Take a looksie here:
http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/03/studying-how-star-wars-mined-history/?ref=business
"The events in “Star Wars,” the opening credits reveal, happened “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.” But did similar events happen before?
That is the question posed by “Star Wars and History,” a book planned for 2013 by the publisher John Wiley & Sons. In an e-mail posted in June, Nancy Reagin, a history professor at Pace University, and Janice Liedl, an associate professor of history at Laurentian University in Ontario, asked their peers to submit essays that explore the parallels between world history and Star Wars history."
It is officially sanctioned by Lucasfilm, though, and much of it will be about mining "Lucas’s notes and input about what patterns of history actually did go into Star Wars or influence his thinking." I expect it will be chock full of propaganda as a result...
“I find your lack of faith disturbing.”
I think this is an interesting concept. I'm not sure how big a deal the "sanctioned by Lucasfilm" thing is. Certainly if it was published through Lucasfilm there would be some level of white-washing that would undermine a truely critical analysis of Lucas' thinking and writing. But all "sanctioned" might mean is that Lucasfilm gave permission to publish such an anthology and are otherwise hands off.
I would be more interested in Star Wars' effect on world history. The 1980's would have been very different without Star Wars around!
Where were you in '77?
I've never really had an interest in books that tie Star Wars things to real world things. The connections always seem like tenuous ploys to make people interested in something because it's "connected with Star Wars."
Keep Circulating the Tapes.
END OF LINE
(It hasn’t happened yet)
Oh Kosh, this is the moment I wish this forum had smiley buttons doing all kinds of tricks, I'd probably post them all.
“George Lucas is a history buff, and his fascination with history greatly influenced the plot and themes explored in the Star Wars universe.”
Please bear with me as I offer three samples comparing the fictional universe of STAR WARS and real history:
A) In a strange coincidence two years after NEW HOPE in the real world in July 1979 the rebels had won and had driven their dictator and his reign of terror out of their country (after an earthquake in the 70's the man had sold international blood donations to hospitals of the big brother country, instead of providing his people with the much needed aid!). Their celebration picture was taken near the steps of a church, showing civilians, supporters and rebel soldiers in a scene not too dissimilar from the final moments of NEW HOPE.
This was a rebellion against a terror regime, much like STAR WARS, "good" had won over "evil". The place: Nicaragua - The big brother: the United States of America (Roosevelt once remarked about old Somoza: He's a son of a bitch, but he is OUR son of a bitch).
Jimmy Carter didn't have the balls to stop supporting this terror regime and rather than to admit it was a fault, Ronald Reagan (thanx Ollie North) tried to destabilize the country for the next years to come, adding misery to the brave people of Nicaragua that had just wanted to get rid of the family clan, that had been raping the country for decades.
I hardly think this history lesson will make it into a book targeted at US audiences. I can already imagine people suspecting STAR WARS to be a vehicle for subversive, communist propaganda...
B) George Lucas the history buff? I can't tell whether he ever read anything about a city called Stalingrad. In a manner of speaking it was the "Battle of Endor" for the German 6th Army and the Soviet army, the turning point in World War II and the road to victory for the allied forces fighting the 3rd Reich.
At the end of JEDI we see the imperial citizens of Coruscant (the "good guys" from their own point of view) celebrating the demise of THEIR leader and THEIR forces.
After Stalingrad German audiences listening to Goebbel's speech were equally cheerful and applauding - but not because of the icy death and bitter defeat of relatives but because of the announcement of "total war".
Compare this real life event to the Special Edition of JEDI and seriously tell me that what George Lucas presented us here has anything to do with reality, mind real history.
C) Yes, the toppling of Palpatine's statue that was prophetic of the toppling of Saddam Hussein's statue in Bagdad after the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Unfortunately, as we now know, just beating an opponent's army and toppling some statues doesn't automatically bring peace or stability and rather on the contrary Iraq sank into chaos.
In short: Even considering STAR WARS (Special Edition) to be a bait to interest young people in history is most likely an ill-fated attempt, as the final closing message is uttery unrealistic, unhistoric and reflects history understanding from the mindset of a 6 year old.
And please let's not forget INDIANA JONES: Mr. Lucas, Mr. Spielberg, how do you say good-bye in Austria? With a kiss? I had no idea Adolf Hitler was a kisser (he was from Austria, not from Germany).
And what about dictatorships and brainwashing propaganda like illustrated in 1984. How can we possibly stay clear of all that newspeak crap and rewriting of history?
I don't share Michael's optimistic faith, in my humble opinion this will be the biggest white-wash in the cultural history of the early 21st century.
After all, doesn't a company collaborating on such a book, passionately support education and truth beyond ANY shred of doubt?
Lucas on the colorization of the THREE STOOGES in 2004: "Maybe just the fact that they're in black and white makes it funny, because their humor is dated. But by putting it in black and white, it puts it in a context where you can appreciate it for what it was." Lucas on film preservation before Congress in 1988: "The public's interest is ultimately dominant over all other interests."