The Complete Visual Dictionary of Star Wars: The Ultimate Guide to Characters and Creatures from the Entire Star Wars Saga

Book Description

Provides a complete, comprehensive overview of the Prequel movies (Episodes I-III) and the Trilogy (Episodes IV-VI), this is the definitive photographic guide to the entire Star Wars saga.

Customer Reviews:

The Complete Visual Dictionary of Star Wars.......2007-09-26

This book is extraordinary. The pictures are sharp and extremely detailed. There are explanations of many characters that are only seen in the background scenes. I highly recommend if you're a Star Wars fan. My 4 year old won't give it up.

My Star Wars fanatic loves this book.......2007-09-26

I bought this for my 6 year old who is a Star Wars FREAK. He sat down with this book immediately and has not really stopped looking at it since. He can barely read, but he loves examining all of the characters, and the way they are broken down and labeled is very exciting to him. He likes to see everything that he's seen in the movies, and video game, in full detail.
I can't comment on how this book is similar or different to any other book, but I can say, it's very detailed, it covers a lot of information and describes alot of the relationships and uses of the characters & items. My 6 year old can identify way more than I can. This book is well set up, with loads of information and LOTS AND LOTS of details full color high quality photos which is just what we were looking for.

Good luck!

A Must-Have for any Star Wars fan.......2007-09-21

My son constantly wants to look at this book, and he is only 6 and has never seen any of the movies. That pretty much says how good this book is. I grew up with the original Star Wars movies, so looking through this book is like looking into the past for me. It is well put-together, very concise with a lot of nice photos and a plethora of Star Wars information. An excellent resource for any Star Wars aficionado.

Star Wars is a Five star choice for the ultimate fan.......2007-09-09

This book is just fantastic, and it is worth every penny. I originally bought it for my friends son who loves Star Wars. The kid walked around with the book under his arm like a bible! He never put it down. I recently bought it for my own two elementary age boys and they love it just as much. This is wonderful gift to get for any Star Wars fan -- Once again DK has cornered the market on wonderful visual books for young children. Their books are so well executed and so wonderfully edited, they know exactly how to appeal to this age group by giving just enough information with out making it too simple. An adult fan would actually love this book too. It's a great purchase.

My 9-year-old loves this book!.......2007-09-03

I purchased this book for my 9-year-old son who has been a Star Wars fan for a few years. He has spent hours looking through the book on his own or alongside his friends. I have never seen the movies and I have little knowledge of the people in them, but I could easily learn A LOT from this book if I wanted to. The pictures of the people and tools/weapons are great! I also like the fact that they show pictures from movie scenes that depict the people or the tools being discussed on that particular page. This was a great price for a large hardcover book with great details and pictures!

Average customer rating:

A teacher told me about this book.
great book!!
The hiding place
Zapnes' Crew talks about Number the Stars
number the stars

Number the Stars
Lois Lowry
Manufacturer: Laurel Leaf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0440227534
Release Date: 1998-02-09

Amazon.com

The evacuation of Jews from Nazi-held Denmark is one of the great untold stories of World War II. On September 29, 1943, word got out in Denmark that Jews were to be detained and then sent to the death camps. Within hours the Danish resistance, population and police arranged a small flotilla to herd 7,000 Jews to Sweden. Lois Lowry fictionalizes a true-story account to bring this courageous tale to life. She brings the experience to life through the eyes of 10-year-old Annemarie Johannesen, whose family harbors her best friend, Ellen Rosen, on the eve of the round-up and helps smuggles Ellen's family out of the country. Number the Stars won the 1990 Newbery Medal.

Book Description

Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen often think of life before the war. It's now 1943 and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and the Nazi soldiers marching through town. When the Jews of Denmark are "relocated," Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be one of the family. Soon Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission to save Ellen's life.

Customer Reviews:

A teacher told me about this book........2007-09-24

I really enjoyed the book. I went on a trip to Washington D.C. and visited the Holocaust Museum. Since then I have been interested in WWII and mostly the Holocaust. A teacher told me about this book. I read the book very quickly, it was so interesting. My mom liked it too, and read with me. I'm reading it again!

great book!!.......2007-07-12

My granddaughter,11, read this on our vacation, and she told me she absolutely loved it!

The hiding place.......2007-07-01

Annamarie has to hide her best friend away from the Nazi`s by going to Uncle Henrick`s and trying to flee Ellen and her family to Sweeden. This book is filled with adventure and excitement and reminds you of what happened during the Nazi`s reign.
You`ve got to read this.

Zapnes' Crew talks about Number the Stars.......2007-06-22

This book is about courage and bravery for Annemarie and Ellen during World War II when German Nazis invade and occupy Denmark, along with other European countries. The two families, the Rosens and the Johansens, are involved in a journey that many took to help Jews in Denmark to safety. We recommend this historical fiction to people who want to learn about WW II and read about the struggle of the Jews and Danes that lived in Denmark during the war. It's a heart-breaking story about love and danger.

number the stars.......2007-06-15

this book is about a girl annemarie and her sister kirsti. annemaries friend ellen is jewish and annemarie isnt. annemarie and her family hae to hide ellen and her family from the nazis.

Out With the Stars: Hollywood Nightlife in the Golden Era

Average customer rating:

A Real Treasure!

Out With the Stars: Hollywood Nightlife in the Golden Era
Jim Heimann
Manufacturer: Abbeville Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0896595722

Customer Reviews:

A Real Treasure!.......2004-06-27

This is one of those books I can't recommend highly enough if you love old Hollywood or the flamboyant architecture and graphic design of Hollywood in the 20's - 50's. I picked it up on a cut-out table in New York about 10 years ago and have come to appreciate it as one of the best books in my library - in fact it's one of those books that is always getting borrowed from friends who are graphic designers or work at ad agencies looking for inspiration.

