(Written by Ernest)
Today I would like to show you a book I have been reading and is an excellent reference and interesting read for LEGO fans of all ages, LEGO Minifigure Year by Year: A Visual History. The book was actually released last year but it hasn’t lost its popularity, and with the holidays coming up you might want to put it on your wish-list or get it as a gift for someone else. 🙂
How are LEGO minifigs made? Why are they yellow? How did the first minifigs look like? All these and many more questions are answered in this fascinating book on the history of LEGO minifigures from 1978 up to now. Below is the official description of the book:
Collect the complete visual history of the LEGO Minifigure! Learn more than ever before about the LEGO minifigure! Trace the history of this fun little creation through time as it evolved in every theme and every year. This full-color collection features great visuals with fun facts, designer secrets and details you won’t find anywhere else. Makes a great must-have gift for minifigure fans! Features 256 full-color pages of LEGO minifigure history and photos. Learn the fun facts and design details of the minifigure, from its creation to today! Makes a great gift for minifigure collectors!
The book is written by Gregory Farshtey and Daniel Lipkowitz, and published by DK Publishing – known for their very high quality LEGO related books. It is full of large and crisps pictures of minifigs through time, along with interesting historical details and fun facts. It is divided into five sections according to the decades minifigures have been produced: 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. The sections are color-coded so it is very easy to find the content you are searching for.
The LEGO Minifigure Year by Year: A Visual History book is hard-cover and includes 3 minifigures inside the front cover: a LEGO City robber, a LEGO City townsperson and a LEGO Star Wars Stormtrooper. None of the minifigs are unique, but it is still nice to add them to your collection.
Besides some basic information about each minifigure, there are also “Did You Know?” sections showing weird-but-true-facts that are really interesting. The book also includes which set the minifigs come from, which is quite useful when you are trying to locate a particular minifig.
It is really interesting to see that although the basic minifigure design remained the same for so many years, there has been so many changes too; facial expressions, hair and headgear pieces, and even skin-color! Also, while the first minifigures were either just plain or had stickers for decorating the torsos, now minifigs are fully printed not just on the front and back of the torsos, but also on the legs and arms – thanks for the advancement of printing technology! However the original simple minifig with the smiley face is still very popular and included in various LEGO sets.
Although the book doesn’t include every single minifigure ever made (that would be an incredible feat!) it does give an excellent review of each time-period with plenty of examples and just enough information to keep the book interesting for both young and old LEGO fans. I highly recommend it for LEGO for LEGO fans who enjoy a good book.
The LEGO Minifigure Year by Year: A Visual History book is available at book-stores and also on Amazon. You can get it here: LEGO MINIFIGURE YEAR BY YEAR ON AMAZON
If you have the book already feel free to share your own review on it in the comment section below. What did you find most interesting? How did you like the information provided? And what about the pictures? Would love to hear your opinion, and it helps out other readers as well. Also, if you would like to list your favorite minifigs, you are welcome to do so! 😉
And you might also like to check out the LEGO Books section for more book reviews, or select from the following related posts:
Yay! First comment! 🙂
Thita, can you please link my name to my contributior page? Thanks a lot!!!!
Ernest, already done. I had to wait until the article was published. 😉
I have that book it is realy cool
I have it too, and I highly recommend it. 🙂
Nice. I saw it in the store but didn’t have any money on me. 🙁
Good post Ernest, and that was in ernest.
I was in India all of August, btw. I have some posts to catch up on! 🙂
Oh yeah. Greg Farshtey is a great writer. He’s worked a lot with LEGO Bionicle comics and novels, right?
Are you going to tell us about your trip? I have been to India once for 3 months. It was very interesting and different.
Its an interesting book. I tend to use it for reference rather than anything else. I bulk buy lots of 80s/90s collections and need to unpick the minifigs for onward sale. For this its a lot easier than bricklink or brickset.
Tom, that’s a really good use of the book! Thanks for sharing!
I really want this book, I have the first one made that goes up too 2009 or 2010 or something close to that. very worth it for the first book. I think next time I go to Barnes and Noble I’ll be getting the book! how much is it in US dollars? $30.00?
oh, $22.08, but is it just that price on amazon or is it that price everywhere? 😕
The standard price is actually $40, so expect to pay that much at a book store – unless they have a sale going on. Amazon almost always have the best prices on books. 😉
Fo-fo-forty dollars?! Wow, almost all the other books on Lego Shop are $25 or less. But for its size I’d say it’d be deserving of that price.
I checked the price for this book at the Online LEGO Shop. It was listed as $40 and I was quite surprised too. For books Amazon is almost always the best option. 😉
I got mine from a book sale for £10, so about $18 at the time
Okay, thanks for your help. (I’m going to be picking this up really soon. 🙂 )
This is the greatest book!!!! I bought it last year around Christmas. One for me and one for my brother!
That’s such an awesome book! I have looked into it before, actually glanced through it when it was on sale at a store. I should really get it for that Stormtrooper, as I need some of those and have none. Same with the crook.
How come the guy’s book in the video doesn’t match the other pictures and the one on Lego Shop? For example, his has Max Solarflare and Donnie where Cragger and the Robot should be. 😕
Oh and also the Exo suit is available in Europe. As of current it’s still available everywhere except the US and Canada. But there’s also supposed to be a restock in early October. 😉
Good question. I’m not sure. Perhaps they changed it in the last minuute? I have the same version as the reviewer’s.
There are different versions in different countries, I guess.
Ernest, yes, that’s quite possible.
Do you know if there has been another book made from 2014, series 11 onwards? We have this book but my son has the collections after!
Thank you!
The “I Love that Minifigure” book was published a year alter (end of 2015), so it’s a bit more current, but that’s the last one that came out. You can see it here: http://amzn.to/2nshkB9