Enter a galaxy ravaged by conflict and discover the complete story of the epic struggles that define the Star Wars movies. This ambitious book presents major galactic conflicts from an in-world "historical" perspective: each battle is depicted with captivating imagery, explored with newly commissioned maps, and explained through a detailed analysis of tactics, famous commanders, legendary warriors, key moments, and its impact on wider galactic history.
This is the perfect book for any Star Wars fan, budding military historian, or would-be rebel hero!
I am the author of The Jupiter Pirates series published by HarperCollins -- visit the official site at http://jupiterpirates.com.
In addition to Jupiter Pirates, I've written or co-written more than 30 novels and short stories set in the Star Wars galaxy, including The Essential Atlas, The Essential Guide to Warfare, The Weapon of a Jedi, and the Servants of the Empire quartet.
I spent more than 12 years at The Wall Street Journal Online, where I wrote or co-wrote the Real Time and Daily Fix columns. My non-fiction work has appeared on ESPN.com, Yahoo! Sports, Poynter.org, Deadspin and Baseball Prospectus. I blog about the New York Mets at Faith and Fear in Flushing and live in Brooklyn with my wife and son.
This was a really informative book full of pictures from the star wars movies and information on the various battles that make up a lot of the story lines and plots to the films.
For what this book sets out to do, it fulfills all criteria and that's that's why I've given it a top rating.
This is a great coffee table book for the Star Wars fanatic out there.
Can you name 10 “battles that changed” the Star Wars galaxy? Okay, how about 20? 50? There are far more than 50 in this massive (and, of course, very pretty) compendium published by DK. Of course, Naboo! But Lola Sayu? Wobani? Mako-Ta? Tuanul? There are “stills” from the movies and animations. In addition to all this there are breakouts on “military uniforms,” “intelligence and espionage,” “hyperspace and warfare,” and much more. I have to go 4.5* on this one because I know some of you will find holes in this presentation, but it’s as good as it currently gets.
Starting with Naboo, and ending with Exegol, this book covers many of the major battles seen in the films, TV shows, and graphic novels. Each battle is examined in great detail, and analyzed based on the military techniques used, and the combatants involved. Some of the battles discussed even have a Decisive Moment section which talks about the major turning point. An example would be when the droid control ship was destroyed in the Battle of Naboo.
I liked that even battles from graphic novels and TV shows were included. It really filled in the timeline that this book chose to explore well. Also, not everyone may read the graphic novels, so it would be new and interesting information for some. Military history has always been a favorite subject of mine, and fictional military history is no different, especially with Star Wars. The history of the battles, and how they influenced the galaxy is really interesting.
The illustrations were a mix of graphic novel art and screen caps from the movies and TV shows. Each really enhanced the text in describing who was at the battles, and how they played out. In addition, many of the battles had various maps showing different stages of the conflict. One of the best sets of these was the one that accompanied the section on Endor. It broke down, move by move, how the Imperial and Rebel fleets operated that day.
A great book for any Star Wars, or military history fan.
This is a difficult one for me. I'm a Star Wars nerd, and I love almost everything in the Visual Guide genre of books. But this one felt hollower than others. Comparing it to the Essential Guide to Warfare, this one is bland and sort of useless. I guess the best word would be disappointing.
It regurgitates shamelessly out of every other piece of Star Wars media there is. I was promised battle maps, tactics and things like that. What I got were descriptions of battles that I already fully understood since I was 10. I really hoped it could bring more to the Star Wars Universe, but it just left it as it was. What's worse, it cost a shitload of money and took the better part of a year to arrive.
The real rating is somewhere between 2 and 3 stars, but I honestly enjoyed the (few) new illustrations and some of the comments on the battles. That is the only reason why this book will not be getting its deserved 2 stars.
GREAT FOR ALL STAR WARS FANS. I highly recommend this book. It was very good. It reminded me of a history textbook but Star Wars. New fans will be able to understand it with the information and pictures and old fans will like all the details and facts. I learned a lot from this book and I am a hard core fan. :)
Battles that Changed the Galaxy is not just a reference book on Star Wars, its universe, and canon. It's a treasure trove of information and entertainment. The artwork, still photographs from the source material, is a joy for Star Wars-aholics everywhere, and the text is not just informative but tightly written and entertaining. By perusing this book, any fan will embark on a journey of discovery about the Star Wars Universe.
Like other intellectual properties - Star Trek, for example - the various formats (live-action, manga-esq cartoons, artistic cartoons) from which the art is derived can create a slightly jarring effect, seeing movie or streaming series stills side-by-side with Clone Wars or other animated images. It removes the reader from the in-world experience but is likely unavoidable given the expansive delivery channels from which we can get our Star Wars fixes. Still, I took a star off for this and another for the paucity of maps. There were some, but not nearly enough.
This one is recommended for Star Wars fans, especially those invested enough to care about the sequence and details of events on the universe timeline.
Finally, a Star Wars reference book that can go into greater detail now that the sequel trilogy is completed. Seeing the whole of Star Wars canon explored through the lens of military history was great. Events from the animated series getting the same treatment as the movies. More of that please
This is a good resource for those needing to keep straight what, why, and where re: the Star Wars battles and tactics. It help me better see how the series flowed with the movies.
I am a functional Star Wars nerd. I loved all the movies. I still have my mini-figures, ships, and sets from childhood. In my pre-Goodreads era, I read dozens of novels, some of which would make great movies. So, when I saw Star Wars Battles the Changed the Galaxy at the library, of course I checked it out.
Books like this one make me nervous because I wonder whether the authors will guess about details, regurgitate details from movies/shows, or offer actual authorized insights. For the most part, this book regurgitated and repackaged information from the movies and animated series. Some of the sections were interesting, but on the whole the book was average. I prefer the “Art of” series for behind the scenes information and added understanding of the SW legend.
I've really enjoyed reading 'Battles'. For the seasoned fan, it mostly covers information we've read elsewhere, but it does also offer new information. No groundbreaking facts, but names of ships or characters (unfortunately without an image or photo). The maps are interesting as are the spreads that deal with general info such as 'the creating of armies' and the strategic location of planets.