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Star Wars Disney Canon Reference Books

Star Wars Year by Year: A Visual History

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Discover everything you've ever wanted to know about Star Wars in this complete history of the most famous franchise in movie history.

Painstakingly researched and superbly illustrated, Star Wars(TM) Year By Year: A Visual History, New Edition presents a unique Star Wars timeline-the full history of the amazing Star Wars phenomenon as you've never seen it before.

This stunning visual journey features trivia and cultural cornerstones from director George Lucas' early life through to the iconic movie stills, comic books, novels, toys, video games, and theme parks that have spawned from five decades of seminal film making.

Fully updated and expanded, this edition encompasses all nine episodes of the original, prequel, and sequel trilogies, along with the standalone movies Rogue One and Solo, and the acclaimed television series, The Mandalorian.

Produced in full collaboration with Lucasfilm and written by renowned Star Wars experts, Star Wars Year by Year: A Visual History, New Edition is ideal for Star Wars fanatics and newbies alike.

(c) & (TM) 2021 Lucasfilm Ltd.

384 pages, Hardcover

First published September 2, 2021

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199 people want to read

About the author

Ryder Windham

277 books169 followers
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.

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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
Profile Image for maria hates her life.
72 reviews
March 2, 2025
I LOVE STARS WARS.

This is a fact, and it took me two weeks to get through this book because I’ve been lazy.

No matter, I really enjoyed it and I thoroughly annoyed my mother with all the little facts from this book which was quite satisfying.

I read this around the same time I read A Clockwork Orange and all of the film history in this book informed a lot for me because of the A Clockwork Orange film directed by my favorite director, Stanley Kubrick, being prominent in the progression of film making in the 1970s and an inspiration to George Lucas for the first Star Wars.
I haven’t watched that one yet though, I’m kind of scared of the inevitable violence.

But as much as I love the prequel series of Star Wars, the originals will always hold the dearest place in my heart and this book is most interesting in that aspect.

That’s about it.
Profile Image for Muir .
194 reviews5 followers
April 12, 2025
Caveats: I read this on an ipad in horizontal mode, half page by half page, zooming in/out whenever relevant. The design might have been busy had I not been able to focus on each little box.

Setting the development of Star Wars against the backdrop of real world events is what truly made this book stand out, especially for the pre-1977 through to the mid 90s sections (as I was alive/conscious for the rest lol.)

I liked the design of the book, it packed a lot of tidbits into its pages, and the pictures were lovely (though I wish, as in other places, people didn’t only use pictures of Carrie Fisher as Leia in tributes. Or if they do, show us General Organa as well, not just the young Leia.)

At one point I did scoff because of how defensive the book seemed to be about Episode 1 but I thought it was rather clear eyed at other points (for example, a line about someone being disappointed at Finn’s character arc.)

Overall, I enjoyed it very very much. I finally have a good grasp of how the sprawling EU developed over the years and why so many were disappointed when it was relegated to Legends (and why that makes sense to me.) I also have a better sense of how prolific ILM is, and I respect Lucas for all he has done for film over the years, using his Star Wars money.

On a personal note, I have a better sense of how SW thrived sans new movies on the horizon (toys, video games, books, comics) and I am kind of proud of how kid me sustained that deep love I had of this mythology without access to any of that. Good for you, kid. And thank goodness for SWTOR and Tony Gilroy.
Profile Image for Elaina.
350 reviews224 followers
April 6, 2023
I skimmed through some of this and just focused on the parts I was more interested in since it is a pretty big book xD Also didn't have a lot of time since I went out of town and was borrowing it through ILL. Was pretty neat though! Took pics of stuff I may be interested in later, like merch that came out throughout the years :p
Profile Image for darce vader.
181 reviews
February 8, 2022
DID YOU KNOW THE SHAPE OF THE MILLENNIUM FALCON WAS BASED ON A HAMBURGER????!!!!
Profile Image for Anja von "books and phobia".
796 reviews15 followers
May 30, 2022
Wenn es um Star Wars geht, dann würde ich mich nicht als „Ich brauche alles, was es davon gibt“-Fan bezeichnen, sondern eher als Person, welche die Entwicklung des Franchise faszinierend findet. Um so gespannter war ich somit auf dieses Buch, welches die offizielle Geschichte erzählen sollte.