Jim Heimann deserves much praise for assembling what is obviously a huge labor of love with lots of great photos and illustrations that you will never see anywhere else - everything from cocktail napkins and matchbooks to beautiful interior photography and paparazzi pics of the stars at play.

Also I'd like to disagree with the review - I actually found the writing in the book to be pretty engaging. It's fairly straightforward and to the point., luckily since there is a lot of history to cover.

Book Description

In the Stars Wars galaxy, evil is on the move as the Galactic Alliance and Jedi order battle forces seen and unseen, from rampant internal treachery to the nightmare of all-out war.

With each victory against the Corellian rebels, Jacen Solo becomes more admired, more powerful, and more certain of achieving galactic peace. But that peace may come with a price. Despite strained relationships caused by opposing sympathies in the war, Han and Leia Solo and Luke and Mara Skywalker remain united by one frightening suspicion: Someone insidious is manipulating this war, and if he or she isn’t stopped, all efforts at reconciliation may be for naught. And as sinister visions lead Luke to believe that the source of the evil is none other than Lumiya, Dark Lady of the Sith, the greatest peril revolves around Jacen himself. . . .

Customer Reviews:

breath of fresh air.......2007-08-23

I was begining to feel depressed about this series because of how dark the themes are, not that this book makes the story bright and happy but I was begining to find the series less fun to read. I picked this book up as a last chance for the series and read it cover to cover in a couple days. I loved it, it really brings the story back to the fun adventureous plot without losing the more sinister undertones that make it exciting.

Star wars: Legacy of the Force book 4.......2007-06-27

Gripping story, I'm a little uncomfortable with Jacen being turned to the dark side, but am hoping it turns out to be a tempory aberation.

Its not great .......2007-06-20

I really can sum up this novel in two words.....Love Commander.I really wish the Star Wars EU guys would STOP makeing up profanity like stang,rodder and kriffing it sounds so stupid use the real deal if you must use it or better yet language has many derogitory terms that arent vulgar use those you may actually educate someone.

Three Stars.......2007-06-13

There were only two real noteworthy things that happened in Exile, Ben being sent unknown to him on a Sith test and the Skywalker-Solo (minus Jacen of course) clan coming to realize that their family being split may be exactly what the enemy is wanting. I liked Ben's test being him alone on a Sith planet where he and only he can choice which path he'll follow and struggling to survive. The second part it was nice to see the Skywalkers-Solos come to the realization. I had hoped with this being the fourth book we would have more answers about the war, the reasons behind it, about Lumyia or something instead the rest was nothing more then Jacen still deciding who his Sacrifice would be and setting up for his plan at the end of the story at painstaking slowness that by the time the it got to the point I was asleep. I hope the next book will better. More answers, more things happening and less endless slowness.

The Dark Side Keeps Coming.......2007-05-22

Another Splendid addition to the Legacy of the Force series. Basically, the story continues with Jason getting deeper into the dark side. Young Ben however is starting to find out that it's not all that good to be bad.
More interesting stories all evolving around different caracters and the War, including one where Ben is tested to see if he really is dark side material. While entertaining, remember the book is still just a segue to the next book. But that is expected in such a long series.

Star Wars Complete Cross-Sections: The Spacecraft and Vehicles of the Entire Star Wars Saga

Average customer rating:

OUTSTANDING REFERENCE TOOL
5 stars for COMPLETE Cross-sections!!
My 5 year old loves it!
Not What I Expected But Great Nontheless
Star wars

Star Wars Complete Cross-Sections: The Spacecraft and Vehicles of the Entire Star Wars Saga
David Reynolds , and Curtis Saxton
Manufacturer: DK CHILDREN
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0756627044

Book Description

This amazing title unites all four Incredible Cross-Sections books in one volume, enlarged and updated with brand-new illustrations-including the TIE bomber, Imperial shuttle, A-wing, and B-wing-along with revised technical introductions, behind-the-scenes pages, glossary, and index. (c) 2006 Lucasfilm Ltd. and TM AUTHOR BIO: Hans Jenssen Hans Jenssen has spent the last nine years in a galaxy far, far away, co-illustrating a total of ten Star Wars books with Richard Chasemore, with whom he has developed a close friendship. They have traveled across three continents, sampled exotic beverages with Boba Fett, and partied with R2-D2. He now lives a quiet life in Devon, England, with his partner and young son. RICHARD CHASEMORE Richard Chasemore has worked as an illustrator and 3-D computer artist in the United States and Europe, most notably on DK's Star Wars: Incredible Cross-Sections and, Inside the Worlds of the Star Wars series. Lately he has written educational books for budding digital artists. He lives on the south coast of England, where he enjoys sports involving boards and high speeds!

Customer Reviews:

OUTSTANDING REFERENCE TOOL.......2007-09-14

Previously, DK Books has release four volumes in their Star Wars cross-sections series, covering the various Star Wars films. In celebration of the 30th anniversary of Star Wars, they've now combines all four of those volumes, along with new illustrations into the massive Star Wars: The Complete Cross Sections. This coffee table-sized hardcover book packs information on every ship and vehicle used in the six films into 152 full-color pages. John Knoll, the Visual Effects Supervisor for episodes I - III, provides the foreword to the book.

