Historical events and themes were critical to George Lucas's formation of the characters and plots in his Star Wars movies. Reagin (history & women's & gender studies, Pace Univ.; editor, Twilight and History) and Liedl (history, Laurentian Univ.; editor, The Hobbit and History), in cooperation with Lucasfilm and its archive, here explore those connections. Divided into three parts relating to wars, political history, and economics and sociology, the essays address topics from the ways dictators come to power to the horrible realities of slavery. Princess Leia is compared to underestimated female spies from the Confederacy and World War II, and the Trade Federation of Star Wars is likened to the Dutch East India Company. As the book makes clear, Though the writing is somewhat uneven and not aimed at a scholarly audience, the essays (all new), authored by scholars in a variety of fields, draw out historical nuances in the Star Wars world and allow readers to make previously unseen connections. VERDICT This approach is a compelling and productive way to interest students—and Star Wars fans—in history. Recommended for buffs of the film or of history, and to high school history students.—Elizabeth Winter, Georgia Inst. of Technology Lib., Atlanta