Doch Moment, denn wer sich dieses Buch nur aufgrund seines Titels kauft, der sollte die Kurzbeschreibung einmal genau lesen. Mit „Die offizielle Geschichte“ meinte man nämlich nicht die Geschichte von Luke, Leia & Co, sondern die Geschichte vom Franchise selbst. Im Buch bekommt man nämlich auf 384 Seiten alle Informationen, welche sich in den 44 Jahren, in welchen es Star Wars gibt, so angesammelt haben. Daher finde ich den Titel tatsächlich etwas irreführend, denn er vermittelt einen anderen Inhalt.

Wer jedoch wie ich gerne einmal hinter alle Kulissen der Filme schauen möchte, ist hier vollkommen richtig. Angefangen im Jahr 1914, geht es in verschiedenen Abschnitten durch die einzelnen Jahre bis 2021. Warum man dafür im Jahre 1914 begann? Weil der erste Abschnitt neben biografischen Elementen von George Lucas, auch einen Rückblick in die Welt der SciFi-Filme bot.

Diese kleineren Abschweifungen vom Star Wars-Thema gab es im Buch immer wieder, da man z.B. die weiteren Rollen von Schauspielerin wie Mark Hamill & Co. vermerkte. Jedoch schwankte ich stets immer etwas, ob dies nun wirklich ins Buch gehört hätte oder nicht. Klar war es interessant, aber mit dem großen Hauptthema hatte es schließlich wenig zutun. Hier fand ich es eher interessant, wie sich z.B. das Spielzeug stets weiterentwickelt hatte. Vom ersten Lego-Objekt bis zur preisgekrönten Baby Yoda-Figur fand man hier echt alles und das war auch spannend. Dies bezog sich natürlich auch auf die vielen Informationen zu den Dreharbeiten oder den Filmvorführungen.

Wie beim DK Verlag üblich, kam dieses Buch nicht nur mit einer Menge Informationen daher, sondern bot auch wieder eine enorme Vielfalt an Illustrationen, die klarer nicht hätten sein können. Ich persönlich liebe das immer sehr, zumal man sich immer viel Mühe mit der Präsentation macht. Jede Seite bietet etwas fürs Auge, zumal manchmal sogar eine ganze Seite zum Einsatz kam. Eigentlich ist das Buch schon deswegen unglaublich sehenswert.

Fazit:

