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Godzilla: The Ultimate Illustrated Guide
Discover the complete history of Godzilla in this definitive, official guide to the King of the Monsters. The Official Guide to the King of the Monsters celebrates more than 60 years of movie mayhem in an exceptional, fully illustrated book. An official publication in partnership with Toho Co., this must-read guide brings together every incarnation of the world's most famous creature for the first time – including all the Japanese and Western movies, as well as Godzilla's most celebrated appearances in TV, comics and video games. Inside you'll find detailed reviews, spectacular stills and behind-the-scenes images from every Godzilla movie, from 1954's Gojira to 2021's Godzilla vs. Kong , along with countless insights into the making of one of cinema's most enduring, innovative and successful franchises. Packed with essential info, incredible trivia and stunning artwork, this is the ultimate illustrated reference to all things Godzilla.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
November 19, 2022
GODZILLA: THE ULTIMATE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE is my birthday gift to myself. As such, I must readily admit an extreme bias. I've been what is known as a "G-Fan" for many years.
This book is noted as "The Official Guide To The King Of The Monsters." That would be a very difficult claim to dispute as it covers all of the Japanese films, most of the American films, the various animated movies and television series, the comics, and the video games. Whew! As such, it is an excellent "quick reference" source, especially when looking for which monster appeared in which movie, or a reminder of the name of some of the longer film titles ... such as "Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack." (I would have loved to see an American distributor create a movie poster for that one, but I had to wait to see it until it was released on disk for home use.)
GODZILLA: THE ULTIMATE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE was written in conjunction with Toto Co., Ltd, the film studio that created Godzilla. As such, the prose is filled with breathless praise for all of the Japanese films. Even "All Monsters Attack" from 1969, the film that extensively reused footage from other Godzilla movies, introduced the monster character of Minilla who is frequently reviled by a large majority of fans, and has a plot that strains my patience to the breaking point, notes that the film's director (the legendary Ishiro Honda) "... considered it one of his favorites of the whole franchise." I think I'm safe in assuring you that there aren't many G-Fans who share that opinion!
The coverage of the American films is sporadic. While mentioning the American release that added extensive footage of Raymond Burr and made major revisions to the original film, it fails to mention the same thing being done 30-years later (including adding Raymond Burr) with "Godzilla 1985," an extensive re-edit of the much better "The Return Of Godzilla." Also, photographs of the American films are limited to posters which are still cool, but much less than what has been done for even the comic books!
Of course, as an "Illustrated Guide," the emphasis for the buyer (including myself) is on the photographs, a number of which are from the Toho archives and formally published for the first time. The photographs are exceptional, making this a true "coffee table book." The format invites browsing and it doesn't disappoint.
A story synopsis is included in the descriptions. In every case that I can remember, the movie describes what happens through the first three-quarters of the movie. So, yes, there are spoilers, but there is still a reason to see the movie to finish the story.
Despite its flaws, this is a book I'm very pleased to have in my collection. I've already had a friend who has "thumbed through it" (and announced his intention to order a copy), and I'm sure I'll be coming back to it as literary "comfort food" from time to time.
This book is noted as "The Official Guide To The King Of The Monsters." That would be a very difficult claim to dispute as it covers all of the Japanese films, most of the American films, the various animated movies and television series, the comics, and the video games. Whew! As such, it is an excellent "quick reference" source, especially when looking for which monster appeared in which movie, or a reminder of the name of some of the longer film titles ... such as "Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack." (I would have loved to see an American distributor create a movie poster for that one, but I had to wait to see it until it was released on disk for home use.)
GODZILLA: THE ULTIMATE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE was written in conjunction with Toto Co., Ltd, the film studio that created Godzilla. As such, the prose is filled with breathless praise for all of the Japanese films. Even "All Monsters Attack" from 1969, the film that extensively reused footage from other Godzilla movies, introduced the monster character of Minilla who is frequently reviled by a large majority of fans, and has a plot that strains my patience to the breaking point, notes that the film's director (the legendary Ishiro Honda) "... considered it one of his favorites of the whole franchise." I think I'm safe in assuring you that there aren't many G-Fans who share that opinion!
