus, it comes in its own cardboard suitcase, if you find the need to travel with it. A Must Buy!
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A masterpiece
by Amazon Customer (5 out of 5 stars)
April 14, 2019

This was a book that we truly HAD to have as it is a virtual library on the original trilogy...truly one of the best books we have ever collected

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