The Thrawn Trilogy

I wish I still had my 1st Editions.

Lost to time to multiple moves and divorce :P

I disagree.

Thrawn Trilogy takes place 5 years after RotJ, so there would not be as much chaos a you describe. Calling it too clean, too diplomatic, too unrealistic is not an accurate description. Look what happens. One man is able to galvanize the Imperial Remnant back to war with the New Republic. How is that too diplomatic?  For the first half of the series a pregnant Leia is being hunted by the Noghri before they are able to be turned because of her lineage. Luke is taken hostage and has to work to free himself without use of the Force. How is that clean? How is that unrealistic compared to Dark Empire where Palpatine suddenly reappears and starts a fresh war?

When was the last time you read these?

If you go to Courtship of Princess Leia, you do get a feeling of how much fighting is still going on with Imperial Moffs who are acting like warlords and still fighting. That was only 2 years after RotJ. But by the time we get to Heir to the Empire, things have properly stabilized in a realistic manner, but it’s a fragile stabilization, which is represented perfectly.