The coverage of the American films is sporadic. While mentioning the American release that added extensive footage of Raymond Burr and made major revisions to the original film, it fails to mention the same thing being done 30-years later (including adding Raymond Burr) with "Godzilla 1985," an extensive re-edit of the much better "The Return Of Godzilla." Also, photographs of the American films are limited to posters which are still cool, but much less than what has been done for even the comic books!
Of course, as an "Illustrated Guide," the emphasis for the buyer (including myself) is on the photographs, a number of which are from the Toho archives and formally published for the first time. The photographs are exceptional, making this a true "coffee table book." The format invites browsing and it doesn't disappoint.
A story synopsis is included in the descriptions. In every case that I can remember, the movie describes what happens through the first three-quarters of the movie. So, yes, there are spoilers, but there is still a reason to see the movie to finish the story.
Despite its flaws, this is a book I'm very pleased to have in my collection. I've already had a friend who has "thumbed through it" (and announced his intention to order a copy), and I'm sure I'll be coming back to it as literary "comfort food" from time to time.
February 23, 2024
There are few global cultural phenomenon today as big – both literally and figuratively – as Godzilla, who has been stomping his way into moviegoers hearts for over seven decades. Graham Skipper’s book offers a visually appealing guide to the international icon, one that features all of the movies from the 1954 original to 2016’s Shin Godzilla and the first three entries in Legendary Pictures “Monsterverse” series. Each of these he covers in glossy pages filled with photo stills and promotional artwork prominently featuring the many kaiju battling it out. Though the text is minimal, the brief summaries of the films and their themes that Skipper provides offer a useful context for his images. Godzilla’s appearances in other media, from TV cartoon shows and manga to videogames, are addressed in a concluding chapter that spotlights further the enduring range of the character in modern entertainment. Though there are some unfortunate omissions from his coverage here (the absence of any mention of Marvel Comics’s 24-issue Godzilla: King of the Monsters comics series from the late 1970s is especially disappointing), overall it’s an appealing work that is a nice addition to the coffee table of any Godzilla enthusiast and a enjoyable starter guide to anyone new to the franchise.
January 22, 2025
This book is AWESOME! This is not a sit down and read straight through type book, it’s more of a lovely coffee table book. I have the flu and have been watching all the Godzilla movies on MAX and love reading through the articles at the end of the movie. Teaches you a bit about the thought process behind the monsters and the social reasoning behind each.
My favorite kaiju is Hedorah and the explanation (and absolutely bonkers psychedelic movie) behind the societal thoughts at the time really helped make the movie more fun. How could you not like a smog/slime monsters smoking a chemical smokestack like a bong??
My favorite kaiju is Hedorah and the explanation (and absolutely bonkers psychedelic movie) behind the societal thoughts at the time really helped make the movie more fun. How could you not like a smog/slime monsters smoking a chemical smokestack like a bong??
June 9, 2024
This is a must have for everyone who is even only slightly interested in Gojira/Godzilla and his legacy.
January 7, 2024
256 pages of Godzilla goodness. Full, and I mean FULL of photos and posters and manga and comic appearances and TV shows and Video Games where Godzilla rules supreme... We go through all the different eras of Godzilla and see all the original movie poster releases, in colour, FULL PAGE COLOUR, the art work is really stunning, enough to bring you back to the book over and over and still find things you've missed..... There's even space for the Netflix animated Trilogy too...
I would say this is a MUST for any diehard Godzilla fan. The only reason it's not a 5 star from me is there isn't a ton of info along with the pictures, yes, there's enough where it's needed, but I felt there could have been more....
I would say this is a MUST for any diehard Godzilla fan. The only reason it's not a 5 star from me is there isn't a ton of info along with the pictures, yes, there's enough where it's needed, but I felt there could have been more....
