As well as some of the more familiar planets such as Tatooine, Hoth and Coscurant (The Imperial homeworld), this large-format, illustrated volume gives the low-down on some of the further-flung corners of the galaxy, including planets and moons featured in the comic and paperback spin-offs. Each planet featured has a detailed account of the local terrain, the indigenous natives and their significance and relevance to Star Wars lore in general.

Obi-Wan may have taught you well, young one, but not as well as Daniel Wallace, the author of this edition, whose obsessive enthusiasm for the most famous sci-fi franchise in the universe led to Lucasfilm commissioning him to produce a series of these Essential Guides. Casual Star Wars fans may find some of the entries too obscure to be of interest, but for the army of fanatical aficionados, this is a valuable and informative addition to the growing body of Star Wars literature. --Ed Maidment