Star Wars Soldados de asalto (Stormtroopers): Detrás de la armadura

Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi

by Ryder Windham, Adam Bray

Rare book

Genres: Star Wars, Science Fiction, Art, Media Tie In, Reference, Film, Space

188 pages, Hardcover

First published October 24, 2017

About the author

Ryder Windham is an American sci-fi author who has written over sixty Star Wars books, including novels, comics, reference books, and so on. He has also written junior novelizations for Indiana Jones movies. Since 1993, he has been working on Star Wars projects either by himself or with other authors. His reference book Star Wars: The Ultimate Visual Guide had been on the New York Times Best Seller list for three weeks in 2005. Although he has written lots of books, accepted interviews, and appeared at several fan-conventions, little is known about his personal life.

Reviews

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a Star Wars fan since waaaay back when I saw A New Hope with my parents, and it's amazing to look back over the years to see the influence George Lucas has had on our popular culture. When I was asked if I'd like to check out Harper Design's newest book, Star Wars Stormtroopers: Beyond the Armor , I was very excited! These days I'm more into fiction than anything else, but I love "behind the scenes" books that explain the creation process, and this book was fascinating! The book itself is gorgeous, a beautifully designed and made, over-sized hardcover that starts at the very beginning and tells the story of the Stormtroopers from concept to design to realization to the final movies, all in full color with plenty of text to go along with the photos. I'm including several photos I took of my copy, but believe me, these do not do the book justice at all!



The book opens on a personal note with a Forward by actor John Boyega, who plays the part of Finn in The Force Awakens. He tells about how he found out he'd been given the part, the first days acting on set in Abu Dhabi, and the excitement of attending fan events. It's a great opening that sets the stage for the next part, where George Lucas hires artist Ralph McQuarrie to create concept art of what the Stormtroopers should look like.

I was surprised by the long process of creating the Stormtrooper "look" from a concept on paper, to three dimensional models, to designing the costume. That look changed many times from those first attempts to the finished product that we're all familiar with. Costume designers worked long and hard to make sure the many pieces of the costume would be able to fit many different sizes of actors, and they eventually settled on a costume that could be put on in about five minutes.



Developing and designing the Stormtrooper helmet was a completely different process, and over the years the helmet was adjusted to become more comfortable for the actors who had to wear them for hours. Authors Ryder Windham and Adam Bray give the reader lots of behind-the-scenes tidbits, and include movie stills like the ones in the photo above.

Of course, any fan of the Star Wars franchise is well aware of the toys created from the movies. Many of those toys celebrated the Stormtroopers themselves, and if you're a die-hard toy collector, you may even have some of these items!



There is plenty of information about Star Wars toys, which I won't go into here, but rest assured if that is of interest to you, then the chapters on toy collecting will not disappoint you!

The other interesting thing I wanted to touch on here, something I was not aware of before I read this book, is that there is a big group of Stormtrooper cosplayers who call themselves the 501st Legion, who show up in force at Star Wars events and even visit children's hospitals and participate in charity work. Members come from all over the world, and each one proudly wears the Stormtrooper costume when they attend public events. I personally have never seen this group in action, but apparently they've been in the Pasadena Rose Parade, attending Comic Cons and movie premieres, and much more. For movie fans, it seems like a wonderful way to participate beyond the borders of the big screen.



The last thing I wanted to mention was that in the back of the book is an envelope with removable items! Sort of an interactive part of the book. There is a reproduction of a storyboard, a bit of a Star Wars comic, a Stormtrooper toy backer card and more. It's just one more detail that the publisher added to make this book even more special.

I've barely touched on everything between the covers of this book, but I hope I've whetted your appetite to check it out for yourself. Since we're deep into the holiday shopping season, this would make a wonderful gift for your favorite Star Wars fan!



Big thanks to Wunderkind PR and Harper Design for providing a copy of the book for review.

This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy

[Sud666 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting. I thought it more of a field manual, but it is a look at the development of the concept of Stormtroopers. Full of information about the development by Lucas of the different styles and toys. Nice enough for what it is, but I was expecting more of a tech manual.

[Khairul Hezry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The evolution of the Stormtroopers from concept art to the finished product. From the first Star Wars movie to The Last Jedi (for now), with a slight detour via the comics, games and animated series. If it's about the troopers that began with sharpshooting clones to the duck-faced First Order troops, then it's in this fascinating book.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a huge Star Wars fan and one of my favourite icons is the Stormtrooper though I should confess that, as with the films, I much prefer the original trilogy incarnation. This big and well designed book takes in the troopers from “Star Wars” in 1977 right through to “The Last Jedi” in 2017, with plenty of pictures and a lot of tangents. I found the earlier parts much more interesting, as the troopers are designed and produced - and why there are different versions within the same film - and drifted off with some of the detail on the prequel and Clone Wars avenues. Thorough, entertaining and well researched, I liked this a great deal and it’s always a good thing to flick through a book and see lots of pictures of those Empire drones. Recommended.

