This book is virtually a one-stop shop for literally all your Star Wars trivia needs. It is exactly what is says on the cover – a visual encyclopedia, meaning a wealth of just about everything anybody could ever want to know about the Star Wars universe. There are over three thousand entries with supporting photographs, pictures and diagrams covering every aspect of the Star Wars universe that is still considered canonical. So, don’t expect to see any form of acknowledgement that the dreaded (and legendary) Star Wars Holiday Special ever occurred, nor the two Ewok TV films, nor Droids nor the Ewok cartoon series.
However, such trivialities are of no consequence when you can immerse yourself in every facet of every detail from The Phantom Menace to The Force Awakens including Rogue One, The Clone Wars and Rebels. Everything is put in its proper historic perspective.
As well as the sheer scope of the information at your fingertips, the insane amount of detail and careful thought that goes in to every frame of these films is bewildering as you delve not only into the spacecraft, uniforms, armour, vehicles, insignia and weaponry of every faction – but also the indigenous flora and fauna of each planet either visited or mentioned is here in all its minute detail. Even what the various species eat and drink, wear, their habitats, their leisure activities. Once you start – it’s very hard to stop digging deeper and deeper while enjoying the truly all enveloping information that comes alive page after page.
There is, however one small, tiny, drawback with this book – and it’s the same one that plagues every book of this type while its subject matter is still developing and expanding. Namely – the book is a complete and exhaustive indispensable font of information that will delight every Star Wars fan – BUT, it’s only going to be complete until The Last Jedi is released in December.
Until then however, bask in the glory of this amazing volume and wonder how you ever managed to win a Star Wars argument without it. The Force is strong in this book!
STAR WARS VISUAL ENCYCLOPEDIA / AUTHORS: TRIIA BARR, ADAM BRAY & COLE HORTON / PUBLISHER: DORLING KINDERSLEY LTD / RELEASE DATE: 7TH SEPTEMBER
