Wedge Antilles – hero, warrior, star pilot. The only rebel to face two Death Stars and live to tell the tale.
Wedge confronted death countless times, in battles large and small, where split-second decisions often meant the difference between survival and a fiery demise.
Now, he tells his story, and those of the brave pilots he served with and elite enemies he fought against. Aided by unsealed archives from the New Republic, and unreleased interviews of Imperial and Alliance veterans, Antilles gives the definitive account of what it was to fight the Galactic Civil War from the cockpit of a starfighter.
The ships, tactics, and weapons, but also the quiet times and camaraderie, the moments of fear and despair, the thrill of victory and the aching loss of friends. This is the untold story of the galaxy’s star pilots.
Reviews for Star Wars: Star Pilots:
‘Chris Kempshall wrote Star Pilots in such a way that reminds us that fiction can be just as inspirational as reality. I think this book is the perfect blend of nerdy starfighter details, heart and humanity from the pilot interviews and footnotes and of course the joy and hope that Star Wars has always provided all of us.’
‘This book really stuck its tendrils in me and there were times that I forgot I was reading a piece of fiction, because it felt very real. And that’s the historian’s lense overlayed to this book … and I think it’s needed.’
Chelsea Zukowski, Space Wizards Book Club:
‘Star Wars: Star Pilots is part historical text, part memoir, and part long-form journalism, showcasing the experiences of pilots during the Galactic Civil War. Their stories are raw and real and relatable — at times exhilarating and inspiring; other times heartbreaking and horrifying … You’ll never watch any Star Wars the same way after reading Star Pilots. Period.’
What Does Star Wars Mean To You?:
‘This book sucked me in with its casual realism … Chris was the perfect person to write this as a historian and a researcher and an author.’
‘Genuinely, I never felt like I was reading someone writing Wedge’s words/thoughts; rather it was like picking up a memoir that you’d find in a bookstore in the galaxy far, far away. Kempshall does an excellent job of maintaining the tone and presence of Wedge’s voice throughout the text even as it jumps between topics, interview subjects, and the more technical aspects of things. It’s an impressive consistency that manages to keep you immersed within the world, while simultaneously giving you all that information us nerds tend to drool over.’
‘I hope Dr. Kempshall gets to return for even more of these books as they fully become such important texts for the time … Star Pilots makes a great companion piece to Rise and Fall but is more than worth a read on its own, even if you have never read a historical book before. I highly recommend it.
‘Star Pilots is both inspired and inspiring. Most of all, it is a book about what it is like to be an active part of the fight against evil and tyranny, not knowing if you’d live to see the triumph of what you fight for. You may be just one man, and it might feel hopeless at times, but you are part of something bigger than yourself, your actions do matter, you are able to make a difference. And it remains highly entertaining all the way through!’
‘The Wedge Antilles of Star Wars Star Pilots: A History of Space Combat is a brilliantly drawn character, and how Chris Kempshall uses him is a superb entry point to delve into the nuance of Star Wars that can be glimpsed on screen but that we would never see outside of works like these. The use of the histories of air combat to populate Kempshall’s narrative is sensitive and never exploitative, using the elements from real documented experiences to add layers of colour and, in many cases, pain to the flashy battles we’ve grown up with.’
‘Dr Chris Kempshall, knocking it out of the park with the commentary of ‘if you don;t have a concerted effort to make sure that the honest truth is told there are going to be people who come and fill in their own versions’.’
‘Writing a book like this wouldn’t be possible without both a deep knowledge of real-world history and both a fascination and understanding of what Star Wars is saying about our own lived experiences. Kempshall is the perfect person to pen these sorts of books because he knows Star Wars isn’t real. And yet, he takes everything that makes it feel real and makes such a story both informative and, well … necessary.’