Hinter diesem wunderschönen Hardcover verbarg sich zwar die offizielle Geschichte von Star Wars, aber wohl nicht in der Form, wie viele denken würden. Denn hier wurde die nicht einfach die Geschichte von Luke, Darth Vader oder Rey erzählt, sondern eher, wie sich Star Wars über die Jahre entwickelte und welche Entscheidungsprozesse dabei durchlaufen worden. Kurz gesagt ist es die Biografie des Star Wars-Franchise, dass neben vielen Informationen, eben auch mit vielen tollen Illustrationen punkten konnte. Eine andere Namenswahl wäre trotzdem super gewesen.
Profile Image for Barb. D..
318 reviews
May 12, 2022
While it is rich in interesting images of everything from comic books to the craziest merchandise, this guide is very much an illustration of "history is written by the winners". To me, the phenomenon of Star Wars is interesting partially because so much of it was actually shaped by the fandom. I would have wanted to see much more of the fandom in this guide as well. Meanwhile, the ups and downs of SW fandom are just glossed over. For example, there indeed was a lot of disappointment and backlash after both the prequels and the sequels, and while in time they leave their own legacy, in the guide any negativity is dismissed in wording along the lines of "it did a little worse than expected in the box office... but hey, we got this internet voting based award". Don't get me wrong, I'm actually one of those rare sworn SW fans that actually liked TLJ and that do read more new cannon books than the original EU. Still, I think ignoring such phenomena as "fans against George Lucas" leaves any guide to SW incomplete. Oh by the way, it's also curious how Lucas' current wife is mentioned as such, including the birth of their child; whereas Marcia Lucas, the first wife, is also mentioned twice as a co-creator of the original SW - but knowing how important her input was in editing the original, however tense her relationship with GL ended up, it's just sad that that relationship, or their adopted child, don't even get mentioned. Looks like the publisher did go down the road of editing out anything they didn't want to remember.
Profile Image for Emma.
342 reviews
November 8, 2022
What an amazing book!! Lots of fact-filled text but still a good amount of pictures/visual. What I enjoyed most is that it didn't just have movie or tv show related information - it included so many little tidbits relating to Star Wars in general! Like stuff about the actors and crew (directors, producers, etc.), what they were up to at certain points in time, what figures were being released, the comics, rides and attractions at various amusement parks, and so much more. It also gave you lots of other little blurbs about major historical events happening at the same time/year all around the world. It takes you all the way from years before A New Hope, right up until they start working on Andor. Highly recommend for any and all fans!!
Profile Image for Fernweh_nach_Zamonien.
584 reviews7 followers
May 4, 2022
Eine bildgewaltige und faszinierende Chronik über die Entstehung und Entwicklung des Star-Wars-Universums. Perfekt für langjährige Fans.

Inhalt:

"Die offizielle Geschichte“ von Star Wars in chronologischer Form.

Infos und Hintergrundwissen zur Entstehung der Filme von den Anfängen bis in die Gegenwart.


Erscheinungsjahr:

Erstmals 2010 veröffentlicht und 2016 als aktualisierte und erweiterte Fassung zum Beginn der Sequel-Trilogie erneut erschienen.

Die hier rezensierte Ausgabe ist Ende 2021 erschienen und beinhaltet auch das Ende der Saga sowie eine Vorschau auf künftige Projekte (Serie zu Boba Fett 2022).


Mein Eindruck:

Auf fast 400 Seiten und unterteilt in sechs Kapitel wird der Mythos "Star Wars" in chronologischer Reihenfolge erforscht:

- Das Leben vor Star Wars (1914-1972),

- Die klassische Trilogie (1973-1983),

- Star Wars wird größer (1984-1996),

- Die Prequel-Trilogie (1997-2005),

- The Clone Wars & Mehr (2006-2012) und

- Die Sequel-Trilogie (2013-2021).

Hierbei geht es vielmehr um das Drumherum, als um den Inhalt der Filme selbst.


Die chronologische Zeitreise und die Umstände zur Entstehung werden ergänzt durch Hinweise zu historischen Ereignissen und Meilensteinen in der Film-Kultur (Kino, TV usw.).

Neben faszinierenden Blicken hinter die Kulissen durch Film- und Archivbilder finden sich diverse weitere Abbildungen:

Filmplakate, Comic-Cover, Briefmarken, Weihnachtskarten, Hommage durch Künstler:innen uvm.

So wird nicht nur die feste Verankerung von "Star Wars" in der Film-Welt deutlich, sondern auch bewusst, was für ein gigantisches Merchandising damit verbunden ist. Denn auch Hinweise zu Video-Spielen, Sammelkarten, Actionfiguren und Kooperationen (z. B. mit Lego) gehören dazu.

Der Wälzer ist definitiv kein Buch für absolute Star-Wars-Neulinge sondern eine umfangreiche Chronik für all die Fans, welche mehr über die Entstehung der Filme wissen möchten und sich für Filmgeschichte interessieren.