[Dawn Livingston · Rating 2 out of 5]

Coffee table book. I was shocked to see an entire large book about just Stormtroopers. Was there really enough material to merit a book of this size? The answer is no. I skimmed through it because there was more than I ever wanted to know about Stormtroopers and some of it seemed repetitive. Great pics in full color but... they're just stormtroopers. They show the different styles of uniforms, they talk about them in comics and briefly mention the book Death Troopers (worth reading).

If you absolutely love Stormtroopers then get this book but I think even if you're a Star Wars fan this is an extravagant buy that really just isn't worth it. They're just Stormtroopers, what you see is pretty much what you get.

[Janelle Janson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book for any Star Wars fan!! Highly recommend!!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review Pending

[Seth Woodley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of information about Stormtroopers, including fascinating details about the origins and changes of the design. There are plenty of interesting drawings and photographs, making this great fun for any hardcore Star Wars fan.

[Seth Lancaster · Rating 3 out of 5]

Way more depth than I needed or wanted. Towards the end I have to admit to scanning the pages. That said, quite interesting and plenty of new fun facts about and history of stormtroopers!

[Scott Summerton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somehow an insanely and overly detailed look at Star Wars stormtroopers works in so many ways, largely because of it being overly detailed. That might not make sense, but it's quite simple really.

This book starts with the origins, from Ralph McQuarrie's designs and George Lucas' notes, but dives deeper into the original construction, filming notes, and actors all to really analyze the creation of stormtroopers. Then it goes deeper, looking at comics, games, advertisements, novels, highlighting the first time 'storm trooper' is used, versus 'stormtrooper'. Want to know specifics of the armour in Tunisia and how they varied things for Hoth, and then worked out film premieres and dubbing? It's all here along with aspects of how things varied from film to toy to comic etc.

This covers all aspects as well through its publication in 2017: original trilogy, Marvel and Dark Horse comic licensing, the prequel trilogy via clone troopers, animated series, novels, video games and of course the Disney era up through The Last Jedi, with a mention of "the young Han Solo movie" but doesn't stop there as it looks at Celebration events, charity work, and a large section on the 501st itself.

Weaving from factoids about Daniel Craig's cameo to how the voice actors ad libbed lines in ADR, to details about costumers preferring elevators at conventions to Lucas wanting to save time in helmets on/off leading to scout trooper visors, it is quite ridiculous to realize this goes so so so much deeper. Jakks, Gentle Giant, ArtFX, and of course Kenner get lengthy sections and mentions relating to the toys released over 40 years.

Early on we learn the first time a helmet came off ever, then come full circle to Finn doing so in The Force Awakens. We spend three paragraphs on analyzing how a Disney-era trooper's backpack was constructed, listing everything from the clips to the crystal holders to the straps and how they are pieced from US military gear and European items and random store bought stuff. It shouldn't work, but absolutely does.

This book is fascinating, informative, funny, gorgeous, and has far too much information. I didn't think a 175 page book about stormtroopers would work, but never imagined how into the minutia they would get, and even more surprising how much I would enjoy that. There is absolutely no reason to be this detailed, this specific, or this thorough, but after reading it, I would have been incredibly disappointed had they not. This is the gold standard going forward as far as I'm concerned for this type of work.

[Jessica (Books: A true story) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what Star Wars Stormtroopers: Beyond the Armor was about. How could you write an entire book about stormtroopers? Stormtroopers act robotic like droids except I would argue that droids have more personality. So I was surprised to find that this book is more of a history about the making of Star Wars with a stormtrooper focus that gives a story line to that huge amount of history. That focus helps make it interesting, but it suffers from listing a lot of things (mostly toys and how many versions they came in) for the sake of accuracy which made it tedious to read sometimes. Overall, I came away from Star Wars Stormtroopers with lots of fun facts and insights that I didn't know before. Here are some of my favorite facts from the book:

-They released comics and novelizations before the first movie which wasn't a common way to market movies back then.
-Boba Fett was first a super trooper stormtrooper design. It was so cool to see an all white Boba Fett. (The pictures in this book are great by the way).
-They based the AT-AT walkers movements on elephants.
-History of the stormtrooper toys released in the entire franchise (some of which seemed really cool and I kind of want them.)
-Fun details about Daniel Craig as a stormtrooper.
-Some hints at the end about the new stormtroopers coming up in The Last Jedi.