July 22, 2026
I owned The Official Godzilla Compendium (1998) when I was a kid, so when my parents bought this book for my oldest boy, I knew it was time to revisit some fond memories. Along the way, I even learned a few fun facts about these old movies that I still love so very much.
April 5, 2026
Very thorough. Great pictures throughout
February 20, 2023
This book is a love letter to Toho Studios and Godzilla. I didn't know anything about the book until it arrived as a Christmas gift from a friend. If you like Godzilla or are at all curious about how this monster evolved in the cinematic world, you owe it to yourself to find and read this.
It started in 1954, with a movie exploring the dangers of nuclear energy. Nothing like this had been done before, and, it could be argued, without dropping a nuclear bomb, twice, on Japan, this might not have triggered the "what if" scenario proposed in the original "Godzilla" movie. It's listed as "Horror," but seen through today's lens, it's less about the horror factor and more of an allegory on our indifference toward our planet. I consider it my favorite of all the Godzilla movies simply because it's the one which started it all.
There is a more "Americanized" version with Raymond Burr, which was released in 1956. It's worth watching both to see how filmmakers tempered the anti-American undercurrent in the 1954 film. Burr does a great job reacting to what he "sees." With this movie, the world met Godzilla and the franchise took off.
ALL the movies are here including the 1998 horror from Roland Emmerich which is now in the Godzilla universe as merely "Zilla." The iguana of that movie didn't show up until 55 minutes into the movie and was not the monster we know and love, but it has its place as introducing another facet of the monster. And, let's be open here about the criticisms of the 2014 collaboration between Toho and Legendary Studios where Godzilla; who should be the star of a movie named after him, right; gets all of a bit less than 10 minutes screen time in a 2 hour movie. The villains were shown more. And yet, that movie ranks much higher on the "likability" scale than Emmerich's film because of the deviation from what Godzilla is.
Also covered, although not as deeply, are the cartoons (OMG. I'd forgotten Godzrooki.) and the graphic books. I hesitate to call them "comic" books because that connotes something different.
I am a Godzilla fan and this book will be part of my collection. It fills in gaps in my knowledge. Images reproduced are crisp and clear and colorful. A full explanation of the plot is first, followed by movie stills. More stills come from the Japanese movies than the American ones. That's great because some of those are not well-known. Go get this book if you're a fan.
It started in 1954, with a movie exploring the dangers of nuclear energy. Nothing like this had been done before, and, it could be argued, without dropping a nuclear bomb, twice, on Japan, this might not have triggered the "what if" scenario proposed in the original "Godzilla" movie. It's listed as "Horror," but seen through today's lens, it's less about the horror factor and more of an allegory on our indifference toward our planet. I consider it my favorite of all the Godzilla movies simply because it's the one which started it all.
There is a more "Americanized" version with Raymond Burr, which was released in 1956. It's worth watching both to see how filmmakers tempered the anti-American undercurrent in the 1954 film. Burr does a great job reacting to what he "sees." With this movie, the world met Godzilla and the franchise took off.
ALL the movies are here including the 1998 horror from Roland Emmerich which is now in the Godzilla universe as merely "Zilla." The iguana of that movie didn't show up until 55 minutes into the movie and was not the monster we know and love, but it has its place as introducing another facet of the monster. And, let's be open here about the criticisms of the 2014 collaboration between Toho and Legendary Studios where Godzilla; who should be the star of a movie named after him, right; gets all of a bit less than 10 minutes screen time in a 2 hour movie. The villains were shown more. And yet, that movie ranks much higher on the "likability" scale than Emmerich's film because of the deviation from what Godzilla is.
Also covered, although not as deeply, are the cartoons (OMG. I'd forgotten Godzrooki.) and the graphic books. I hesitate to call them "comic" books because that connotes something different.
I am a Godzilla fan and this book will be part of my collection. It fills in gaps in my knowledge. Images reproduced are crisp and clear and colorful. A full explanation of the plot is first, followed by movie stills. More stills come from the Japanese movies than the American ones. That's great because some of those are not well-known. Go get this book if you're a fan.
