How Star Wars Conquered the Universe: The Past, Present, and Future of a Multibillion Dollar Franchise

In 1973, a young filmmaker named George Lucas scribbled some notes for a far-fetched space-fantasy epic. More than forty years and 37 billion later, Star Warsrelated products outnumber human beings, a stormtrooper army spans the globe, and Jediism has become a religion in its own right. Lucass creation has grown into far more than a cinematic classic it is, quite simply, one of the most lucrative, influential, and interactive franchises of all time. Yet until now the complete history of Star Warsits influences and impact, the controversies it has spawned, its financial growth and long-term prospectshas never been told.In How Star Wars Conquered the Universe, veteran journalist Chris Taylor traces the series from the difficult birth of the original film through its sequels, the franchises death and rebirth, the prequels, and the preparations for a new trilogy.