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Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages
An illustrated guide takes readers behind the scenes of every episode of "Star Trek" and "The Next Generation," with additional sections on "Deep Space Nine" and "Voyager"
361 pages, Paperback
First published July 25, 1993
2 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
About the author
Edward Gross
139 books43 followersEdward Gross is a veteran entertainment journalist who took his childhood passion for film and television and turned it into a career. As a student at Hofstra University, while most of the staff of The New Voice was interviewing the likes of student senators and faculty members, he was speaking to people like playwright Neil Simon (awarded an honorary degree by the school), Curtis Sliwa of New York’s Guardian Angels, Dr. Daniel Schwartz, the police psychiatrist who interviewed both David Berkowitz and Mark David Chapman; and James Bond director John Glen. Early on he sold pieces to New York Nightlife, Starlog and Filmfax magazines and was on his way.
Over the years he would not only become a correspondent for Starlog, but part of the editorial staff of Fangoria, Cinefantastique, SFX, Cinescape, Sci-Fi Now, Not of This Earth, RetroVision, Life Story, Movie Magic, Film Fantasy and TV Magic. Online he was Executive Editor, US for Empire Online, Film and TV Editor at Closer Weekly, Life & Style, and In Touch Weekly, and Nostalgia Editor for DoYouRemember? Currently he is senior editor at Geek magazine, and editor and podcast host for Voices from Krypton (devoted to the superhero genre), TV RetroVision (classic television) and Vampires and Slayers (the name says it all).
In addition to the oral history books he’s written with Mark A. Altman, Gross’ other titles include Secret File: The Making of a Wiseguy and The Unofficial 25th Anniversary Odd Couple Companion; X-Files Confidential; Spider-Man Confidential; Planet of the Apes Revisited with Joe Russo and Larry Landsman; Rocky: The Ultimate Guide; and Stargate: SG1 — In Their Own Words.
Over the years he would not only become a correspondent for Starlog, but part of the editorial staff of Fangoria, Cinefantastique, SFX, Cinescape, Sci-Fi Now, Not of This Earth, RetroVision, Life Story, Movie Magic, Film Fantasy and TV Magic. Online he was Executive Editor, US for Empire Online, Film and TV Editor at Closer Weekly, Life & Style, and In Touch Weekly, and Nostalgia Editor for DoYouRemember? Currently he is senior editor at Geek magazine, and editor and podcast host for Voices from Krypton (devoted to the superhero genre), TV RetroVision (classic television) and Vampires and Slayers (the name says it all).
In addition to the oral history books he’s written with Mark A. Altman, Gross’ other titles include Secret File: The Making of a Wiseguy and The Unofficial 25th Anniversary Odd Couple Companion; X-Files Confidential; Spider-Man Confidential; Planet of the Apes Revisited with Joe Russo and Larry Landsman; Rocky: The Ultimate Guide; and Stargate: SG1 — In Their Own Words.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 8, 2018
Das Captain's Logbuch ist eine unautorisierte Biographie des (Film) Star Trek-Mythos von den 60er Jahren bis Anfang der 90er (zu Beginn von DS9). Die Autoren vertreten die Meinung, dass Star Trek ein einheitliches Universum darstellt, aber sie haben leider die Comics und die Romane nicht betrachtet. Ein solcher Überblick läßt nich auf sich warten.
Nichtsdestotrotz ist es eine ernsthafte und ausgewogene Betrachtung des Mythos, angefangen mit den ersten Ideen, den beiden Pilotfilmen und schließlich die drei Staffeln der Fünfjahresmission der ENTERPRISE. Nach den verlorenen Jahren der 70ern mit der Zeichentrickserie und den ersten Kinofilmen wird der Reboot mit den Abenteuern von "The Next Generation" und "Deep Space Nine" beschrieben. Umgarnt mit ausführlichen Episodenführern und farbigen Bildern ergibt der Band einen schönen Überblick über Star Trek von den 60ern bis zu den frühen 90ern.
Nichtsdestotrotz ist es eine ernsthafte und ausgewogene Betrachtung des Mythos, angefangen mit den ersten Ideen, den beiden Pilotfilmen und schließlich die drei Staffeln der Fünfjahresmission der ENTERPRISE. Nach den verlorenen Jahren der 70ern mit der Zeichentrickserie und den ersten Kinofilmen wird der Reboot mit den Abenteuern von "The Next Generation" und "Deep Space Nine" beschrieben. Umgarnt mit ausführlichen Episodenführern und farbigen Bildern ergibt der Band einen schönen Überblick über Star Trek von den 60ern bis zu den frühen 90ern.
July 12, 2020
Just another of the many books to separate the die hard fans from their money. Not one thing new in this book, just a lot of rehashed information.
May 26, 2010
Well, on the plus side the authors did a good job of gathering and assembling information. On the negative side, the book is full of typos, can be overly negative at times, and is incomplete since it was made while the Star Trek shows were still on the air.
The Original Series stuff is fantastic and covers the show better than The Star Trek Compendium does. The Next Generation stuff is okay but not as strong. As for Deep Space Nine and Voyager, it doesn't really get into these shows, so don't be fooled by the cover.
