Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition)

The Halo Encyclopedia is an official guidebook of the Halo Universe, published by Dorling Kindersley. The encyclopedia has a foreword written by Frank O'Connor, head of the Halo Franchise Development Group, with Tobias Buckell editing. It was released on October 19th, 2009.

Official DK Summary
"This is a must-have guide to the Halo universe. Humanity teeters on the brink of extinction, as hostile forces and ancient mysteries threaten to snuff out our first fiery foray into the universe. Take a trip into the world of Halo and discover everything you ever wanted to know about the characters, weapons, vehicles, equipment and locations from Halo, Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo Wars and Halo 3: ODST. From the Colonial Administration Authority to the UNSC, you'll find an overview of Halo's human history and structure and gain insight into key organizations. Discover all about the Covenant - its history and religion - as well as the Forerunners, Flood and much more. It's what Halo fans have been waiting for."

- Dorling Kindersley

Contents

 * Foreword by Frank O' Connor
 * Introduction
 * 1) Timeline
 * 2) Humans
 * 3) Spartans
 * 4) The Covenant
 * 5) The Flood
 * 6) The Forerunners
 * 7) The Human-Covenant War
 * 8) Science and Technology
 * 9) Transport
 * 10) Locations
 * 11) Weapons

Reception
Reception to the Halo Encyclopedia was mainly half-and-half, with most reviewers praising the book's details. However, some reviewers stated that the images "blown up to show just how shoddy their design was in game".

Others criticized how the book was filled with numerous spelling and grammar mistakes. Occasionally, the Encyclopedia would also have the wrong pictures in some areas, such as putting both the Scout and Rogue armor as the same, and picturing the Truth and Reconciliation as an Assault Carrier, when it is actually a CCS-class Battlecruiser. It also provided references to I love bees and Believe, both considered non-canon.