January 20, 2023
This book is sub-titled “The Official Guide to the King of the Monsters.” The “Official” designation comes from the fact that the author had the permission and the cooperation of Toho Studios. He includes a summary of every Godzilla movie right up to most recent Legendary film, “Godzilla vs Kong.” For each entry there are action photos as well as promotional pictures from the Toho vault. It is an attractive coffee table book with the cover picture of Godzilla rendered in a rough-textured material that gives the Big Guy a realistic feel. My only fault with the book is that the text is in a small font on a colored page that is difficult to read. The colors change for each of the eras of Godzilla films. It’s a creative approach but it doesn’t work well if you want to read the summaries and the other background material that the author includes. Maybe the editors didn’t think people would actually want to read the text and just look at the pictures. That being said, the book is a great resource for fans of the King of the Monsters.
September 1, 2024
So this took me like over a year to finish reading. I was doing a marathon of all the Godzilla movies before Minus One came out, so I'd watch a film and then read the segment in the book about it.
Unfortunately it seemed like I lived in the only area in the world that never got Minus One in theaters. So I had to wait for the eventual Netflix release. So now I'm done with the book.
It's pretty cool, nice big pictures from the films and some behind the scenes photos too. My one complaint was that there wasn't a lot of stuff for the American films. I understand that this book was probably a joint venture with Toho, but still I would have preferred a little more than just the film posters.
Really good book though, I recommend it to any Godzilla fan
Unfortunately it seemed like I lived in the only area in the world that never got Minus One in theaters. So I had to wait for the eventual Netflix release. So now I'm done with the book.
It's pretty cool, nice big pictures from the films and some behind the scenes photos too. My one complaint was that there wasn't a lot of stuff for the American films. I understand that this book was probably a joint venture with Toho, but still I would have preferred a little more than just the film posters.
Really good book though, I recommend it to any Godzilla fan
April 10, 2025
An absolutely fantastic coffee table book of the Godzilla franchise. Through summarising text and a plethora of pictures, this charts the history of the recognisable icon, including some time devoted to appearances on TV, in comics/manga, and in video games. It's a very informative work that is fantastic for anybody interested in the King of the Monsters, although its release date means that the most recent entry is for Godzilla vs. Kong. I would happily get an updated version just to have Godzilla Minus One included, but for now, this is wonderful as it is.
November 24, 2024
Currently I cannot get enough of the Kaiju universe and I'm on a binge fest to consume all media following Gojira's inception in 1954, eight years after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
This book follows each movie with detailed recounts, photo stills, fun facts and how the franchise has evolved through the last 70 years. Fun fact Gojira is the longest running movie franchise!
All in all, Gojira is my god hehe.
This book follows each movie with detailed recounts, photo stills, fun facts and how the franchise has evolved through the last 70 years. Fun fact Gojira is the longest running movie franchise!
All in all, Gojira is my god hehe.
July 10, 2024
Since this project has the full endorsement of Toho Studios, you aren't gonna get an objective look at Godzilla movies, and the author isn't shy about parroting the company line throughout. But, boy, there are tons of photos of Big G and his cronies to look at, and the cover offers some genuine tactile pleasures.
December 26, 2024
Great gift for Godzilla fans. It chronicles each film up through Shin Godzilla and the Netflix animated movies with a one- to three-page write-up and gorgeous photos. The write-ups vary in quality and don't go too far into detail on behind-the-scenes info, but it's still a fun trip through the history of the world's longest-running film franchise.
March 9, 2023
Good stuff
June 21, 2023
Wowzers!
July 9, 2023
A fun look at all of Godzilla's adventures, filled with behind the scenes photos and good stories from the set. For fans of Toho, this is a must read!
December 3, 2023
Definitely one I want for my personal library
December 28, 2023
This was a perfect gift. A wonderful journey through the history of Godzilla.
