About this item
The definitive biography of one of the most influential filmmakers ever - George Lucas. On May 25, 1977, a problem-plagued, budget-straining, independent science-fiction film opened in a mere 32 American movie theatres. Conceived, written, and directed by a little-known filmmaker named George Lucas, Star Wars reinvented the cinematic landscape, ushering in a new way for movies to be made, marketed, and merchandised. And if that wasnt game changing enough, Lucas went on to create another blockbuster series with Indiana Jones and completely revolutionized the world of special effects, not to mention sound systems. His work and legacy have led to a rash of innovation and democratization in film and television. Simply put, George Lucas is one of the most influential filmmakers of the past 50 years. He is an icon, and his fans will be eager to listen to a biography as impressive as his achievements - especially in the midst of J. J. Abrams reboot of the Star Wars franchise.
About the Author
Brian Jay Jones is the critically-acclaimed, bestselling biographer of some of the world's most iconic creative geniuses. His most recent biography, Becoming Dr. Seuss: Theodor Geisel and the Making of An American Imagination (Dutton, 2019) , has been hailed as "a rich, anecdotal biography" (Kirkus, starred review) , "sweeping in scope" (The New Yorker) , and "nuanced, profoundly human, and painstakingly researched" (NPR) . His 2016 biography of filmmaker George Lucas was the first comprehensive biography of the influential creator of Star Wars and Indiana Jones in nearly two decades. George Lucas: A Life (Little, Brown, 2016) was praised as "definitive" (New York Times) , "whiz-bang" (People) , "must-read" (Parade) and deemed by Rolling Stone as "the one biography for casual and die-hard [Star Wars] fans alike."Brian's second book, Jim Henson: The Biography (Ballantine, 2013) was a New York Times bestseller, and chosen as the Best Biography of 2013 by , as well as one of the year's Top Ten books by CNN viewers. The first full-length biography of the iconic creator of the Muppets, Jim Henson: The Biography was celebrated as "illuminating" (The Atlantic) , "insightful" (Parade) , "masterful" (Kirkus) and "compulsively readable" (The AV Club) .Praised by the Washington Post as a biographer of "slightly off-center American geniuses," Brian's biography of Washington Irving (Arcade, 2008) , was greeted as the definitive biography of American literature's first popular author and pop culture icon. The Associated Press deemed it "authoritative," the Washington Post called it, "engaging," while the New York Times summed it up simply as "charming." Which pretty much made his year.Born in the Midwest and raised in the Southwest, Brian has a degree in English from the University of New Mexico, which he immediately parlayed into a brief career as a manager of a comic book store before getting into politics and speechwriting. He spent more than two decades as a public policy analyst and speechwriter for elected officials at all levels of government, including nearly ten years in the U.S. Senate.He lives in New Mexico with his wife and a very excitable dog who refuses to stay off the furniture.
