Disney book recommendation?

[GFShelley]

Would love to read a book which tells more about Walt Disney as well as the history of the parks. I have seen a ton online, does anyone have a specific recommendation?

Thanks!

 

[supernova]

If you do a quick scroll, you'll probably find a half dozen threads on this exact topic. You should be able to pull some good info from those threads. Happy reading!

 

[Caelan Van Kanne]

Hi, I have been wanting to read books about Disney and In particular, I guess I have found one through my extensive research. I think, one must try "Reality Land" this would be a must read because it definitely talks about true-Life adventures at Walt Disney World. This is written by David Koenig. It gives insights on the building and creating Disney as whole.

 

[Julian42]

Here are a couple of books you could try (I've read the first one myself and it's pretty interesting):

1. Who was Walt Disney?: By Whitney Stewart and Nancy Harrison. It talks about how Walt Disney always loved to entertain people, which more often than not invariably landed him into trouble. For instance, once he painted pictures with tar on the walls of his family's white house. His was a family which was not very well-off, and some of his happiest times were childhood years spent living on a farm in Missouri. The black and white illustrations throughout the book add to the charm.

2. Walt Disney: An American Original: By Bob Thomas. This book talks about the American hero Walt Disney, who was the creator of Mickey Mouse, and who changed the face of American culture. The book is the result of extensive years of research by the author and is based on private papers and letters of the protagonist of the story. It makes for an engaging read which tells the story of an unschooled cartoonist from Kansas city who went bankrupt with his first movie venture but ultimately became the genius who produced unmatched works of animation.

3. Walt Disney: The Biography: Can't say much about this but have heard that it is a detailed re-construction of the events of the animation great's life and works.

 

[MinnieMermaid85]

I have Neal Gabler's book on him, but I've heard good things about Walt Disney: An American Original. Not a bio on Walt, but there is also Dream It! Do It! by Marty Sklar.

 

[frozenchick]

The Dark Side of Disney looks pretty good as well as Cast Member Confidential! Except those are more behind the scenes rather than historical.

 

[OldPyrate]

I've read:

Walt Disney: An American Original by Bob Thomas

Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination (Vintage) by Neal Gabler

The Animated Man: A Life of Walt Disney by Michael Barrier

They were all very good, but I think Neal Gabler's book was the most detailed and comprehensive of the three...it was certainly the longest!