Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire Review

The Galactic Empire was a bad thing.

You may think this is an obvious statement. After all, we know that Palpatine reorganized the Republic into the Empire after a war in which he manipulated both sides, ravaged whole planets, enslaved whole populations, and destroyed the Jedi Order. He built numerous super weapons designed to ensure its citizens were too fearful to speak out against their oppression. We know this already. We would know this even if we had only seen the movies. We have read countless books and comics that have reinforced this fact over the years.

The Rise And Fall Of The Galactic Empire is Dr. Chris Kempshall's new book. You may know him from his previous books, the nonfiction academic text The History and Politics of Star Wars: Death Stars and Democracy, and as one of the authors behind Star Wars: Battles That Changed The Galaxy. Whatever your opinion of the Galactic Empire, it is unlikely to be good. After reading this book, I guarantee it will be a whole lot worse.

Verdict

In case it hasn’t been clear, I loved this book. I think it’s a bold, ambitious masterpiece. I also recognize that it absolutely won’t be for everyone. It is not a light read or thrilling page-turner, but it is serious, thought-provoking, and, I think, important. It could be the most important Star Wars book of a generation.

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