Stormtroopers are a blank slate and given the right setting they can be comical. There's a great picture of toy stormtroopers posed on a lunch break at the office that made me wonder, are stormtroopers really that scary? Getting to know one stormtrooper when we have always seen them as this massive entity was such an interesting twist which makes Finn one of my favorite characters. John Boyega, who plays Finn, does a great introduction for this book. In 1995, there was a short story about the stormtrooper who had found the droid parts in Episode IV who becomes a spy for the rebellion. The book doesn't go so far to say that Finn was inspired by this story, but I think it's interesting how similar the stories are.

I was surprised that I hadn't read that stormtrooper story before. In 1991, Lucas Licensing started publishing new stories called the expanded universe. This was my Young Adult fiction as a teen and I read every book they had at the library. I was beyond excited when in 1994 they announced that they were making more Star Wars movies. I felt like a part of history.

History is only boring if we don't know why we should care about these names, dates, and facts. Context helps you care about those things and this history book (I know it's about a movie, but still) could have used more context. Like on pg 74, it says about a video game that "Stormtrooper voices were all performed by Denny Delk." Was this significant in some way? Should I know who that is? Or is it just a random fact that they've crammed in here so the nutrition label can say "complete facts for your 2000 calorie Star Wars diet"?

Star Wars Stormtroopers: Beyond the Armor is part of the Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi series and it'll help get your Star Wars fix while we are all waiting for the next movie to come out.

[Cherei · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking for that perfect gift for your Star Wars lover.. Star Wars Stormtroopers: Beyond the Armor (Star Wars: Journey to Star Wars: the Last Jedi) is a must have books for their library! A total delight!! Oh, and it has some hidden gems tucked away!! I knew George Lucas was fairly young when he first filmed the first “Star Wars” movie. But, I didn’t realize just how young. I enjoyed reading all that he had to do to get his dream from his head to the screen!

If you’re like me.. you’ve seen every Star Wars movie since it was released and are sitting on pins and needles awaiting, ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi”! To be honest.. I always thought the stormtroopers were clones with genetic tweaks. But, that’s where there is a huge misconception. There were no longer clonetroopers after the death of Jango Fett. Without Jango’s genetic material.. there just wasn’t a way to make more clones.. so, they started recruiting stormtroopers from all over the galaxy. I remember how shocked I was when Finn removed his stormtrooper helmet. After watching the movie.. I had to get home and do some quick google searching to figure out where and when I’d missed a key piece of information that my Star War’s history trivia was lacking. How I wish I would have had this book then! Star Wars Stormtroopers: Beyond the Armor is chockful of colorful photographs, stories, trivia, and many other assorted surprises!

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! This book starts with the earliest incarnations of the idea of stormtroopers, from Lucas's stories to RMQ's earliest sketches, and goes all the way through the newest versions in Rogue One plus a tiny taste of what will be seen in TLJ. It includes everything from the fabrication of the original costumes, to design choices, to story elements, to toys, to LEGO, to the evolving idea of who and what stormtroopers are. The Clones from Ep II and III and Clone Wars are included in the discussion. The only SW film that is barely represented is Ep I, for obvious reasons. The 501st fan club is highlighted as well, and lots of books, comics and games content is included. But of course, everything is focused on stormtroopers and discussed through that lens. If you want a story of how Zahn's books reinvigorated SW, go elsewhere. Extremely well researched, a wonderful lens through which to experience the growth of the saga, onscreen and off.

[Terri Rowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this detailed book about the evolution of Stormtroopers from the first Star Wars film in 1977 to all the latest new movies and shows through Disney.
I especially enjoyed information the 501st-the volunteer stormtroopers that also do charity events around the world. There is a good section of interviews with Albin Johnson, on founding the 501st.
I love learning little background details of my favorite shows and movies.
One of my favorite quotes was from artist Terryl Whitlatch-she worked on the stormtrooper dewback scenes for the release of the special edition of Star Wars Episode IV. "I gave the finished designed to my art director, and a week later, he came to my desk and told me it had created quite a stir at the Ranch, and that the Ranch really liked it. It took me a few seconds to realize he was telling me George Lucas really liked it. I think I was happy for the rest of my life hearing that."
I can only imagine!

