Just got through reading Anticipation: The Real Life Story of Star Wars Episode I - The Phantom Menace .

It was a really interesting read.

Unlike what the title implies, it doesn't get into the "making of" very much. This gets more into the societal anticipation for Episode I. He goes through the timeline of the movie's announcements and all the events surrounding it: the media hype, the toy promotions, the lineups, the backlash, Celebration I, the box office. I'd honestly forgotten most of the stuff that happened. So I felt this wierd flashback effect through the whole thing.

Oh, yeah. Putting the trailer online before releasing it to theaters was a big deal.

Oh, yeah. Using StarWars.com to market the film had never been done.

Oh, yeah. The media really went nuts with the film.

It can be a little dry to read. The author never quite settles on whether he's writing a straight history or a commentary. So you do get some authorial opinions thrown in every now and then. And the straight reciting of facts does get a little tedious at times.

But if you'd like a historical record of what happened during that time, then pick up the book!