Even by the standards of the 1970s, even compared to Jar-Jar Sinks, the legendary 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special is a peerlessly cringeworthy pop-culture artifact. Among its highlights are a singing Princess Leia, Bea Arthur flirting with a giant rat, Luke Skywalker slathered in pancake makeup, and a holographic Diahann Carroll seducing Chewbacca's father. Just how on earth did this thing ever see the light of day? To answer that question, as Steve Kozak shows in this fascinating, often hilarious book, you have to understand the cultural moment in which it was broadcast-a long, long time ago when cheesy specials were a staple of network television and Star Wars had not become the religion it is today. Despite the involvement of some of the most talented people in the industry, creative differences led to a wildly uneven finished product. Kozak gives entertaining accounts of the problems that plagued production, including cast members passing out in overly constrictive costumes, the acrimonious departure of the director and Lucas himself, and Jefferson Starship's Grace Slick, just out of rehab, demanding to be included in the show. Packed with behind-the-scenes photos and countless new interviews with performers and personnel, this is an uproarious look at a strange moment in pop-culture history that remains an object of fascination even today.