My only knock on the book is its sometimes awkward phrasing or in my opinion its occasional unnecessary inclusion of information that only slows down the flow of the story. Still, this book is a must-read for anyone looking to learn more about the man behind Mickey Mouse and so, so much more.
Nov 18, Leeann rated it really liked it. While definitely more of a "fantasy" view of Walt's life, this book was still an interesting look into an extraordinary man's life.
I found it inspiring and hopeful that creativity and magic still resonate with people, even in a world as grim and sad as ours now. There may never be another person like Walt Disney- but we can all do our best to be as optimistic about humankind as him. Aug 01, Steve rated it really liked it.
Well written and researched book about the creative life of Walt Disney. Lots of great insights into the personality and character of Disney, although at times it seemed a bit too upbeat. The book is a very readable and good basic work dealing with the life of Disney. Jul 21, Tony Moisan rated it it was amazing. Disney seemed to know was that while there is very little grown-up in a child, there is a lot of child in every grown-up.
Forget all the defined the 20th century and focus on Walt did for the world. Honestly its an much better place. Walt passed before I was born, but his contributions to the world and my life are many. I can be happy, but there is not much that passes Disney World happy for me. Cry after a biography, probably not common, but this one Going to read this again for sure. Wow what an incredible and inspiring man Walt Disney was. I loved this book, I feel like I know Walt personally now. This book was filled with information about his life, but it never felt boring.
It progressed through his life like a story and was easy to read. The amount that he accomplished in the time he was here was awe inspiring, especially considering he basically worked his way up from nothing.
The work ethic and imagination he had was just wow. I feel like we can all really learn a lot Wow what an incredible and inspiring man Walt Disney was. I feel like we can all really learn a lot from him. Definitely recommend this one! Sep 29, Nicole Shaha rated it it was amazing. A thorough and detailed review of the life, creativity and innovation of an American Original.
May 17, P. Winn rated it really liked it. Great behind the scenes look at a man who was intriguing and had several strange idiosyncrasies. Walt Disney also had many secrets in his life that were not known by all. Jan 10, Margaret rated it really liked it. This is a fascinating biography of Walt Disney. He truly was a genius who changed the world. This was a very thorough biography about the greatest innovator and imagineer of all time.
If you love the Disney brand and want to learn more about Walt and his family, this is a must read! Jan 08, Karen rated it really liked it Shelves: book-club. I found this biography fascinating. Bob Thomas did a remarkable job of letting us see the "real" Walt and his many sides. Having grown up in the late 50's and 60's, Disney was a huge part of my childhood and held wonderful memories for me.
Sadly though, I knew nothing about the man behind it all. Walt Disney was to put it simply--iconic. I use that word because it fits who he was. As defined in the dictionary it means: widely known and acknowledged especially for distinctive excellence.
Walt was I found this biography fascinating. Walt was a visionary and a master of not only pushing the limits of his art but also the people he worked with. Great men are often eccentric in their personalities. Walt demanded excellence not just of himself but of those in his employ. If they couldn't think "outside the box" or catch his vision, they were of no use to him. His life was so driven and the scope of all he had accomplished was nothing short of phenomenal.
His continual financial troubles and betrayals by other competitors over the years, never dulled his tenacity to keep moving forward. I loved the relationship he had with his older brother Roy who was 8 years his senior.
Roy was the unsung hero and financial wizard of this duo as he worked behind the scenes to keep the company afloat. This allowed Walt the freedom to pursue his dreams, even though it would be many years before they would see continued financial success.
Frustrated because his vision for the film was limited by technology that was not available during the 70's, he created his own special effects studio in May and named it "Industrial Light and Magic. Walt Disney had so many dreams and ideas that were always changing. This was his gift that brought us cartoons, movies, television shows and a magic kingdom. His mind knew no bounds when a new idea came to him. Disneyland became his greatest achievement in his eyes.
He described his feelings like this, "The park means a lot to me. It's something that will never be finished Not only can I add things, but even the trees will keep growing. The thing will get more beautiful year after year. He would never allow the Disney name or songs to be used to promote "beer, cigarettes, or such things. Disney is something we've built up in the public mind.
They know they're going to get a certain quality, a certain kind of entertainment. His legacy lives on through all his achievements but more importantly through the smiles and happiness of those whose lives he has enriched. Thanks Walt, for bringing a bit of magic to all of us.
One of our assignments was to write a book review over one of the books we read for the course, so I figured I'd share the paper I wrote about this book: Walt Disney: An American Original by Bob Thomas gives audiences an insight into the creation of The Walt Disney Company and the man behind it all: Walt Disney. The book follows Walt Disney from his humble Midwest roots through his ever-growing success in Californi I read this book for a class I am currently taking: The Wonderful World of Disney.
The book follows Walt Disney from his humble Midwest roots through his ever-growing success in California up until his eventual death.
Detailed accounts educate readers on the many hardships Walt endured to achieve his dream and further acquainted us with his contagious, entrepreneurial spirit. Walt pioneered the animation industry with many revolutionary ideas: cartoons with sound, colored cartoons, animated feature length films, etc. He even expanded outside of the realm of animation by initiating a Disney presence in early television which funded the construction of Disneyland, yet another innovation of the time.
Due to his limitless imagination and unwillingness to back down in the face of impracticality, Walt achieved great success against staggering odds and catalyzed the production of the media powerhouse that is The Walt Disney Company that we all know today. While I did enjoy this book, I will admit at times there was a sentence or two that seemed out of place that threw me out of the story and back into reality.
Perhaps I am a picky reader, but I wish the editors would have caught on to these throw-away sentences and either cut them out or edited them into a smoother reading experience.
I was also forced into the realization that Disney, as we know it today, did not always exist and this was a little disorienting because it is almost impossible to imagine a world without Disney. Further, while reading this book, I found myself getting nostalgic even though all the events took place decades before I was even born. This book was essentially describing the creation of my childhood. Reading the details of how Disney films, such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Peter Pan, Cinderella , and other Disney projects, were created made them more meaningful than other cartoons.
While it is understandable that the book would focus solely on Walt in the context of Disney, we never really got a look at who Walt was outside of the company aside from his early years. I was left wondering who was Walt Disney? The book does provide a few small glimpses into who Walt was outside of Disney, such as his polo hobby, his enthusiasm for trains, and his familial relationships, but as the Disney Company grew, we got fewer and fewer of these glimpses.
I am content with never finding out who he really was outside of Disney, but it will not stop me from wondering. The mysterious atmosphere written around Walt also came across as potential idolization of him. The book was authorized by the Disney Company and Thomas was essentially given free reign within the company; he had access to documents, photographs, old interviews, and opportunities for new interviews.
I personally find it suspicious that the book was given the okay from the Disney company and then written in an overwhelmingly positive tone to discuss Walt and the company. The writing seemed safe and only explored safe territory; biographers cannot tell the whole truth if they are writing cautiously in order to appease certain readers, particularly a company that was extremely cooperative during the writing process and authorized the final product. There is a hero, Walt, who faces many trials and hardships but ultimately triumphs to achieve the happy ending of, in this case, the major success of Disney.
The book supplies audiences with plenty of conflicts faced by Walt, such as: bankruptcy, money shortages, a strike, a war, etc. However, they were presented in a flippant way that suggested these situations were not dire and easily resolved, or we were not given the actual truth. It is also possible these conflicts were merely glossed over to provide a more enjoyable experience for readers.
There is no doubt, that no matter what the truth is, Walt worked extremely hard to attain his goals and he deserved all the success he earned and the legacy he left behind. While I would advise readers to be aware of the potential bias from Thomas due to his affiliation with the company, anyone interested in the history of Disney should read this book as it provides an in-depth perspective on the origins of The Walt Disney Company which paved the way for an American culture we are still experiencing today.
I would also recommend this book to anyone who wants to experience the same nostalgia that is typically associated with Disney. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one ». Readers also enjoyed. Biography Memoir. North American Hi About Bob Thomas. Bob Thomas. Robert Joseph "Bob" Thomas was an American Hollywood film industry biographer and reporter who worked for the Associated Press from Born in San Diego, he grew up in Los Angeles, where his father was a film publicist.
He attended UCLA. He lived in Encino with his wife, Patricia. They have three daughters. Thomas, aged 92, died on March 14, at his home. Thomas made his mark by engaging cele Robert Joseph "Bob" Thomas was an American Hollywood film industry biographer and reporter who worked for the Associated Press from Thomas made his mark by engaging celebrities in activities that brought out their personalities, whether by measuring their waistline after childbirth as he did with Betty Grable or testing just how tall a leading lady needed to be by kissing her himself as he did with June Haver.
Acclaimed as the dean of Hollywood reporters, Bob Thomas wrote about the movie business for the Associated Press since the days when Hollywood was run by the men who founded it: Jack Warner, Darryl F. Zanuck, Harry Cohn and Louis B. During his long history of reporting for the AP, Thomas authored at least 30 books. Please enter recipient e-mail address es. The E-mail Address es you entered is are not in a valid format.
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Write a review Rate this item: 1 2 3 4 5. Preview this item Preview this item. Who was Walt Disney? Often it got him into trouble. With black-and-white illustrations throughout, this biography reveals the man behind the magic. Allow this favorite library to be seen by others Keep this favorite library private. Save Cancel. Find a copy in the library Finding libraries that hold this item Walt Disney always loved to entertain people.
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