[Ursula Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

All About the Troopers and Meet the Real Life 501st Legion

This wonderful book is a must have for Star Wars fans and I was very pleased to find it in Kindle Unlimited. Focusing on the stormtroopers, it gives both history and behind the scenes rare photos, artwork, and stories of how they were created, adapted for the films, shows, toys and collector items. It also features the much beloved 501st Legion and their mission to delight fans, fundraise and thrill younglings everywhere. The authors are both fans who written other wonderful Star Wars books and they continue the winning streak here. If you are new to Star Wars, this will be a great introduction as to why you see stormtroopers everywhere nowadays. May the Force be with you.

[Mario · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly engrossing non-fiction book that guides you through the evolution of the Star Wars troops, chronologically from the design of the first stormtroopers and variations of the original trilogy, then to clones for the prequels and the new stormtroopers of the First Order.

All with facts, recollections, notable in-universe stories, outstanding merchandise and fantastic images, including fold-out double pages and a few reproductions of cherished items, such as a Kenner figure card and a storyboard from Return of the Jedi.

Ryder Windham and Adam Bray have created a wonderful book that must be a part of your collection!

[RumBelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a detailed look at one of the most iconic characters in film, TV and books, the Stormtrooper. Told chronologically, but from the order the movies and TV shows were made in, this book showcased what went into the crafting and creation of these soldiers of the Empire. From how costuming was done, to the challenges of different filming locales, to how the image of the Stormtrooper evolved and changed throughout each new edition to the Star Wars universe, we saw how they fit in. Highly informative, and a thoroughly enjoyable read.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a self-admitted Star Wars geek, I loved this book. The amazing amount of detail that went into writing about how the stormtroopers and following variations came into being was excellent. It really showed the metamorphosis throughout the years from the original to the latest. There are lots of photos and side stories that makes this a mandatory read for any SW fan.

I think the best part of the book though is the story behind the 501st Legion and you quickly realize that no book on stormtroopers would be complete without them.

[Will Plunkett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of the many Star Wars "history" books, this is among the best ever. It covers the chronology of SW, but through the (can't-see-a-thing-in-this) helmeted eyes of the stormtroopers: film costumes and concept art, action figures, fictional stories, video games and cartoons, real-life people in their armor, and much more. As always, wonderful pictures and art. One of the most detailed chronologies as well.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Solid coffee table book to breeze through if you're interested in how Stormtrooper armor was created for the movies, how Stormtroopers appeared in various iterations in the movies and expanded universe, and how Stormtroopers took Star Wars marketing by storm. But like, don't expect to sit down and read it with any real level of focus unless you really like detailed descriptions of obscure Star Wars toys.

[Read n Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

A decent offering that follows the history of the Imperial StormTrooper, from the screen 1977 to the small screen in tv and animated tv shows to the prequels to the current movie offerings, It also delves into the 501st costuming group and the work they do for charity, as well as the toys and video games. If your a star wars nerd like myself this is a great read.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting perspective of the Star Wars timeline through the evolution of one of the films' coolest creations; stormtroopers.
To be honest it did out-geek me at times, as I am more interested in the films, rather than some of the other incarnations, but a good read, great photos, images and even a copy of an Action Figure back-card! Very nostalgic!

[Paul Warner · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fantastic look at the history of stormtroopers and clone troopers in Star Wars films, books, comics, and more. This engaging detailed book is an absolute MUST for Star Wars fans and I highly recommend it!

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excelent to Know everything about the Star Wars Troopers armor.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great insight into the off-screen history of stormtroopers.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read from 2017.

[JSH Placie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Star Wars "non fiction" comes in two flavors. There's the fictional non-fiction, which consists of things like technical specs for the Millennium Falcon for example, and there's actual non-fiction. The actual non-fiction consists of behind the scenes stuff, discussion of the cultural impact of Star Wars, and ruminations on the marketing of merchandise.

This book is the second of those things, focused on storm troopers. You already know if you are that type of geek that would actually enjoy this. I am. Be warned, I've read books on real wars that are less involved than this. Still, I got through all 170 pages of exhaustive explanation of action figures and cosplay in about two weeks of reading it while on the shitter. I feel like the audience for this book is self-selecting.

[Hope]

I loved the introduction (Me? Crushing on John Boyega? Yeah!).

I came to this book expecting StormTrooper lore, while this book is about how the concepts and visuals of the stormtroopers was developed though the movies and various other Star Wars media. I may well come back to this one at some point. Now, marinating in Star Wars canon media, it doesn't appeal.

[Mhorg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok

For a book about the evolution of the iconic star wars stormtrooper, this was just ok. While it had a dearth of information about the armor, there wasn't nearly enough photos.