January 12, 2024
une bonne lecture d après-midi pouvant potentiellement interesser les non-fans de la saga
February 6, 2024
A nicely-illustrated retrospective. Loses a star for a few missed edits and some incorrect plot details. But I am picky about the Godzilla details.
April 22, 2024
Not very much new for the already initiated in here, aside from some of the photos which I hadn’t seen before, but otherwise a great coffee table book I’m happy to own.
May 18, 2024
Urgh!!! If you a massive fan of Godzilla then this is definitely the right book for you.
October 21, 2026
There is so much depth and complexity layered in the Godzilla franchise, all in a big rubber suit made of pure fun family entertainment. It is truly unique in its ability to instill powerful social messages while also existing as exciting popcorn-fuel adventure, and that's why the Godzilla franchise has endured for so long, and will continue to do so for as long as there are screens for the monster to stomp across.
Coffee-table books are grand, n'est-ce pas? Filled with factoids and photographs, comforting and nostalgic rather than incisive and informative. Graham Skipper is a Godzilla fanboy. There's not a single Godzilla film--not ONE--that doesn't get a gushing review about how wonderful the world is because it was made. Baby Godzilla learning to ignite his breath or Godzilla striking karate poses while surf music blasts, it's all wonderful, Baby, simply marvelous. The entire franchise is brilliant social commentary AND exciting drama. According to Skipper, of course.
But Skipper provides an overview of the main films (be aware that Skipper's romp was published prior to the release of the brilliant Godzilla cinematic masterpiece Godzilla Minus One). You get a feel for how Godzilla fans view their films and its characters: Schlocky or childish is not a thing; each incarnation of Godzilla in any medium is a brilliant gem within the overall mosaic.
The pictures are interesting, the plot and production summaries are amusing. And that's all that matters. I'm glad I discovered a coffee-table with this book set on it.
We tip our hats to the King of the Monsters, the hero that began a villain, and that has worked its way into all of our hearts. It wades off now into the sea, sun burning low on the horizon, but perhaps it'll be back. One day, when we need it most--whether as protector against some mythic threat, or to remind us that nature needs to be respected--it'll rise again from the churning waters of Tokyo Bay, that familiar deafening roar rattling our windows and letting us know that Godzilla is on its way...
November 12, 2022
A must for any kaiju aficionado, released just in time to make holiday gift-giving lists. It’s a large-format hardcover, 256 pages, indexed, written by Graham Skipper (Welbeck Publishing, London, 2022) and is the first English-language book about the franchise authorized by Toho, the Japanese studio that gave us the original Godzilla films. It's the perfect complement to the Criterion Collection of Godzilla Showa films.
Each of the franchise’s films gets a full-page listing, as does each of the film eras (Showa, Heisei, Millennium, Reiwa, American) with a final chapter on Godzilla in other media. The book is rich in colour and B&W photographs from both the films and the production sets, as well as colour reproductions of the Japanese movie posters. It’s a beautiful book, well produced, and printed on heavy, glossy stock. It belongs on the bookshelf of every kaiju fan. But…
Some basic information is missing from this new title. Movie running times, for example. Exact release dates (only the year is given). Detailled information about the edited American releases (dates, changes, inserted scenes, etc.). release dates and producers for VHS/DVD/Blu-Ray editions. Transliterations of Japanese titles. A glossary.
Fortunately, most of this info is easily available in some of the previous Godzilla books that aficionados likely already own (if not, add them to your holiday shopping list too!).
With possibly two new Godzilla films coming to theatres in 2023, what better way to refresh your memory and appreciation of the previous films in the franchise than with a brand-new book about them?
Each of the franchise’s films gets a full-page listing, as does each of the film eras (Showa, Heisei, Millennium, Reiwa, American) with a final chapter on Godzilla in other media. The book is rich in colour and B&W photographs from both the films and the production sets, as well as colour reproductions of the Japanese movie posters. It’s a beautiful book, well produced, and printed on heavy, glossy stock. It belongs on the bookshelf of every kaiju fan. But…
Some basic information is missing from this new title. Movie running times, for example. Exact release dates (only the year is given). Detailled information about the edited American releases (dates, changes, inserted scenes, etc.). release dates and producers for VHS/DVD/Blu-Ray editions. Transliterations of Japanese titles. A glossary.
