Walt Disney

The Triumph of the American Imagination

By: Neal Gabler

Narrated by: Arthur Morey

Length: 33 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

ONE OF THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER'S 100 GREATEST FILM BOOKS OF ALL TIME • The definitive portrait of one of the most important cultural figures in American history: Walt Disney.

Walt Disney was a true visionary whose desire for escape, iron determination, and obsessive perfectionism transformed animation from a novelty to an art form, first with Mickey Mouse and then with his feature films–most notably Snow White, Fantasia, and Bambi. In his superb biography, Neal Gabler shows us how, over the course of two decades, Disney revolutionized the entertainment industry. In a way that was unprecedented and later widely imitated, he built a synergistic empire that combined film, television, theme parks, music, book publishing, and merchandise. Walt Disney is a revelation of both the work and the man–of both the remarkable accomplishment and the hidden life.

Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Biography and USA Today Biography of the Year

©2006 Neal Gabler (P)2006 Books on Tape

Critic reviews

2007, L.A. Times Book Prize (Biography), Short-listed

"Thorough...[and] engrossing." (Publishers Weekly)

"A balanced treatment of the man and his achievements, realistically assessing Disney's considerable impact and offering insight into the hidden, restless soul who constantly challenged himself." (Booklist)

"We've all been waiting for the perfect book on Walt Disney; it has finally arrived and Neal Gabler's done it. Wonderful!" (Ray Bradbury)

Great Biography of a Great Man

Tried to read this massive tome in physical version and found I couldn't find the time to get in the rhythm. Audio version saved me. Its a lengthy time commitment... 33 hours! .. but worth it. This is a very detailed account of a creative icon in our culture and the inspiring story of how he reached his success. Anyone looking for inspiration to do great work and implement their vision will find it here. Don't give up on this book too early.

A Delightful Surprise

I did not expect this book to be so engaging. Well written, well researched, excellent reading (it's better at 1.25 speed).

Definitive.

There is no way around this: this is the definitive biography on Walt Disney. The only issue that I had with it was getting mired in minutia. Nevertheless, after reading this you will have a full understanding of the man. The miss will melt away, and present itself not for the façade that some plain it is, but for the single part it plays in the life of a multifaceted person.

A biography of a persistent and resilient man.

A masterpiece in biography. You need to be persistent and resilient to finish the book but the rewards along the way and when you are reflecting after finishing the book are all worth it. I love that you get to know the exceptional and the ugly of Walt Disney, after all he was like us a human being.

Delivering details for all Disney fans

This sweeping biography strives to sharing the flaws and triumphs of the man Walt Disney. Beyond the Mouse, this book endeavors to share details on everything from artist to genius and back again.

do not read footnotes!!!

book is excellent and the narration is fine except that he reads all the dang footnotes - very very distracting. writers use footnotes precisely because they are NOT part of the narrative flow. Any academic can look at the paper text for footnote info, if they are interested.Audible should NOT narrate footnotes or at least allow listeners a choice instead of ruining the book with distracting irritations! Are you going to read the index and the table of contents too???

Enjoyable but a bit dry, not my favorite

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

All of the detail shared regarding the production of Snow White and especially details about how the characters were designed and the scenes animated.

Any additional comments?

A lot of research and care went into this book -- and I appreciate that.
I like the parts about Walt Disney's early life and as he started being successful.
Seems like the last half of the book went more into the business aspect of the Walt Disney company and not so much of the Disney magic.
This book is a 31 hour listen -- it didn't keep my interest. If it was a hard copy I would have skipped large sections and only read the parts I was interested in. As it was, I took long breaks where I listened to other stuff in between. I think I finished this in about 2 months.

Great!

Love it! Annoying footnotes but otherwise amazing and detailed. The detail gives you a great sense of the man.

Very Good Book

If you could sum up Walt Disney in three words, what would they be?

Very Talent and unique

What was one of the most memorable moments of Walt Disney?

listening to how they made Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in the book.

Which scene was your favorite?

The Story behind Mary Poppins and The Jungle Book which were his last to films before his death in 1966.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I seen the book in my local bookstore and after hearing that American Experience on PBS was doing a documentary about him that would premiere in the Fall of 2015. It made me want to read the book before the documentary air on PBS.

What a Life!!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

His passion for creating Snow White. The people/workers who double crossed him. How his mom died. How he knew his time was coming to an end and would often get sentimental.

Any additional comments?

Very inspiring book. Walt Disney did so much in a time when the world was at war and America was just coming into it's own. The book is very long 33 + hours but well worth it. You learn about everything from his childhood, first jobs, failures, how Mickey Mouse was created, Snow White, Bambi, Mickey Mouse club, DisneyLand etc... Recommended!