Fazit:

Ein faszinierendes und bildgewaltiges Nachschlagewerk für alle Star Wars Fans.

"Möge die Macht mit dir sein!"


...

Rezensiertes Buch "Star Wars - Die offizielle Geschichte - Neuausgabe" aus dem Jahr 2021

...

Datum der Rezension 4. Mai 2022

May the 4th be with You!
Profile Image for John Hardy.
719 reviews2 followers
August 9, 2024
This book is really designed for fanatical SW fans, which I am not. The very first movie made a huge impact on me back in 1977, and each subsequent movie made less and less impact. Any books I have read about parts of the SW saga have been flat and uninteresting.
This pictorial is extremely busy, with large pages filled with small segments of a picture and a bit of text. I found it increasingly difficult to focus on what I was interested in, which was the movies and any back story related to them. I have zero interest in all the merchandise and the various computer games that were spawned from this series.
Having said that, there are a lot of interesting snippets. This "timeline: starts when George Lucas was a boy, and follows the growth of his career. Some non-SW movies are included, from other directors, and I assume this is just to give context, although in reality it just added to the jumble of content.
I'm counting this as "finished" even though I skipped through a lot of stuff.
I think I've had my fill of Star Wars for a while.
Profile Image for OneDayI'll.
1,592 reviews42 followers
July 13, 2023
I liked the clip art and the history, the information and insights. I liked it and it bothered me lol. I'm ADHD and it's such a busy layout that it's overwhelming to me. Especially as it's a larger book, and by that I mean it's like a foot by a foot, so the pages are huge and your eyes keep getting drawn away from what you're trying to read. But other movie fans and trivia buffs may not have the same issues.
Profile Image for MK.
626 reviews3 followers
February 3, 2024
This encyclopedia explains everything about the movies. "Star Wars".
It also includes a long history of behind the scenes, from the 70's to the present day.

I have more memories of the Tokyo Disneyland attraction than the movie.
When I was in elementary school, I remember riding the Star Wars attraction with my family, and the futuristic atmosphere made me feel like I was in another dimension.
2,247 reviews5 followers
June 24, 2025
This is an interesting look at the Star Wars phenomenon, and especially the early years covered are very interesting. I do wish that it sometimes delved more into the various misses in the history of Star Wars or discussed some of the controversies....it is a very positive book, about Star Wars and most everyone connected to it. That being said, that's certainly what the book is advertised as, and its nice to read something positive.
155 reviews14 followers
January 18, 2022
This is an amazing overview history of everything Star Wars. In addition to the movies, TV shows, merchandise, and tie-in material, the book also covers major events in entertainment, space exploration, and the world.

I learned a lot, even about the years after my Star Wars fandom started. I only wish it were longer, as 4-10 pages per year is still just scratching the surface in some places.
Profile Image for Angel .
1,536 reviews46 followers
April 4, 2022
Quick impressions: Overall, this book is a must have for Star Wars fans and collectors. This is one I would definitely buy for my book collection. This is also a book I would recommend for libraries, especially for public libraries. The book is informative, visually appealing, and a work of art as well.

