Brian Jay Jones' Biography of George Lucas: A Life

JS: Star wars is so much about living the American Dream !!!
Believe in yourself and God has a plan !!’
The way it was written was outstanding!!!
Great gift for anyone!
I now have to rewatch all of them!!
Such a wonderful book!!’
This should be a Movie!!!!
What a Cast it would have!!!!

United States on Aug 30, 2023

Adam R. Carr: This is a great and quick read about a filmmaker who changed the art form into what we know now. It does a great job of telling us where Lucas comes from and how his mentality was shaped growing up. I feel we know who the person is. The book goes into good detail about his earlier films but does a thorough job of how traumatic making the first Star Wars was. This was a very entertaining read.

United States on Aug 31, 2021

K Terr: Star Wars and Indiana Jones films are among my all time favorite movies. All were during important times of my life and will never be forgotten. I knew absolutely nothing about George Lucas but found I could not put this book down. Less than two days to read. Wishing it was a little longer.
I definitely recommend this book. I really enjoyed learning about the life and films of George Lucas. I liked it!

United States on Mar 19, 2020

James Byron Thompson: Very well researched. Very well written. Gives detail such that one feels to have read the definitive book about George Lucas. Yet does so in an entertaining way. Fairly presents what might be construed as a few negatives regarding Lucas but not much and this is fine as for one he seems to be a genuinely nice man and I would think anyone reading about him would not want him to be disparaged.

United States on Jan 27, 2020

Mark West: “Star Wars” opened in the UK when I was 8, the absolute perfect age and it has remained a firm favourite of mine ever since and I’ve been equally fascinated by George Lucas for most of that time too, especially after reading Dale Pollock’s excellent “Skywalking”. This huge (the hardback is 472 pages before the notes and references) book takes Lucas up to 2016 and although the bulk of it is cut-and-paste (there are a few original interviews, mainly from people I haven’t seen quoted in the past), it’s well presented and nicely written. Making a point of Lucas’ liking for control - and his disdain for the studios and their non-creative executives - it ties everything together well, especially with the Disney deal. My main reason for reading was to pick up the story after “Skywalking” but Lucas’ life up to “Return Of The Jedi” in 1983 is far more exciting a read than afterwards (though that latter period includes the building of Lucasfilm, the divorce and the lean years I remember well as a Star Wars fan) and Jones deals with it in a brisker fashion. A good read, certainly better than the Baxter cut-and-paste, but the must-read for me remains the authorised...

United Kingdom on Aug 24, 2018

Phil B: Before I began my single figure typing I thought I'd check out the other reviews. Unsurprised that they give a good write up, but slightly dissapointed in the novella like detail they have put in.

So in short order: it's pretty much a can't put it down book. The western world and almost everyone in it has been so impacted by Star Wars in all its incarnations so for thst fact alone it's a good delve into the background of the man who started it all. To have his early days as a boy and student and how he develops is truly fascinating. What does make a man like that tick? The book may not answer every single question but gives you the insights and for me personally took me back to the cinema screenings and the sheer escapist excitement the likes of Indiana Jones gave me.

So without further ado, dig deep for 99p and you certainly won't be bored or disappointed. Unlike me today who has just tried to watch "Revenge of the Sith" on good old ITV2. In this case the book IS better than the film...

United Kingdom on Aug 11, 2018

HGS: Ich hatte die Biografie eigentlich als Buch unserem (erwachsenen) Sohn schenken wollen, aber die Kindle-Version war so unglaublich günstig, sodass ich sie mir selbst auch gekauft habe. Eigentlich wollte ich nur mal kurz in das Buch hineinschnuppern, habe es dann aber vollständig gelesen. Der Autor hat das Leben von Lucas sehr spannend erzählt; ich hätte vorher nicht geglaubt, dass eine Biografie so spannnend sein kann. Ob alle Details korrekt recherchiert und dargestellt werden, kann ich nicht beurteilen. Lucas selbst ist vom Autoren wohl nicht befragt worden.

Übrigens macht es auf dem Kindle wieder deutlich mehr Spass, englische Bücher zu lesen. Durch das eingebaute Wörterbuch (und ein zusätzlich gekauftes) wird der Lesefluss beim Nachschlagen von unbekannten Vokabeln wesentlich weniger gestört als beim "analogen" Nachschlagen.

Germany on Jun 22, 2018

Rich: Really well researched and informative biography. I thought I knew everything about George Lucas but this book showed me that my knowledge barely scratched the surface. I have a new found respect for George after reading this and discovering that he's not just a creative genius but a genuinely interesting guy dedicated to artistic integrity, the Star Wars prequels notwithstanding. Very well written in a breezy, entertaining style.

Canada on Dec 22, 2017

Kwokmeister: I felt that the book spent too much time on George's early life. I mean, I wanted to read about American Graffiti and then Star Wars. The backstory about his parents and his childhood wasn't of interest to me. But once the bookmoved onto his movie making period, it became a can't put down book.

United Kingdom on Feb 18, 2017

Melissa: Really enjoyed this audiobook, George Lucas's life, Star Wars & Indiana Jones, advances in filmmaking & technology through those films and a host of others as the Lucas companies developed new technologies through ILM, Lucasfilm, etc. I left having a much greater appreciation for his business and technological advances that have transformed our film viewing lives, so much more than just a handful of movies. THX sound, digital filmmaking, Pixar, and tons of other developments that came from one man's wish to make movies the way he wanted to, to make them good, and to not be beholden to "The Hollywood Machine".

United States on Feb 06, 2017