Walt Disney: An American Original

I was four years old when Walt Disney rereleased Fantasia in 1956. Mom took me to a fancy downtown Buffalo theater to see it. It is one my earliest and most vivid memories. And I do believe it influenced my love of classical music.

In 1991 Disney released Fantasia on VCR and I bought it for our son, who was—yes—four years old!

I watched The Mickey Mouse Club and Walt Disney Presents. I was smitten by Sleeping Beauty and had the Madame Alexander Sleeping Beauty doll that also came out in 1959. I enjoyed all the fun family movies with my younger brother. And all the new feature length cartoons that came out during our son’s childhood.

Sometimes I forget the impact Walt Disney had on my life, but reading this biography was such a show more nostalgic trip through my childhood, I was ready to cry when Walt dies at the end.

The Disney executives had found two previous writers’ biographies of Walt unsatisfactory when they approached Bob Thomas. Thomas had worked with Walt in 1956 when he was asked to write a book about animation. “I want to give credit to the guys who have made these picture for me,” Walt told him. In 1965, Thomas wrote a biography of Walt for children.

Thomas offers a complete treatment of Walt, from his life story to the products of his creative genius. We see the best of Walt, and his not so great moments. But overall, Walt emerges as a man driven by his vision of what could be, who put the excellence of his product foremost, who literally was Mickey Mouse.

I delighted in reading every page. show less

I found this to be a very interesting biography on Walt Disney. I knew a lot about the theme parks and Disney animation, but was surprised at how little I knew about the man's life, particularly his early years.

The preface to this book contains very out-of-context discussions from Diane, Walt's oldest daughter, including quotes along the lines of how Disney's reputation was being questioned and negative things were being said about him. Without context, those quotes made the book start off with a defensive posture, which I found odd for an official biography published by the official Disney publishing company (Hyperion).

Understand that this book is a very uncritical biography. I don't think that takes away at all from the book's impact show more or importance. In this day and age, it's very easy to do additional research to figure out all that was left unsaid in the book. show less

I really enjoyed this book! Thomas was able to interview those closest to Disney, including Walt himself, as well as read important documents, correspondence, and transcriptions in order to give a well-rounded and detailed account of Walt's life. Of course, I would love an even more detailed biography (360 pages isn't enough!). And while Thomas clearly admired Walt and wanted to do right by him, he does not hide the fact that Walt was a difficult man to work with. Shoot, I would definitely not want to work with him!

Through quotes gathered from speeches, memos, meeting minutes, and interview transcripts, I was able to get a sense of how dedicated Walt was to the idea of "Disney" and family entertainment. He had so many goals, and show more although he didn't live to see all of them completed, he still achieved so much, as we all know. I admit I teared up a little when Thomas reached Walt's death. show less

Though I'd read dozens and dozens of books about Disney parks and about Walt Disney and I owned a previous edition of this, I hadn't read this until this new Commemorative edition came out. I'm very glad I did. I understand why this is considered the definitive biography of Walt Disney. It's engaging and meticulously researched, and should be in the library of every Walt Disney fan.

This edition also has an Endnotes section with excerpts from other books about Walt Disney and the Disney company that offer interesting follow up and expansion on some of the events and notes in the book.

Bob Thomas has written many biographies of Hollywood celebrities. His treatment of Walt Disney is fair, balanced and examines both the negatives and positives Walt Disney's life. In this update of his 1976 work he admits he hedged on only one detail; Sharon Disney, Walt and Lillian Disney's youngest daughter, was adopted. His reason was to respect the sensitivity of the Disney family and I think it was a gracious accomodation over a minor point. Sharon Disney Lund died in 1993. Overall, I like this book and I reccommend it.

From his humble beginnings to his groundbreaking achievements in animation, film, and theme park creation, “Walt Disney: An American Original,” explores Disney's innovative spirit, determination, and the challenges he faced in building an entertainment empire. It’s a chronological journey from Missouri to Disneyland and a highlight of all his creative genius and business acumen emphasizing his guiding desire to have people experience happiness. This is the life of a visionary displayed in a very accessible and well written chronicle.

This biography suffers, in part, from being being written to soon after Disney's death. Disney was and is a controversial figure. His influence was and is enormous and whether that be good or bad remains hotly debated. This biography does not fully, squarely address those issues. Rather it is itself rather Disneyeque in its attempt to present a santitized, simplified, idealized view of an interesting man.