The book is basically an encyclopedia for Star Wars ships and vehicles. The items are shown in a cutaway art, allowing the reader to not only see the outside, but also see the interiors as well. This gives fans a unique viewpoint as you generally didn't get a chance to see inside many of these ships and vehicles in the films themselves. Most of these are given a full two-page spread which include data files about each one. The data files provide information such as design and manufacture, wingspan, speed, crew capacity, armament, dimensions, ship or vehicle type, and other special features.

The book begins with Episode I, The Phantom Menace with each of the first three episodes getting their own chapter while the original three films are combined into the last chapter. In addition to the data files, a host of other information is provided on each vehicle as well. Text keys with map lines are drawn to each, pointing out important features of each vehicle. These are about the next best thing to the actual ships blueprints. The detail is simply amazing! On the Naboo Cruiser for example we see where the fuel tanks and fuel lines are located, along with coolant ducts, deflector shield projectors, sensor arrays and even mundane things such as the crew lounge and locker areas. These allow the reader to get inside these massive vehicles and ships and almost take a virtual tour through them.

Get up close and personal with Jango Boba Fett's heavily armed Slave I ship with its blaster cannons, laser cannons, missile launchers, and mine layers. Other ships included from the episodes I to III include Padme's Starship, ARC -170 Fighter, General Grievous's Wheel Bike, Pod Racers, and Palpatine's Shuttle.

The final chapter dealing with the three original films has certainly the most popular ships for fans including the Millennium Falcon, AT-AT Walker, Jabba's Barge, and Darth Vader's Tie Fighter. Several of the major ships and vehicles get fold out sections that provide four full pages worth of data. Chief among these is the first Death Star. The Slave I makes a second appearance here that includes the modifications made by Jango Fett's son, Boba.

Hats off to DK Books for also profiling the two artists whose brilliant work is on display here, Hans Jenssen and Richard Chasemore. The detail and effort that went into these drawings is truly phenomenal. This is one of those items that is tailor-made for the hardcore Star Wars fan, a reference tool that can be consulted over and over again.

REVIEWED BY TIM JANSON

5 stars for COMPLETE Cross-sections!!.......2007-08-23

People should get Star Wars Complete Cross-Sections.
Here are three reasons why anyone who likes Star Wars should get this book.

1. Star Wars Complete Cross-Sections includes information about ALL six episodes in one book. It's great to have it all in one volume instead of four separate books (Episodes I, II, III, and the Trilogy).

2. Star Wars Complete Cross-Sections has extra content not included in the separate volumes. The Imperial Shuttle, the RZ-1 A-Wing, and the B-Wing Star Fighter are new material in the combined book.

3. Star Wars Complete Cross-Sections is jam-packed with large full color illustrations and tons of fascinating facts. The pages are crowded, but the information is great.

The Star Wars Complete Cross-Sections book rules the galaxy and any Star Wars fan would just love to have a copy. I checked it out of the library, but now it's on my Christmas wish list!!

My 5 year old loves it!.......2007-08-11

I purchased this for my 5 year old because he loves Star Wars. We have a couple of other Star Wars guides. He loves the cross section book because "it shows all the ships and details and that's cool". He loves finding something small that I would have missed. Great book for all ages.

Not What I Expected But Great Nontheless.......2007-07-05

Don't know why but I was expecting technical drawings of the Star Wars vehicles. Instead I get beautiful drawings of the vehicles and some of the characters which was an unexpected plus. Especially for scale comparison with some of the bigger vehicles. The reason this item dose not get five stars from me is because when reading the book things can get somewhat confusing there is so much info on each page it practically spills out from the sides. I would recommend it to anybody who wants more information on their favorite Star Wars vehicles!

Star wars.......2007-06-09

My son has not put this book away since we bought it. It goes on every car ride with us, and even to school for free time reading. The pictures are beautiful. He absolutely loves it.

The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film (Star Wars)

Average customer rating:

Wait, you mean there's stuff I didn't already know?!
Wonderful
A wonderful piece to celebrate this film's 30th anniversary!!
Exhaustively complete, excellently thorough
The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film

The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film (Star Wars)
J.W. Rinzler
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0345494768
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Book Description

After the 1973 success of American Graffiti, filmmaker George Lucas made the fateful decision to pursue a longtime dream project: a space fantasy movie unlike any ever produced. Lucas envisioned a swashbuckling SF saga inspired by the Flash Gordon serials classic American westerns, the epic cinema of Japanese auteur Akira Kurosawa, and mythological heroes. Its original title: The Star Wars. The rest is history, and how it was made is a story as entertaining and exciting as the movie that has enthralled millions for thirty years–a story that has never been told as it was meant to be. Until now.

Using his unprecedented access to the Lucasfilm Archives and its trove of never-before-published “lost” interviews, photos, production notes, factoids, and anecdotes, Star Wars scholar J. W. Rinzler hurtles readers back in time for a one-of-a-kind behind-the-scenes look at the nearly decade-long quest of George Lucas and his key collaborators to make the “little” movie that became a phenomenon. For the first time, it’s all here:

• the evolution of the now-classic story and characters–including “Annikin Starkiller” and “a huge green-skinned monster with no nose and large gills” named Han Solo
• excerpts from George Lucas’s numerous, ever-morphing script drafts
• the birth of Industrial Light & Magic, the special-effects company that revolutionized Hollywood filmmaking
• the studio-hopping and budget battles that nearly scuttled the entire project
• the director’s early casting saga, which might have led to a film spoken mostly in Japanese–including the intensive auditions that won the cast members their roles and made them legends
• the grueling, nearly catastrophic location shoot in Tunisia and the subsequent breakneck dash at Elstree Studios in London
• the who’s who of young film rebels who pitched in to help–including Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, and Brian DePalma

But perhaps most exciting, and rarest of all, are the interviews conducted before and during production and immediately after the release of Star Wars–in which George Lucas, Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Sir Alec Guinness, Anthony Daniels, composer John Williams, effects masters Dennis Muren, Richard Edlund, and John Dykstra, Phil Tippett, Rick Baker, legendary production designer John Barry, and a host of others share their fascinating tales from the trenches and candid opinions of the film that would ultimately change their lives.

