Amazingly, forty years have passed since Star Wars blazed an indelible trail, blasting its way into cinematic and cultural history, becoming both a shared experience and part of our overall imprinting. There’s barely a person alive who hasn’t heard of it. Every single aspect of the franchise has been exhaustively researched and written, over and over again.

Except one.

Up to now, nobody has examined the unique experience that we in the United Kingdom had while we waited an agonising six months between the American release date of May 25th, and the arrival of Star Wars here, in a limited handful of cinemas on December 27th.

Craig Stevens has amassed a treasure trove of anecdotes from those involved in the pre-release publicity, as well as a thorough examination of how information about the film trickled through to those of us who were anxiously awaiting its release in those long ago days before the internet and indeed, home video (though you could actually buy a fifteen minute Super 8 film showing highlights for an extortionate sum).

Vividly written, it’s a satisfying nostalgic trip for those of us who were around back in 1977, getting the latest Star Wars buzz from STARBURST’s predecessor House of Hammer and the odd press release in the national dailies. For those of you who weren’t, it’s a look back at how the industry was back then – limited release patterns where films would take months to reach the provincial cinemas out from the cities. And better yet, there were never any spoilers. If you wanted to know the plot, you had to read the novelisation of the film.

Stevens has done an amazing job of evoking a simpler era. Covering not only the release of Star Wars itself (and yes, it WAS simply called Star Wars back then – with no episode title or numbering) but also the sheer anticipation of the release of Empire and Jedi, whose release followed the American pattern.

All in all, a joyous and celebratory look back at a unique era of fandom, the likes of which we’ll never see again.

THE STAR WARS PHENOMENON IN BRITAIN: THE BLOCKBUSTER IMPACT AND THE GALAXY OF MERCHANDISE, 1977-1983 / AUTHOR: CRAIG STEVENS / PUBLISHER: MCFARLAND & CO INC / RELEASE DATE: DECEMBER 30TH