Hereford based writer James Clarke had a new book published this month. His second for the Pocket Essentials film director series, this one is about the films of George Lucas.

"I had grown up a huge fan of the Star Wars and Indiana Jones films," James explains.

"To have the chance to write a book about the creator of both of those is a lot of fun. What makes the book different and fresh, I hope, is that it also gets to grips with Lucas' other movies, which tend to be lost in the shuffle of his most popular films. My biggest hope is that the book meets the interests of Star Wars fans but also readers who are interested in Lucas' other achievements."

The book takes a look at all of Lucas' films as a director, the second half taking readers through his work as a producer.

"One thing I have tried to do is really focus on the film's impact just in cinematic terms. When it comes to Star Wars there is a lot of material out there about its mythological associations - which is interesting for sure - but I wanted to keep the approach simpler somehow. And I hope it will make a fresh read."

The book was written last year but will include a full section about the most recent Star Wars film, Attack of the Clones.

"That was an opportunity not to be missed." James adds.

" I watched the new movie the day it came out then headed home and wrote up a chapter about it for the book. It's great that the book is completely current. Not what I had expected being able to do when I began the project."

The Pocket Essentials: George Lucas is out now. The Pocket Essentials: Steven Spielberg remains available.