No matter how you view the spectrum of this thirty-year phenomenon, The Making of Star Wars stands as a crucial document–rich in fascination and revelation–of a genuine cinematic and cultural touchstone.

Customer Reviews:

Wait, you mean there's stuff I didn't already know?!.......2007-09-30

The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film (Star Wars)

I was four years old when the original "Star Wars" was released, and like so many kids of that generation, that film and its two sequels defined an enormous part of my childhood. Even though I didn't know it at the time, it introduced me to the "best bits" of classical mythology, while being a visual catalyst for my imagination (and years of subsequent role-play, particularly in Upstate New York, where re-enacting ice planet Hoth after "Empire" came out was all too easy...).

As I grew older (I hesitate to use the phrase "grew up," as I'm not sure it's happened yet), I came to appreciate more than just the adventure and dynamic visuals that "Star Wars" represented; it was my "gateway drug" into wanting to learn more about how movies were made. I remember all of the TV specials of that era that pulled back the curtain on the filmmaking process, particularly with regard to the original "Star Wars" trilogy, and I couldn't get enough information. That hunger became the same kind of obsession that's typically associated with "Star Wars" fans, and I absorbed every scrap of detail I could find, from Ralph McQuarrie's concept art, to model photos, to script pages, and even before the Internet made it only a matter of a few clicks to access such information, there was a wealth of it, when it came to "Star Wars."

Fast forward to 2007; "Star Wars" is 30 years old, a whole separate trilogy has come and gone, and my own children are budding "Star Wars" fans for their own reasons. I figured I knew pretty much all there was to know about this film. I darn well should have, for as much time as I had spent (and continue to spend) over the years actively seeking out new details about it. Then came this book; I didn't know anything.

This is dense, dense reading, covering every minute detail about every aspect of production of the original "Star Wars," from drafting the script, to getting it taken seriously by Hollywood, to assembling the team that would revolutionize filmmaking as we came to know it. This is a wonderful thing. I find myself poring over every word, every image, every caption and footnote, just as I did as a child who was learning about film for the first time. It is an amazing tribute, an insanely detailed reference volume, and most incredible of all, a unique representation of a film that has been covered in so many ways by so many authors, that finding anything new to talk about seemed impossible.

The aspect of this book I personally find most exciting is that all of the interviews that comprise it are taken from the period immediately surrounding the production and release of the original film. There is none of the revisionist hindsight pertaining to the film that has come about as a result of the films that came after; every word spoken by the people involved is "of the moment," and as such, is refreshingly candid about what was going on while the film was in the throes of its conception and execution.

The hardcover volume is worth the extra cost, because of its additional supplemental material, not found in the softcover edition. There are 45 pages of storyboard reproductions, as well as Lucas' first-ever references to the larger world beyond what was shown in the original film, in the form of interview excerpts taken in 1977, which involve Lucas describing character and environmental background information. As author J.W. Rinzler explains in the opening to the section, "Many of these ideas...[have since been] modified to a greater or lesser degree. They are presented here...[as] an idea of how he first began [the process of expanding the "Star Wars" universe]." Given the amount of tweaking that the backstory has undergone in the decades following "Star Wars," the inclusion of Lucas' first impressions of it in this volume are incredibly valuable to anyone who, like me, has wondered if the second trilogy of films was truly borne from his original ideas, or was more a product of his later experiences.

This book is exactly what its title promises: the definitive history behind the original film. And for someone who has spent most of his life feeling like there was nothing new under the suns (not a typo) when it came to the story of how "Star Wars" was made, that's saying something.

Wonderful.......2007-09-22

I think I've been waiting 30 years for this book. It is excellent and packed with really cool behind the scene photos and notes. It is exactly as it should be given the lack of "marketing" tools of movies back in the late 70's. It has a lot of information and will add nicely to any Star Wars collection for years to come.

A wonderful piece to celebrate this film's 30th anniversary!!.......2007-08-24

Before this book came out, the greatest making of book in star wars lore was Once Upon A Galaxy. Now it has a partner!!! This book is amazing; truly a magnificent look at what it took to get this film on the screen. Not only do you get hundreds of never before seen and priceless photos, the sheer amount of text is incredibly impressive. This was very hard work to put together. There isnt much more I can add about this book. So.......go buy it; and Happy 30th Star Wars!!!

Exhaustively complete, excellently thorough.......2007-08-23

This book goes into more detail than anyone but a die-hard fan would want to know, in all honesty; but as it's one of the greatest movies ever filmed, Star Wars has more than its fair share of die-hards. The book is thoroughly researched and excellently presented and covers every aspect of the film's genesis from the very first words scribbled on George Lucas' yellow legal pads to the opening day. This book is, as the title states, the definitive story behind the making of Star Wars. Again, fascinating for the die-hard, but may be a bit detailed for the casual fan.

The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film .......2007-08-13

For all those you loved the first Star Wars experience this book is a must have. The hard copy has many extra pages and it worth the additional price. The pictures and details included makes this a fun, informative and exciting book to read and re-read.

Sacrifice (Star Wars: Legacy of the Force, Book 5)

Average customer rating:

One of the best Star Wars Universe books yet
Awesome book
It is his destiny!
A great book that offers a glimps of what is to come in real life.
7 on a scale of 10

Sacrifice (Star Wars: Legacy of the Force, Book 5)
Karen Traviss
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0345477405
Release Date: 2007-05-29

Book Description

Civil war rages as the Galactic Alliance–led by Cal Omas and the Jedi forces of Luke Skywalker–battles a confederation of breakaway planets that rally to the side of rebellious Corellia. Suspected of involvement in an assassination plot against Queen Mother Tenel Ka of the Hapes Consortium, Han and Leia Solo are on the run, hunted by none other than their own son, Jacen, whose increasingly authoritarian tactics as head of GA security have led Luke and Mara Skywalker to fear that their nephew may be treading perilously close to the dark side.

But as his family sees in Jacen the chilling legacy of his Sith grandfather, Darth Vader, many of the frontline troops adore him, and countless citizens see him as a savior. The galaxy has been torn apart by too many wars. All Jacen wants is safety and stability for all–and he’s prepared to do whatever it takes to achieve that goal.

To end the bloodshed and suffering, what sacrifice would be too great? That is the question tormenting Jacen. Already he has sacrificed much, embracing the pitiless teachings of Lumiya, the Dark Lady of the Sith, who has taught him that a strong will and noble purpose can hold the evil excesses of the dark side at bay, bringing peace and order to the galaxy–but at a price.

For there is one final test that Jacen must pass before he can gain the awesome power of a true Sith Lord: He must bring about the death of someone he values dearly. What troubles Jacen isn’t whether he has the strength to commit murder. He has steeled himself for that, and worse if necessary. No, the question that troubles Jacen is who the sacrifice should be.

As the strands of destiny draw ever more tightly together in a galaxy-spanning web, the shocking answer will shatter two families . . . and cast a grim shadow over the future.

Customer Reviews:

One of the best Star Wars Universe books yet.......2007-09-11

Let's face it, people who like the Star Wars universe books like space opera. The New Jedi Order series has lots of great space battles, Jedi (-Sith) battles and narrow escapes from overwhelming odds. I've read almost all of them (although the clone wars is a bit much for my taste). Karen Traviss's Sacrifice is up there with the best of Zahn and others, but remarkably, not for the space opera.

The NJO series as a whole moves from space opera to family Saga. Karen Traviss here has written a fairly complex contrast of the key characters and their families (all disfunctional in one way or other): The Skywalkers, the Solos and the Fetts. It is wonderful to see how the characters all work at coping with the problems of their own families and wayward family members, and how a variety of approaches are shown and ultimately compared.

Being the father of my third teenager at this point, a lot of this hit home and gave me things to think about besides Luke's super-jedi-powers and simple light vs. dark stuff. Very highly recommended.

Awesome book.......2007-08-31

This book was pretty awesome. If you like Star Wars you need to read it already!

It is his destiny!.......2007-08-26

I am a born again Star Wars geek. All of the authors in this series are extremely talented. I do agree that some of the other characters should make more appearances in these novels. All in all I am very pleased and can not wait for Inferno. I too would like to read the back story on what prompts Jacen to take that Sith name. Karen Traviss does leave you hungering for more. I love the way she incorporates Boba Fett in this series. I hope there are many more to come. These books are all FAN-tastic. Keep 'em coming.

A great book that offers a glimps of what is to come in real life........2007-08-18

I've read the book, and I must say that it offers a true insite into man's true nature, which is the path of darkness. The reason why Anakin fell to the dark side of the force, was because he knew that it could help him save Padme, but that poor woman gave up and died. I like how Jason becomes manipulative and militaristic, because in real life, that is how the natural Man should be in order to bring about peace and order, even if that order is dictatorial. This book also shows how the strong exterminate the weak in order to maintain it's survival. Lumiya is a more than worthy successor to Palpatine. Jason turned to the dark side, because he knew that he is the only one that can save the galaxy and restore order, just like Anakin did. This book is great and highly recommended.

7 on a scale of 10.......2007-08-10

Let me just start out this review by saying - I really, really like Karen Travis. I've only read "Sacrifice" and "Bloodlines" by her - but after reading these two books I am looking forward to checking out some of her other stuff outside of the Star Wars Universe. I can't quite put my finger on what it is about her writing style that I like so much - but I particularly like how she will incorporate a character's thoughts in italics at times throughout these books. It is a quick, effective way to get to the "heart" of a matter without going into long drawn out details that I particularly like. When she needs to be - she can be very descriptive and detailed - but she seems to know when it is right for a story and when it isn't.

I'm not exactly new to the Expanded Universe of Star Wars novels - but it has been about ten years since I've read a SW novel. I loved the NJO when it got out of the gate but by the fifth book in that series I got tired of reading the same old thing over and over again - which is what if seemed like. So here I am in this new "Legacy of The Force" series and I'm quite pleased with it to this point. The fact that I never finished the NJO series didn't hinder me from reading this one as the authors have filled in the gaps quite nicely. I never read Troy Denning's "Dark Nest" series - which really hasn't hindered me in reading this series either.

Without getting into the specifics of the plot in "Sacrfice" let me just say that of the five books out on this series - this one is the best (and they are all good). The plot moves quickly with numerous twists and turns in it and it is just an exciting read. After the completion of it I find myself greatly anticipating the next one.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8, Issue 2

Average customer rating:

And the story continues
Episode Two: Attack of the Rat

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8, Issue 2
Joss Whedon
Manufacturer: Dark Horse Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic

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ASIN: B000P07OHM

Product Description

The destruction of Buffy's hometown, plus covert and powerful slayer "cells" around the world, add up to a new label for the Scoobies: Terrorist threat. Speaking of Sunnydale, the crater formerly known as, has opened to reveal the witch Amy, and boy is she mad. Season Eight continues as Buffy creator Joss Whedon brings Buffy back to Dark Horse in this direct follow-up to Season Seven of the smash-hit TV series.

Customer Reviews:

And the story continues.......2007-04-22

Warning: Thar be spoilers ahead!

Remember each week those exciting words (which alerted us that we were about to get a new exciting episode of the best show on TV)? "Previously on BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER . . . " The new comic series seems to be doing something along these same lines. On the inside of the outer cover are printed the following:

"This story takes place after the end of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER Season Seven.

"The Slayer population of the world has gone from two to nearly two thousand. Almost five hundred are working around the world with Buffy's organization in squads--or "terrorist cells," according to the American military. Buffy, Xander, Dawn, and a passel of Slayers are currently bunked out in a Scottish castle, where the latest mission revealed a strange symbol carved into human bodies.

"Also, Dawn's a giant."

This may be a summary that is rewritten each month to reflect what has happened in the previous issues.

The first episode in Season Eight established the situation; this one begins moving the story forward. The U.S. military (or rather, a military leader who has on his chest the strange symbol referred to in the monthly summary) has authorized Amy the witch and her army of zombies to go after Buffy and her cohorts. After the story begins with three very different approaches to training the new slayers by first Giles, then Buffy, and finally Andrew (who actually couldn't be said to be training them at all) we find Xander explaining why Dawn took the form of a giant when it was possible she could have assumed other forms instead (obviously, she is trying to get her sister's attention in the most blatant manner possible). The catch is, does Xander really tell any of this to Buffy or is it all just part of what we later learn is a spell-induced sleep in which she experiences an unbroken nightmare. And in a fairy-tale twist she can only be awakened by the kiss of true love. We can, of course, imagine a line of possible candidates for that: Angel and Spike fighting to be first in line. Well, of course Buffy will be awakened, and sooner rather than later. Can't imagine her being asleep at the end of the next episode. The tricky part is how one defines "true love." That needn't mean romantic love. My gut tells me that the kiss won't come from any of the usual suspects. My money is on Dawn. Yeah, I know. No one likes Dawn. But the brute fact is that except for struggling to save her in Season Five, Buffy has been a truly awful sister. Not in a Cinderella step sisterly way, but in the completely neglectful, can't-spare-her-a-minute way. But early in Season Six, Dawn seemed to miss her more than anyone. Like I said, my money is on Dawn.

The issues ends with Buffy asleep, the castle under assault by hundreds of zombies they can't keep at bay, Amy gloating that she could handle slayers with ease, so there was no one there who could take her on. The final frame is of someone who says that they would "like to test that theory." And thus Willow makes her first appearance in the story.

I am going to say something that I don't think I can say often enough. I don't want Joss Whedon writing comics. I want him creating new television shows. I suspect he enjoys the control that a comic gives him. I am sure he is tired of battling studios and networks. I can understand that. But once the battles have been waged and the BS has been waded through, Joss Whedon has been able to create some of the most extraordinary, most timeless television that has ever been made. He needs to get back to it. That being said, I am so much happier with him doing BUFFY Season Eight than either his X-Men project or the Runaways (and mind you, I like both the X-Men and the Runaways). There are others who can tell further stories about the X-Men and the Runaways, but Joss Whedon is only one who can give us authoritative Buffy stories. So I am acquiring these with joy and my heart and impatience in my soul. But I want him back in television. We've had some great TV since BUFFY and ANGEL left the air. LOST, 24, VERONICA MARS, and especially BATTLESTAR GALACTICA have filled the huge gap BUFFY left at its departure. But LOST needs to start winding down (whether it will has to be seen), BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (the only show to completely match the brilliance that was BUFFY) has possibly only one more season left and at most two before Ron Moore brings his series to an end. 24 is definitely in decline. VERONICA MARS might be cancelled. In short, JOSS! WE NEED YOU TO COME BACK TO TELEVISION! But in the meantime, I'll wolf down every one of these issues.

Episode Two: Attack of the Rat.......2007-04-05

Buffy fans will be expecting a lot after seven stellar seasons on television and the success of the first issue of "Season Eight." So the question here is this: Does Issue #2 deliver?

In short, yes. I have to say though--there is so much going on, so many jokes, and so much foreshadowing that I wasn't able to completely enjoy the Jossy goodness until my second read. The first read intrigued me, but the second wow-ed me.

The plot continues directly from the previous issue. Amy (the former rat) is working with the government to take out Buffy and the slayers, and she has an army of zombies to back her up. The ending sequences are amazing--I'm already itching for May 2nd to come so I can get my hands on the third issue. There was a big revelation about half-way through the comic, and clues to who the Big Bad of the season will be as well. Giant Dawn is great, Buffy is true to herself, and Xander is playing the biggest role he's played since the first season.

This issue also re-introduces two fan favorites: Giles and Andrew. So, all in all, this issue is just as good as the first. But did anybody expect anything less? I mean, come on--Joss Whedon wrote it.

9/10

Singing for the Stars: A Complete Program for Training Your Voice (Book & 2 CD's)

Average customer rating:

Worst Book I've Bought
One book, one teacher not nearly enough
Very motivating
Seth Riggs is a Master Teacher
Unusable for people without extensive background

Singing for the Stars: A Complete Program for Training Your Voice (Book & 2 CD's)
Seth Riggs
Manufacturer: Alfred Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Accessories:

Sony WMFX479 Walkman

ASIN: 0882845284

Book Description

What do Michael Jackson, Anita Baker, Natalie Cole and hundreds of other professionals have in common? They all study voice with Hollywood's leading vocal coach, Seth Riggs. You can learn to sing like the pros with this complete program for training the voice.