Fortunately, most of this info is easily available in some of the previous Godzilla books that aficionados likely already own (if not, add them to your holiday shopping list too!).
With possibly two new Godzilla films coming to theatres in 2023, what better way to refresh your memory and appreciation of the previous films in the franchise than with a brand-new book about them?
August 18, 2023
This book is a really interesting look into Godzilla films and their plots; however, I was disappointed by some of the overall choices. Each film receives roughly one piece of explanation, followed by a section of pictures. I was hoping for a lot more behind-the-scenes photos, but most of the images are stills from the films or publicity shots.
It's also frustrating that a lot of page space is taken up by very similar images, and I felt like there were some big discrepancies between how many pages of images each film received. For example, GMK gets 10 pages of stills, including images of the human leads, while Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla only has 4 pages of images, and almost all of them are pictures of Mechagodzilla simply standing.
This is a fun guidebook and a nice reference for what each film is about, yet I feel like it was a missed opportunity to show more interesting images and really delve into the filmmaking craft behind the franchise.
It's also frustrating that a lot of page space is taken up by very similar images, and I felt like there were some big discrepancies between how many pages of images each film received. For example, GMK gets 10 pages of stills, including images of the human leads, while Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla only has 4 pages of images, and almost all of them are pictures of Mechagodzilla simply standing.
This is a fun guidebook and a nice reference for what each film is about, yet I feel like it was a missed opportunity to show more interesting images and really delve into the filmmaking craft behind the franchise.
June 12, 2024
A starter's guide, hardly "ultimate". A bit disappointing really.
Minimal behind the scenes info, some of it less than accurate, most of the text is taken up rehashing the plots of the films. This too sometimes not exactly accurately. There are a fair collection of nice BTS photos from the Showa era, and all of the original key poster art, but later era's mostly consist of screenshots from the films (with GMK being wildly over represented by comparison to every other film). Every non film medium was barely given a mention, relegated to the last 4 pages or so altogether.
Honestly, unless you just REALLY want a hard copy, you'll find better information and photos on any number of wikis and fan sites. Pure cash grab.
Minimal behind the scenes info, some of it less than accurate, most of the text is taken up rehashing the plots of the films. This too sometimes not exactly accurately. There are a fair collection of nice BTS photos from the Showa era, and all of the original key poster art, but later era's mostly consist of screenshots from the films (with GMK being wildly over represented by comparison to every other film). Every non film medium was barely given a mention, relegated to the last 4 pages or so altogether.
Honestly, unless you just REALLY want a hard copy, you'll find better information and photos on any number of wikis and fan sites. Pure cash grab.
February 5, 2024
As a Godzilla Fan, I definitely enjoyed this lookback at the history of the iconic monster. I really enjoyed the layout and synopsis that each entry contained, as well as the great photographs that came with those. My only improvement would have been to give the same detail to the more current iterations of Godzilla that the book gave to the previous incarnations, but that is merely a minor quibble on what ultimately was a really fun book to read.
May 29, 2025
This book is pretty much exactly what you'd expect it to be, a nice quick overview of each movie (and some other Godzilla media) along with a plethora of big glossy images ranging from movie stills, to promotional material, to behind the scenes production stills.
If you're a dedicated G-fan you're not likely to learn much but you're certainly guaranteed to see things you've never seen before.
If you're a dedicated G-fan you're not likely to learn much but you're certainly guaranteed to see things you've never seen before.
March 26, 2026
This is a really fantastic encyclopedic summary of every film in the Godzilla franchise, plus an additional (limited) section that covers television, comics, and video games. It's organized by era which is very helpful. Many of the photos are from Toho archives and have never been published before, and the whole book is a colorful and entertaining collection of the Godzilla mythos. It's a great coffee table book, and essential for the Godzilla lover in your life.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews