Review: 'The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire' is a deeply moving love letter to Star Wars history
The in-universe history text is the first to show what happened after the Battle of Exegol in “The Rise of Skywalker.”
There was no doubt in my mind that I would love The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire. The new in-universe historical text written by real-life historian Dr. Chris Kempshall is everything I (also a historian) want to read in a reference book. There are footnotes, an index, and SO MANY details and Easter eggs connecting stories from across the canon AND Legends to create a comprehensive political history of the Empire.
What I didn’t expect, however, was how deeply moving this book is. It shouldn’t come as a surprise as the job of historians isn’t just to recite dates and facts but to paint a picture of a period with critical, human emotion-filled analyses of what went right and wrong.
For decades, we’ve watched how cruel the Empire was. Its atrocities are no secret even to the most casual Star Wars fan. But Kempshall’s writing adds fresh horror and heartbreak to make sure we never forget what happens when democracy dies to thunderous applause.
The book is written from the point of view of Resistance historian Beaumont Kin (Dominic Monaghan in The Rise of Skywalker). Beaumont does what historians do best — explore what happened, in detail, and offer critical analysis to explain why it happened. The text references key historical events and figures from the Clone Wars all the way to the destruction of the second Death Star and the rise of the First Order to paint a nearly comprehensive picture of why the Empire rose and fell when it did.
This book isn’t a Star Wars history book, it’s a galactic history book. You’re reading it as if you’re a student in the Star Wars universe researching Imperial history and politics for an assignment. So, you’re getting a perspective of galactic history that is inevitably missing things because of lost sources and heavily redacted or destroyed records. The Empire, Beaumont writes, kept meticulous records of many things, but some of its worst atrocities weren’t documented due to Imperial apathy, indifference, and bigotry.
In other words, The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire is just like our own history books. Similarly, the book should make you draw connections to real-world politics and the rise and fall of empires. Star Wars has always been and will always be heavily political — war is in the name and George Lucas was not-so-subtly influenced by the Vietnam War to craft his original space opera tale.
The best history books are, yes, full of key dates, events, biographical information, and analysis. But they also make you feel things like horror and hope. Kempshall’s book will make you even more horrified by what the Empire did to the galaxy for over two decades. And it will stop you in your tracks with how real, non-fictional the analyses and warnings feel.
MORE: Book talk with 'The History and Politics of Star Wars' author Chris Kempshall
Many parts of this book are difficult to read. There’s horror and heartbreak and death and destruction — all at the hands of a fascist, totalitarian government led by the old, evil, smallest man who ever lived. But it cannot be overstated how important this book is to Star Wars lore, fans, and historians (like myself) who value real-world reflections in entertainment.
The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire isn’t all sad and serious. It’s an excellent and at times exciting collection of canon events from movies, TV shows, books, and comics that come together to paint a broad-stroke picture of the original Star Wars saga. Coupled with Kristin Baver’s biography Skywalker: A Family at War, the two books create the most comprehensive look at several decades of galactic history.
Without spoiling anything, The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire is also the first Star Wars project to show what happened immediately after the Battle of Exegol in The Rise of Skywalker. The book doesn’t spend too long on the aftermath, but it’s still exciting to get little hints of what the Resistance discovered on the remote Sith world.
This book will make lore-loving Star Wars fans very, very happy — especially those wanting to see more Legends content brought into the canon. I found myself noting characters and events I’d never read about before and wanting to find the book or comic where they appeared. As if my Legends TBR could get any longer!
I also found myself viewing key Star Wars figures and events in a new light thanks to Kempshall’s/Beaumont’s analyses. I’m not usually interested in military strategy, but I was fascinated by the author’s arguments for why the Empire’s “win” at Hoth was actually a failure and how anti-alien sentiments were key to the Rebellion’s victory at Endor.
As I said before, this book felt like it was made just for me and other nerdy historians. Kempshall’s love of history, Star Wars, and sharing those combined passions with others shines through from page one. I was truly in shambles by the first couple of pages because of the footnotes and historical writing style. It’s everything I could want in a Star Wars history book, and it inspires me to keep working toward a Star Wars history book I hope to write someday.
The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire is now available from DK Books, to whom I owe a thank you for sending a review copy.
I also owe a special thank you to author Chris Kempshall for writing such an inspiring book and for already offering to field my calls for help with my forthcoming nonfiction history book. — more on that here.
Oh this looks like a really good read.
I can see a book on the history of Star Wars space travel in your future...