Customer Reviews:

Worst Book I've Bought.......2007-09-26

This is one of the worst purchase I've ever bought ... I ignored some of the negative reviews that Seth's book got, and bought it anyway just to give it a try.

Singing For The Stars have around 100 pages more or less (don't remember cause I gave the book away 3 days after I bought it), and the fist half of the book is NOTHING but SELF-PROPS (I'm NOT exaggerating). The other half of the book have some informations and some, yet again, self-props. To put it all together, almost every page in this book have some kind of self-props. I skipped all the self-props and finished the book in about 15 minutes. I also found it funny how Seth criticized other competing books and he ended up doing the same thing ... throwing out things without fully explaining it.

The CDs are just ok. This book CD combo is really an exercise program to help you increase your vocal range, so IMHO it will not make you a better singer. To sing good, you'll need more than just hitting the notes. The exercises in his CDs are incomplete ... it goes up in scales but not down.

For beginners: I would not buy this book. Go get voice lessons. This book (even though it have some useful exercises), will NOT make you a better singer. A good personal instructor can and will make you a better singer. If you don't want to spend the $ for an instructor, then search for "voice lessons" on Google & you'll find plenty of lessons for FREE. And yes, these free lessons on the internet (youtube for examble) have the same exercises as Seth's CDs.

For advanced singer: I noticed some reviews said this book is really for the intermediate/advance singers. Probably true ... but if you're at that level, you'll either can play some kind of instruments or know someone that does. You can record variety of scales on your PC and burn it to a CD for around 20c or less (if you buy blank CDs in bulk). Do it yourself CD will not only have better coverage than Seth's CD but will cost less.

One book, one teacher not nearly enough.......2007-07-26

In my opinion, this book has too much self-congratulation in it. It's the mark of insecurity, isn't it? The voice has registers that you have to learn how to smoothly connect; Riggs is quite right about that. Manuel Garcia, the legendary Spanish teacher, wrote about that 150 years ago! Also, the Englishman, Herbert-Cesari wrote brilliantly about these vocal qualities in the 1950's.

Life is short and art is long; and no one teacher or school of thought has a corner on the market of wisdom. Seth Riggs is most likely one of thousands of people on the planet who could give you helpful feedback about your voice. The main thing is to start singing along with studying. Then you learn by doing! Remember a singer sings and doesn't need anybody's approval or permission to do so.

You accumulate knowledge and skill by networking with others, not by getting addicted to hypnotic suggestions that an "exclusive" method guaratees success, or becoming in turn addicted to the personality of a charismatic teacher who may, in part, exploit your dreams; or you may exploit the teacher because you want to dream.

In any case, a real living teacher that you can afford to see regularly can help much. Seek knowledge without looking for magic-wand, short-term solutions or letting yourself be dominated by any fanaticism regarding method. Whether or not you achieve something depends on yourself in the end.

I live and work in Europe as a professional singer. I've sung opera, art songs, negro spirituals, jazz, Irish, etc...

I've also had a chance to get to know a lot of great singers. And since they've walked the walk and not just talked the talk, they have much good to say. They have integrated what they've been taught by others, but also what they learned themselves. They're superteachers!

Singing is about soul...and connectedness to the music and the words. It's also a lot of work to keep the voice healthy and stretched, and the rest of your body too. I have studied in my life with at least 20 teachers. They've all taught me something valuable. I've taken classes at universities, read scores of books and had countless conversations with fellow musicians about music. There's just so much to learn and nobody will be or should pretend to be your fairy god mother. It's a life-long, self-motivated project qua passion.

Very motivating.......2007-07-16

Bought the book to supplement a 'living teacher', and am not disapointerd in the presentation of the concepts. Honestly, most things are better done with a living teacher, but this is good extra material.
Really found the incesant placement of famous people's pictures with their testimonials to be insulting. Name dropping does not a good teacher make unless he/she is teaching name dropping.

Seth Riggs is a Master Teacher.......2007-06-08

The lessons in this collection would cost thousands if you were to pay a voice teacher for them. Seth Riggs offers them for a great price and you can use them forever! This is the best deal!

Unusable for people without extensive background.......2007-03-26

I found the CD unusable because of the speed of the exercises. A friend to whom I gave the book had a similar experience -- frustration, boredom, no results. I had high hopes for this product when I bought it, but I have gone back to Roger Love's book (Set Your Voice Free). I understand that he was a student of Riggs, and perhaps that is the source of his ideas; but I at least found his book much, much more usable. I have taken singing lessons since then from a professional voice coach, and I must say that her approach (which has given me excellent results) is a lot more accessible than Riggs, as well. So, if you are a semi-professional singer with years of experience and the ability to sing very fast scales, this book may be quite useful. For other people, I would say strongly: give it a miss.

Betrayal (Star Wars: Legacy of the Force, Book 1)

Average customer rating:

It was better then I thought
Great Read
A Betrayal of the Force
Polished Beginning to a Promising Series
Good launching of the series

Betrayal (Star Wars: Legacy of the Force, Book 1)
Aaron Allston
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0345477340
Release Date: 2006-05-30

Book Description

This is the era of Luke Skywalker’s legacy: the Jedi Master has unified the order into a cohesive group of powerful Jedi Knights. But as the new era begins, planetary interests threaten to disrupt this time of relative peace, and Luke is plagued with visions of an approaching darkness. Evil is rising again–out of the best intentions–and it looks as if the legacy of the Skywalkers may come full circle. Honor and duty will collide with friendship and blood ties as the Skywalker and Solo clans find themselves on opposing sides of an explosive conflict with potentially devastating repercussions for both families, for the Jedi order, and for the entire galaxy.

When a mission to uncover an illegal missile factory on the planet Adumar ends in a violent ambush–from which Jedi Knight Jacen Solo and his protégé and cousin, Ben Skywalker, narrowly escape with their lives–it’s the most alarming evidence yet that sparks of political unrest are threatening to ignite into total rebellion. The governments of numerous worlds are chafing under the strict regulations of the Galactic Alliance, and diplomatic efforts to enforce compliance are failing. Fearing the worst, the Alliance readies a preemptive display of military might in a bid to bring the rogue worlds in line before an uprising erupts. The designated target of this exercise: planet Corellia–renowned for the brash independence and renegade spirit that have made its favorite son, Han Solo, a legend.

Something of a rogue himself, Jacen is nevertheless duty bound as a Jedi to stand with his uncle, Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, on the side of the Galactic Alliance. But when the wary Corellians launch a counterstrike, the Alliance’s show of force–and a secret mission to disable Corellia’s crucial Centerpoint Station–give way to an armed skirmish. Once the smoke clears, the battle lines are drawn. Now the specter of full-scale war looms between a growing cadre of defiant planets and the Galactic Alliance that some fear is becoming a new Empire. And even as both sides struggle to find a diplomatic solution, mysterious acts of treachery and sabotage threaten peace efforts at every turn.

Determined to root out those behind the mayhem, Jacen follows a trail of cryptic clues to a dark rendezvous with the most shocking of revelations . . . while Luke grapples with something even more troubling: dream visions of a shadowy figure whose Force power and ruthlessness remind him of Darth Vader–a lethal enemy who strikes like a dark spirit on a mission of doom. An agent of evil who, if Luke’s visions come to pass, will bring untold pain to the Jedi Master . . . and to the entire galaxy.

Customer Reviews:

It was better then I thought.......2007-09-12

So I did something I swore I never would do I brought another Star Wars book. It was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. It is in fact a lot more interesting then the vast majority of what passes for Timothy Zhan these days.

So basically the plot is as follows Corellia is on the verge of rebellion due in large part to one of my favorite bit characters Thraken Sal-Solo it is up to the Solos and the Skywalker's to make things right. Only this time a rift will develop between the two.

After a rough first third of the book a strong story develops with cameo appearances from Admiral Pellion, Wedge Zeek and a few others. The real standouts are Jacen Solo and how he starts to develop as a character and Ben Skywalker who is an interesting mix of the character triats of Anakin and Jacen at that age. There are even some interesting revelations that there were a few siths who were really not all that bad. This in turn begs the question; is this really truth or misinformation to set a particular character on a dark path?

Overall-An interesting beginning I hope the quality remains consistent.

Great Read.......2007-09-04

I have neverread any of the Star Wars series before and this is great. I can't wait until the next book cones out. Star Wars fan or not there is drama and intrique in this series I would recommend to anyone who loves to read.

A Betrayal of the Force.......2007-08-20

I enjoyed the writing style in this book. The imagery and descriptions are wonderful, and I did not have the least bit of trouble understanding the action sequences (Though this may be due to the fact that I have read almost every Star Wars book in existence). Within the enclosed world of this book, and possibly the rest of the series, the actions of the characters make perfect sense, and Aaron Allston has done a tremendous job of keeping the characters true to themselves. The flaw in this book is that it is not an enclosed world. The author owes it to previous authors to read their works and write with the intention of staying true to the previously developed stories. The simplifications introduced to our understanding of the Force are the most disappointing facet of the book. For most of the book, the author seems to be enriching our understanding of the Force. When it really counts, though, his understanding of the Force seems to be one of childlike simplicity, a distinct division between dark and light. I was very disheartened. The book is good as a stand-alone novel, but I felt that it flopped as part of the overall saga.

Polished Beginning to a Promising Series.......2007-07-29

I loved this book. I thought the quality of the prose was outstanding, especially compared to other SW books I have read (I am currently reading Kevin J. Anderson's Jedi Academy Trilogy, and it doesn't even come close). I read SW almost exclusively for the Force and the Jedi, and that's the main focus here. The exploration of Jacen's character and motivations is excellent. I especially like the way Allston makes Jacen's fall seem believable. He truly wants to help the galaxy, and Lumiya's temptations are incredibly strong; I even felt myself leaning to the Sith side while reading it! Since Jacen probably knows more than anyone about the Force after his 5-year exploration of various Force traditions, it is completely understandable why he would come to view Luke's light-side purity as simplistic and limiting. The final confrontation between Nelani, Jacen, and Lumiya is without question the best part of the book, as it has a lot to say about competing philosophies of the Force (it's also a good indication of where the series is headed). There's also some truly witty dialogue throughout the book, including one hilarious exchange between Luke and Han regarding "the man who doesn't exist."
Overall, highly recommended.

Good launching of the series.......2007-07-28

Is not easy to think of another great epic series from Star Wars after the huge Yuuzhan Vong war. I always though that nothing worst than that war could happen to our heroes. Still, a new series began and I jumped to read it and even though is a bit tiring to read so many new battles again ( I don't know why the galactic battles are hard to imagine and make me tired) I enjoyed this book and I am hooked to now book 2.
I recommend to read this one if you are a Star Wars fan!!!

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