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Star Wars And History (2012)

by Nancy Reagin(Favorite Author)

3.64 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

0470602003 (ISBN13: 9780470602003)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Wiley

review 1: A mixed bag. Tony Keen's chapter comparing the rise of Augustus with Napoleon, Hitler and Palpatine is sane as modern leaders have often explicitly presented themselves as the heirs to Rome, and Star Wars clearly has Roman influences. Crucially, because this isn't nailing a wafer thin metaphor to a historical idea, he's able to contrast as well as compare Star Wars to history.There are some other good chapters Kevin S. Decker is also able to usefully find ancient parallels and differences. Lori Maguire compares the Death Star to modern thoughts about nuclear weapons and the influence of the film on ideas about the USA's SDI "Star Wars" defence.Some chapters are ok and some are poor. Often Star Wars is used as a starting point for whatever the authors really wanted to talk ... moreabout.One chapter, by Paul Horvath and Mark Higbee is surely a Sokal-style send-up of the idea. Their chapter includes the sentence: "In A New Hope, the Rebels destroy the enemy's most powerful weapon, the Death Star; in the Civil War, emancipation destroyed the Confederates' reason for war, as well as the foundation of their economic system." The idea that two people would sit down and sincerely say: "In many ways freeing the slaves of the Confederacy is just like blowing up a Death Star," is absolutely terrifying.On the whole, the book seems to be pitched as a history book for people who don't really like history, but like Star Wars. If this sounds like you, I'd go for a Star Wars book instead.
review 2: An interesting look at the parallels between the Star Wars trilogies and events in world history. Each section is authored by a different expert, and while some of the connections seem legitimate (the Trade Federation as compared to the Dutch and English East India Companies, for one), a few seem to be stretching (Padme as Cleopatra).All in all, it puts the series in new historical contexts, and could be useful as a means to spark interest in history among young Star Wars fans. The book never says whether Lucas was aware of, or deliberately used, any of the parallels that it finds. It would be interesting to know.Good summer read for Star Wars/history buffs. less

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