One thing that struck me as I made my way through the first fifty pages last night, is how the economic outcome of Empire must have shaped Lucas's approach to Jedi. Not only did its cost put him in an extremely poor position re. negotiating with Fox, something that runs through that first section as Lucasfilm vie for position with a very small stick. But it's probably also the reason Lucas decided to amp the third films 'fun' up and do away with as much of the darkness as he could. After all Empire fell short of Star Wars's grosses, even if it did good business; people just weren't coming back for seconds and thirds, and the rationalization was that it was because it left them with less closure and satisfaction than Star Wars had.

I'm also continually struck by the honesty of these books. There's a sizable passage dedicated to talking about McQuarrie burning out and walking away from the production because he just couldn't do anymore spaceships and aliens; of him feeling old among all the young ILMers at the time and of course how he hated ewoks.