Star Wars: The adventures of Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight by Tony DiTerlizzi and Ralph McQuarrie

Egmont, 2015. ISBN 9781405275835
This is the story of Luke Skywalker's journey from farm boy on Tatooine to Jedi Knight, told in the words of award-winning author Tony DiTerlizzi and matched with the remarkable paintings of Ralph McQuarrie, the concept artist behind the series that has captivated generations since its first release in May, 1977.
There are those so much more able than I to review this new book from this iconic series, many of whom are in or near their 40s and are still devoted fans of the series that was an integral part of their childhood lives and remains a cultural phenomenon still sought after by the young students I teach today. So I will just use the words of the foreword by the author.
"It may be difficult to imagine, but there was a time when Star Wars was not a part of our popular culture. Long before the toys, books and lunch boxes, and even before the first feature film flickered on a movie screen, Star Wars existed in the imagination of only one man: George Lucas. Working from Lucas's various screenplay drafts and through a creative collaboration with the writer-director, visionary artist Ralph McQuarrie realised a universe filled with unlikely heroes, sinister villains and otherworldly vistas.
Rendered in his muted palette and streamlined style, McQuarrie's gouache concept paintings depict what are now some of the most iconic moments in the original Star Wars trilogy. Though Star Wars is a major film franchise, its genesis was told with words and pictures, so it is with great pride that I return this epic battle of good versus evil to its original form."
I could get myself massive brownie points with certain family and friends if I were to pass this book on to them, but given the voracity for this series amongst my young clients, I know it will be a surefire hit on the library's shelves instead.
Barbara Braxton