• Walt Disney

  • The Triumph of the American Imagination
  • By: Neal Gabler
  • Narrated by: Arthur Morey
  • Length: 33 hrs and 20 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (2,335 ratings)

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Walt Disney  By  cover art

Walt Disney

By: Neal Gabler
Narrated by: Arthur Morey
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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)

What listeners say about Walt Disney

Average customer ratings
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  • 01-15-18

Not as expected

When you intend to read a book about Walt Disney’s life, one of the greatest man that have ever lived, you expect to have a through understanding about the man behind the legend. However, this book focus more on useless business topics and profiles for 3/4 of its length. It edges the boredom and almost made me stop reading it. His major achievements and fantastic ideas are just small supporting pieces of the story. Super long book, half of the length would have the same meaningful content.

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Fantastic and not sentimental

Would you consider the audio edition of Walt Disney to be better than the print version?

Yes. I would find it hard to get through a book this big with the minutiae.

What did you like best about this story?

It was not a sentimental view of Disney and you get the sense of how it was a long, hard slog for Disney to be successful.

Which character – as performed by Arthur Morey – was your favorite?

N/A

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

No

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Very well done and extremely thorough

Absolutely loved it, very well done and extremely thorough. Narrator was easy to listen to and kept it interesting.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Walt’s life story is a must read !

Wow! Some much to express I don’t know how to begin. Reviewing Walt’s life is a moving experience. Strongly encourage this read.

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Great book, the most comprehensive one out there.

Great book and great reading voice. The life story is comprehensive. A definitive biography on the guy. The reader had a calm "normal" voice as well.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Whether things are odd or things are quaint

The man Walt Disney must have been something else.
At the end of the day this book does not let you Know him. One thing is for certain. One does not know what one does not know.

Thank you for the Life Lessons and Legacy

One dreamer to another sincerely,

Chris

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what an incredible story.

great narration. super interesting and inspiring. As a fan of Disney this is a must read. I just finished I might read again for a second time

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Great book!

Overall, a really good book that details the life of Walter Elias Disney is great detail. The only hangup is the performance delivered by the voiceover. He's extremely bland and monotone in his delivery. The storyline itself is exciting but the Voiceover performance bored me and I fell asleep a few times.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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If you want to know about all about Walt Disney

The narrative can be a little droning at times and sometimes the narrator miss pronounces words. However it is a good detailing of Walt Disney's life. We learn about the bad as well as the good. if you are a Disney-ofile, you'll appreciate this audio.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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An amazing Human being!!

Such an American Icon/Hero!! Such an inspiration. So glad I decided to listen to this book.

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