Oh, and again, there are typos on EVERY page. It's really shameful.
The Original Series stuff is fantastic and covers the show better than The Star Trek Compendium does. The Next Generation stuff is okay but not as strong. As for Deep Space Nine and Voyager, it doesn't really get into these shows, so don't be fooled by the cover.
Oh, and again, there are typos on EVERY page. It's really shameful.
maybe-read-sometime
July 15, 2012Somehow I thought this was work of fiction in the sense that it would have, well, captains' logs that the authors had created. If I had been thinking I would have realized that "unauthorized" made that impossible. Instead it's information and interesting trivia about the various series. Might be interesting to have if I ever re-watch Next Gen (something I'm contemplating), but not right now.
April 8, 2021
First, the elephant in the room. This volume was "complete" when I bought it, but not when I read it. Basically, it covers up to the end of TNG season 5 and the pilot of DS9. So, far from complete now.
It's probably not a book to read from cover to cover, as I have just done. In fact as, just a few pages from the end, I decided to finally start a re-watch (in some cases, a watch) of Trek, I may have been better served dipping into it after each episode. Because that is what the book is - an episode guide, but disguised as an academic tome. Each episode gets a brief summary and then varying degrees of quotations which build up how the episode was developed. It's completely unofficial, so nobody was interviewed expressly for the book. There are sections on the development of the series, the films, the animated series and, rather confusingly, an appendix of the "lost episodes" the only covers one.
Being honest, the book is riddled with typos and there us a lot of repetition, inevitable I guess when different people are talking about the same episode, but could have been cut down by some more judicious editing. The are very small photos dotted throughout but, presumably because of the book's status, most are if Trek guest stars appearing in something else. A large handful of more official, colour photos are grouped together in one section. I have seen reviews that say this book doesn't break new ground, that none of the facts are new. I guess that depends on what you have read before. This is by far the biggest and most comprehensive volume on Trek that I have read so far, so much of it was new to me.
Despite Roddenberry's ethos that in the future we will all get along, the over-riding picture here is of behind the scenes squabbles, falling outs and arguments, which doesn't really seem to be balanced out until later seasons of TNG. It may all be true, but it leaves a slightly bad taste reading about it, as do some of the author's comments which, while maybe attempting humour, come across as a bit "snarky" in places.
It's probably not a book to read from cover to cover, as I have just done. In fact as, just a few pages from the end, I decided to finally start a re-watch (in some cases, a watch) of Trek, I may have been better served dipping into it after each episode. Because that is what the book is - an episode guide, but disguised as an academic tome. Each episode gets a brief summary and then varying degrees of quotations which build up how the episode was developed. It's completely unofficial, so nobody was interviewed expressly for the book. There are sections on the development of the series, the films, the animated series and, rather confusingly, an appendix of the "lost episodes" the only covers one.
Being honest, the book is riddled with typos and there us a lot of repetition, inevitable I guess when different people are talking about the same episode, but could have been cut down by some more judicious editing. The are very small photos dotted throughout but, presumably because of the book's status, most are if Trek guest stars appearing in something else. A large handful of more official, colour photos are grouped together in one section. I have seen reviews that say this book doesn't break new ground, that none of the facts are new. I guess that depends on what you have read before. This is by far the biggest and most comprehensive volume on Trek that I have read so far, so much of it was new to me.
Despite Roddenberry's ethos that in the future we will all get along, the over-riding picture here is of behind the scenes squabbles, falling outs and arguments, which doesn't really seem to be balanced out until later seasons of TNG. It may all be true, but it leaves a slightly bad taste reading about it, as do some of the author's comments which, while maybe attempting humour, come across as a bit "snarky" in places.
February 3, 2020
"Lavishly illustrated" is a really generous description here.
This was just okay. I agree with another reviewer that the TOS piece was the best, the TNG part was okay, but not terribly descriptive. DS9 and VOY are just token mentions, really. This isn't anywhere near as detailed as, say, the DS9 companion, but it was still fun to read. The pictures were ok-in other books you'd see more of pictures actually taken on the set, and that lends more interest. There is some background info you can't get in other places, and for that it was worth the time. If you aren't a collector, some libraries will have this, and that might be the way to go on this one.
This was just okay. I agree with another reviewer that the TOS piece was the best, the TNG part was okay, but not terribly descriptive. DS9 and VOY are just token mentions, really. This isn't anywhere near as detailed as, say, the DS9 companion, but it was still fun to read. The pictures were ok-in other books you'd see more of pictures actually taken on the set, and that lends more interest. There is some background info you can't get in other places, and for that it was worth the time. If you aren't a collector, some libraries will have this, and that might be the way to go on this one.
February 13, 2024
El libro que yo tengo con este título y este ISBN está escrito por Tom Rogers y no está para nada relacionado con Star Trek, sino que es un compendio de apariciones cinematográficas y televisivas de superhéroes y héroes pulp hasta 1992. Parece que hay algún tipo de confusión al respecto.
March 20, 2008
Brag: My copy is signed by Tim Russ. Back before you had to pay for autographs.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews