2008-01-21 Excellent reference for Star Wars fans, Model Makers and artists alike.

This book adds an extra dimension to all the behind-the-scenes type books DVDs etc. Just when you thought you knew everything about the models/ships, here is a book that shows you what you dont know (should be inside). They are fanatically detailed and to scale. I actually bought this to help me build a couple of the old AMT/ERTL models.
The drawings are so detailed they could easily be printed at 200% larger and you would still be engrossed looking at everything. There are some fold out sections which does help to show the illustrator's glorious attention to detail.
It is sorted in chronological order i.e. ships from Episode I first followed by II then III then last section grouped together Episodes IV-VI.

The text accompanying each drawing is equally detailed and done in the "factual" style as in the Visual Encyclopedias. Each with a datafile you could play Top Trumps with. We all know the Millenium Falcon is a modified Corellian YT-1300 transport (don't we?) but what I didnt know is that it had "2 Girodyne SRB42 sublight engines" !

There is a nice feature towards the end of the book on each of the 2 illustrators (Hans Jenssen and Richard Chasemore) with an example showing their art during each stage of work. This type of information always makes me appreciate the technical/artistic ability of creators even more.

One very tiny but practical complaint is that the book is so large at 36cm tall it doesnt fit on any of my shelves with my other StarWars/Lucas Arts/ILM hardbacks.