STAR WARS Lightsabers A Guide to Weapons of the Force Scholastic by Pablo Hidalgo

Just recieved this gem in my mail... and love it.

It is full of info and great lightsaber images, jedi images and even features NEW STUFF / INFO in small dozes across the whole book. Far better than I would have expected.

f.e. nice new lightsaber cutaway illustration, lightsaber crystals, new Jedi named, new illustration of known Jedi among mostly movie pics for others. and also coverage of lightsaber variants, history and many other aspects. well researched and EU loaded.

in the light of TCW I want to note: Adi Gallias death in Obsession is referenced again here and Grievous stolen lightsabers are seen with detailed profiles who they belonged to (Shaak Ti though she survived, Roron Corobb, Pablo Jill, Adi Gallia)

"Plo Koon styled hissaber after that of ancient Jedi Lacunas Subartuk, one of the most vigilant Jedi of the order. His design shall be used for Jedi Sentinnel sabers in Lukes NJO"


also info boxes that sort myth about lightsabers from facts are nice... like untrained lightsaber wielding or cutting through anything... etc. exceptions are explained and the canon is save.

Lightsaber forms and attack zones also get detailed. this book thus might be a cheaper version of The Jedi Path for lightsaber nerds

good: see above

bad: I missed some lightsabers we've seen in the new encyclopedia in the book

ugly: No Ahsoka in there, not even mentioned Movies only mostly guide with EU in text included

 

Does it retcon how sabers can easily injure fresh students (DE) and require a lifetime to master (EGttF), with how any non-sensitive thug with some sword skills can use one, while real skilled swordsmen are able to go toe to toe with a Form 3 master High Council Member (TCW)?

 

sort of, they actually do, but it might not be to the degree and detail you wish it to be explained...

it says that lightsabers can be wielded by untrained nonforcesensitives, though they most of the time are no match to a Jedi since they are not used and trained in a weigth-less blade and tend to easily injure oneself when trying more than the basic stuff with a saber (like a real fight or advanced moves than just cutting a Tauntaun open or fencing), which is very different in battle behavior from a metal vibroblade. thus they can be used by those, but not as perfect as those who trained with it for years/lifetime. but nonjedi can wield them matching jedi if they are swordtrained since their training with different bladed weapons has them adapt easier to the blade than non-swordfighting trained ones who prefer blasters and injure themselves more easily.

so in short:
-fresh students are mostly untrained in bladed weapons (especially if trained as children! or people picked out of average life instead of combat life)... thus injury risk is higher
-nonforcies that got sword training: adapt easier and faster to the lightsaber but still need time to master it
-nonforcies without sword training: ouch time see fresh students
-lifetime trained Jedi: mastered the blade; potentially rivalled by maybe Tapani lightfold trained people or those with similiar weigthless or low weigth bladed weapon training.

hope this helps, I expanded the info box stuff with my own educated guesses based on what it presented in shortest form.

my guess: though there are those who train with hilts and nearweightless blades to be able to wield lightsabers I guess to be able to counter Jedi if they have to. or they train with similiar lightfolds of the Tapani sector. either of that might explain our continuity troubles with lightsaber use in the wrong hands

 

Can I get some more information on this book? It sounds like something I'd have to get as soon as I've got sufficient funsd to pay for it, so any more information that'd help search for it would be helpful.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Lightsabers-Star-Wars-Scholastic/dp/0545271770/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1292708705&sr=8-3-spell

what else do you need to know?

Product Details
Reading level: Ages 9-12

Paperback: 64 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.; Original edition (December 10, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0545271770
ISBN-13: 978-0545271776
Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 5.4 x 0.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces

 

The Amazon link was all I needed. I'd just never heard of this.

Thanks for the quick reply!
EDIT: Anyways, is there any info on saber variants? IE, any hope to an end to my lightwhip-related headaches at long last?

 

yes, lightsaber variants mentioned AND pictured AND with their nice little text explanation

lightwhip (and its energy or metal tendril functions), shotos, guard shotos, lightsaber tonfa, dualphase, etc. also in the individual jedi and lightsaber info there are hints about waterproof lightsaber vs. the nonwaterproof standard version, etc.

all things lightsabers, really. even materials that can't be cut and where they are found, etc.

 

...no more lightwhip headaches?

I. Have. GOT. To. Get. This. Book.

 

So basically, the "retcon" is that lightsabers are far easier to use than previously implied. In spite of even the Force being unable to prevent serious injury in newbies. In spite of even someone aided by the Force requiring a fiendishly long time to master it.

I'd need to read it for myself to know for sure, but that hardly sounds like a retcon at all, Just what we already knew made explicit, and making as little sense as ever. Plot convenience it is, then.