The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire By Dr. Chris Kempshall
Reviewed By: Jeremy Zentner, Adult Services Assistant
Genre: Science Fiction
Suggested Age: Teens and Adults
What is This Book About? Ever wanted a comprehensive guide to the history of canon Star Wars? Well, now you have it in Dr. Kempshall’s The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire. This book reads as a faux history book or a mockumentary. The author writes as if he were the historian Beaumont Kin of the Lerct Historical Institute and a captain in the Resistance’s Intelligence Division, after the defeat of the First and Final Orders. During his excavations on Exegol, Beaumont writes this book with newly discovered material from the Sith temple, as well as general historical knowledge on the Empire, collected from various reference sources, declassified files, and memoirs. Styled as a general history book in the vein of the real history book, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, this book offers a basic timeline and general concepts for canon Star Wars history.
My Review: As a huge history buff and Star Wars fan, this book offers a fun medium to gush over. What I particularly love about this book is that it does not just use the movies or even the newer shows in isolation (though they are referenced), but the author also utilizes books and comics that are considered canon. Books like Inferno Squad, Alphabet Squadron, and Twilight Company, as well as graphic novels like Crimson Reign. It has given me more than a couple of book ideas to put on my reading list! We also get insights into some beloved villains like Grand Admiral Thrawn, Grand Moff Tarkin, and, of course, the mysterious Darth Vader, as well as anti-heroes like Lady Qi’ra. What I also appreciated is that we get some basic narratives of “life in the Empire.” The book details things like: What was the Senate doing during this time period (before Alderaan), what were the economic forces at work, when and where did Imperial atrocities take place and why, how were non-humans treated in the Empire, and what was military life like? It also gets into much of the post-Empire years, detailing the New Republic’s attempt at de-Imperializing the galaxy and the hidden rise of the First Order. If you’re really into mythos and lore, give this a read!
Three Words that Describe this Book: historical, lore, sci-fi
Give This A Try if You Like… Fire and Blood, The Silmarillion, World War Z, The Zombie Survival Guide, Robopocalypse, Star Trek Federation The First 150 Years
Rating: 5/5
