Mythmaker

Book excerpt: These days it's hard to find someone who hasn't seen the Star Wars and Indiana Jones trilogies. Now the man behind those epic movies and numerous other blockbuster hits comes alive in this definitive biography that traces a shy, ambitious film student's transformation into one of the industry's most influential leaders. Acclaimed biographer John Baxter uncovers the roots of Lucas's enigmatic genius and independent spirit and shows how he joined with other idealists to found the new Hollywood, an effort that paved the way for the event picture, the phenomenon of product licensing, and ultimately the finest visual effects studio in the world. Drawing upon voluminous research and interviews with Lucas's friends and colleagues, Baxter gives us the clearest picture yet of an icon of popular culture who is recognized by many but understood by precious few.