(Full review on my blog coming soon.)
Profile Image for Matthew Sciarrino.
227 reviews
November 3, 2021
Spectacular!!! What a trip down memory lane. I loved reading about each major Star Wars event from the beginning until now. Tangents that I didn’t think of. Collectibles that I missed and that I have! Loved this book.
Profile Image for Rachel White.
326 reviews7 followers
January 1, 2023
A must for any fan of Star Wars! So many insights into things that you would have never known had happened and so fun to see all the universe brought together! Amazing that all of this has come from one man's seemingly crazy idea!
49 reviews
July 29, 2024
An effective summary of Star Wars, from the birth of George Lucas to 2021. It gives some detail about everything, and mentions major real world events to help the reader picture the timeline. I do believe, however, it could be more detailed in some areas, and that it has Disney biases.
Profile Image for Sydney.
277 reviews
July 29, 2022
There were a lot of things going on in this book. I thought it was cool to hear the backstory, but I wish there was more info from the film process. Great Book! Pretty recent stuff too!
Profile Image for Eric Gilliland.
138 reviews8 followers
January 1, 2023
I was expecting a basic coffee table cook. Far from it the pages are colorful, well designed, and informative. Perfect book for Star Wars fans.
Profile Image for Sam Vadasy.
60 reviews
January 8, 2023
This contains two things i absolutely love: Star Wars and history. It is a little out of date as it goes up too Rogue One but it was a joy regarless.
Profile Image for Frank Lang.
1,357 reviews15 followers
November 20, 2021
Dieses Lexikon zeigt chronologisch „Die offizielle Geschichte“ von Star Wars. Gemeint ist nicht die inhaltliche Geschichte von Star Wars, sondern die Geschichte der Filme, wie diese unter welchen Umständen entstanden. Im englischen Original heißt es „Year by Year“ und drückt damit aus, dass das Lexikon chronologisch aufgebaut ist. Unterteilt ist das Buch in sechs große Kapitel: Das Leben vor Star Wars (1914-1972), Die klassische Trilogie (1973-1983), Star Wars wird größer (1984-1996), Die Prequel-Trilogie (1997-2005), The Clone Wars & Mehr (2006-2012) und Die Sequel-Trilogie (2013-2021).

Es ist erstaunlich, welchen Siegeszug „Star Wars“ hingelegt. Selbst jene, die mit Science Fiction wenig am Hut haben, kennen dieses Format. Dieses Lexikon zeigt, wie alles seinen Anfang nahm und begleitet die Entstehung der Filme. Daneben werden zusätzlich Informationsschnipsel eingestreut, die sich teils nur sehr entfernt mit Star Wars in Verbindung bringen lassen, wenn z.B. ein Darsteller seine erste Rolle ergattert oder irgendein Mitarbeiter bei einem anderen Film mitgewirkt hat. Ebenfalls als Zusatzinformationen werden ganz grob andere Ereignisse dargestellt, die teils nichts mit Star Wars zu tun haben, aber ein wenig den Geist der Zeit einzufangen versuchen.

Dadurch, dass es sich bei den dargestellten Informationen hauptsächlich um kleine Schnipsel handeln, sind ein paar Kenntnisse vonnöten, um diese auch richtig einordnen zu können. Wer mit „Der Pate“ nichts anzufangen weiß, wird sich wundern, weshalb dieser Film aufgeführt wird. Aus diesem Grund denke ich nicht, dass sich dieses Lexikon unbedingt für Kinder eignet (da gibt es bessere Alternativen), sondern sehe die Zielgruppe eher bei den Erwachsenen, die wenigstens den Hype um die Prequel-Trilogie miterlebt haben.

Wer Star Wars kennt, wird wissen, dass es sehr viel Merchandising gibt und dass die Star-Wars-Welle auch auf andere Unterhaltungsmedien übergegriffen hat. So werden immer wieder auch Videospiel-Veröffentlichungen aufgeführt, wobei für gewöhnlich nicht erwähnt wird, ob diese erfolgreich waren oder nicht. Auch sucht der Leser vergeblich nach inhaltlichen Informationen, wie z.B. die vielen Filme, Serien und Comics chronologisch zueinanderpassen. Dies ist nicht der Anspruch dieses Lexikons, sondern dieser liegt einzig und allein in der Entstehungsgeschichte der Filme.

Fazit

Dieses Lexikon ist für jene gedacht, die mehr über die Entstehung der Filme wissen möchten und an Filmgeschichte interessiert sind. In meinen Augen sollte der Leser nicht zu jung sein, um vom Wiedererkennungswert des Gezeigtem zu profitieren. So oder so muss der Leser jedoch zwingend ein wenig Star Wars verrückt sein.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews

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