Walt Disney is an American hero--the creator of Mickey Mouse, and a man who changed the face of American culture. After years of research, with the full cooperation of the Disney family and access to private papers and letters, Bob Thomas produced the definitive biography of the man behind the legend--the unschooled cartoonist from Kansas City who went bankrupt on his first movie venture but became the genius who produced unmatched works of animation. Complete with a rare collection of photographs, Bob Thomas' biography is a fascinating and inspirational work that captures the spirit of Walt Disney.
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I SIGNY-SUR-MER is a small windswept village on the Normandy coast, a few kilometers from the beaches where Allied troops landed on June 6, 1944. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
I SIGNY-SUR-MER is a small windswept village on the Normandy coast, a few kilometers from the beaches where Allied troops landed on June 6, 1944. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I just finished reading this book and thought it was absolutely fantastic. It takes you through the life of Walt and his associates as he/they make 'Disney' a household name. The author speaks of the struggles and triumphs along the way. It was interesting to read how many failures he had before becoming successful. This book traces the origins of Mickey Mouse, many of the GREAT Disney films, and, of course, Disneyland. There's a lot of personal stuff. It starts with his father's birth and works it's way to that sad day when Walt passed away. I found the Disneyland part to be some of the most interesting. Honestly, I found this book to be so entertaining that I read it in a few days. After reading, you will understand why Walt Disney is/was such a great man. This book doesn't sugar-coat the truth. It's a great and interesting read. I highly recommend this one to all.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This was the most inspiring biography I have ever read. I bought it while on vacation at Disneyworld in Orlando this past November with my girlfriend and family, and I couldn't stop reading it. I found the most interesting period of his life to be the years between 20-35, when no one would give him a chance. I am a fiction writer who has written seven novels in the past decade (my 20s), and each of them has been rejected so many times I don't even want to think about it. I can not tell you how difficult it is to put everything I am as a human being into something I believe in and to face as much disinterest from agents, publishers, editors, magazines, and universities as I have.
Many of Disney's friends gave up on him. Even his family began to think he was crazy.
To read that Walt Disney went through a very similar period in his life to what I'm currently going through was like giving me a light at the end of a very long, dark tunnel. It made me hope. And when a book can do that, you know it is something special, man. Walt Disney truly was an American original; more than that, though he was a person who inspired dreams, goodness, and optimism even in the face of terrible adversity.
Stacey
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
The book is the official biography of Walt Disney, financed by his family. Thomas turns Disney into a plaster saint. There is no depth or complexity. Even criticism or reflection have been largely edited out. Thomas never deals with serious, legitimate issues that would shed light on the thinking and motivations of Disney's actions. The book is so laughingly one sided that I could only recommend it as an example of how cult followers view their leader. For in many ways Disney founded a cult
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Most recent customer reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
Walt Disney an American
Disney might have done more to win World War 2 than any other general, president, or any otherworld leader combined. Read more
Published on May 20 2004 by Carlos
5.0 out of 5 stars
A true original
This was a thoroughly riveting and revealing insight to the great man and his dream.
Published on Mar 4 2004
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good story, but not historical
Let me first say I am pro Disney. I read this book for personal interest and chose it after reading the comments listed below. Read more
Published on Dec 22 2003 by John Gilmore
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Key to the Kingdom
"Walt Disney: An American Original" professes to be the authorized biography of Walt Disney. Originally written in 1976, ten years after Walt's death, and then revised in 1994 for... Read more
Published on Jan 5 2003 by rareoopdvds
5.0 out of 5 stars
Highly Recommended
I was reluctant to read this particularly biography of Walt Disney because of its apparently sponsorship by the Disney corporation . . . Read more
Published on Oct 30 2002
5.0 out of 5 stars
A look inside the man that is Walt Disney...
I loved this book. I'm a Disney fan. When I say that, I don't mean that I'm a fan of the "Buy anything and everything" corporate God that is The Walt Disney Comapny. Read more
Published on Feb 27 2002 by J. Long
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful way to celebrate
I recently finished reading this book, which I found hard to put down. I have always been fascinated with Walt Disney and all of his wonderful work. Read more
Published on Sep 23 2001 by P. Huntsinger
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book!!
This was such a great book!!! It catalogues the life of this great man from the start of his life to his fatal battle with lung cancer. Read more
Published on May 28 2001 by Erin Iverson
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent biography of an American icon
I read this biography with considerable interest. I was not very old when Walt Disney died, but I remember watching the Wonderful World of Disney every Sunday evening. Read more
Published on July 29 2000 by R. Mohr
5.0 out of 5 stars
A first-rate biography for a first-rate man
Walt Disney was my hero as a child. I grew up a few miles from Disneyland; the re-release of a Disney animated classic was a major event in my life. Read more
Published on July 25 2000 by Robert James
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