Walt Disney: An American Original

I bought this book years ago after a trip to Disney World, caught up in the magic of it all. Like many things you buy on a whim, it ended up on my bookshelf, collecting dust. I finally picked it up to read after a recent return trip, and I'm so glad I did. Seeing the parks again reignited my curiosity about the man who started it all, and this book was the perfect way to dive in. This isn't just a simple story of "a man had a dream." It's a detailed look at Walt Disney's life, from his childhood in the Midwest to the creation of a global entertainment empire. What I found most interesting was learning about his mindset. The book gives you a real sense of his relentless drive and his thought process behind the characters, the movies, and the parks. It paints a picture of a man who was constantly innovating and pushing the boundaries of what was possible. For anyone who, like me, is in awe of what Disney created, this book offers a fantastic look behind the curtain. It’s not a fairy tale version of his life; it touches on the struggles and the immense challenges he faced along the way. Reading it has given me a much deeper appreciation for the parks and the films. A Deeper Look at the Man Behind the Magic Summary: This biography gives a comprehensive and chronological account of Walt Disney's life. It covers his early life, his start in animation, the creation of Mickey Mouse, the ventures into feature films and television, and the monumental task of building Disneyland. The book really shines in providing context for the creative and business decisions that shaped the Disney company. Pros: It's incredibly detailed and well-researched, offering a thorough history of Walt's life and work. The book provides great insight into his innovative spirit and his hands-on approach to his projects. Learning about the numerous setbacks and financial hurdles he had to overcome was genuinely interesting. It gave me a newfound appreciation for the details and storytelling in the Disney parks and movies. Cons: At times, the book can be a bit dense with business details and names, which might slow some readers down. While it covers his whole life, the focus is heavily on his professional achievements, with less on his personal family life.

I have a confession -- I don't like biographies. I have read too many which contain extraneous information, are completely boring, or lag in all the wrong places. When I bought this book, therefore, it would be safe to say that my expectations were not sky-high. I was wrong. Bob Thomas's Walt Disney -- An American Original is among the best biographies I have ever read. This book checks all the boxes a biography should while also managing to remain interesting and entertaining. Anyone can read it -- high schoolers, college students, an adult looking for something to read on a long car trip. The entire course of Walt's life is covered -- the history of his family in America, his childhood, his time in World War I, his marriage and family life, and his tumultuous journey into the world of film and animation, culminating in Disneyland and the ever-famous Walt Disney World. Bob Thomas was aided in creating this litany of Walt's experiences by the willing cooperation of the Disney family, which gave Thomas an amazing source of information. This ranges from letters and telegrams written by Walt to personal photographs and humorous anecdotes involving Walt (when Walt said that he would look down on the company after death, Disney's nurse tartly remarked that he may be using a periscope instead). It is this attention to detail, the little stories and experiences in Disney's day-to-day life, which helps the reader feel as if he or she truly understands Disney. I'm not a fan of five star reviews, particularly for biographies, but try as I might, I cannot find something to criticize. Therefore, it is with both reluctance and excitement that I award this book five stars, as it cannot be denied that this may just be the best biography which it has ever been my pleasure to read. Basically, if you want to know the secret behind the Disney company, you have to understand the founder. And if you want to understand the founder, the man, the genius Walter E. Disney himself, you should read this book.

Of all the books on the market about Walt Disney – some good, some negative, I chose Walt Disney: An American Original by Bob Thomas and am glad I did. Thomas paints an outstanding portrait, rich in color and detail, charting the course of Disney’s rise from Midwestern farm boy with a passion for cartooning to the film industry’s animation trailblazer, and finally to the remarkable visionary behind Disneyland and later DisneyWorld and EPCOT. Those who choose to focus on Disney’s negative side should read this work to understand the pivotal role Disney and his studio played during the 1930s. Many art and architectural graduates who otherwise would have remained in the unemployment line during the Great Depression found jobs at Disney. Surprisingly, Disney encouraged his animators to take art classes and even drove them to art school himself. And such Disney creations as the beloved Mickey Mouse, and animated classics including The Three Little Pigs and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs lifted the spirits of moviegoers during those lean economic times. Thomas delves into the heart and mind of Disney, connecting the reader to his creative genius, his sterling work ethic, his drive and pursuit of excellence, and to his other role – that of stern but loving father. Disney transformed entertainment in America like no other, laying the foundation for pop culture. In this detailed and entertaining book Bob Thomas successfully proves that Walt Disney was indeed An American Original.

Heather Looking Through the Eyes of Walt Disney When many of us think of the name Walt Disney we think of a man who was a prominent figure within the american animation industry; the one who created the cartoon character Mickey Mouse. With this legacy aside we take a step back into the early years of Walter Elias Disney’s life and realize how his life had many struggles and hardships. The biography An American Original- Walt Disney, by Bob Thomas, takes us back to a part in Walt’s life that most people aren’t familiar with. Disney was a young boy who worked for his dad’s, Elias Disney, a newspaper delivery business. Walt went to school like all the other kids but most of the time he found himself in the art school just down the street from his house. As he grew up he often found himself thinking about what his future looked like. Against his dad’s will he attended art school and learned how to make basic cartoon character and how to animate them. Walt’s imagination went wild and he soon made Mickey Mouse and other animated characters such as Clarabelle Cow and Donald Duck would follow. Later on he created Disneyland, the most magical place on earth. Not long after he imagined Disney World but wasn't able to see his vision completed before he passed away. In An American Original- Walt Disney, the theme is determination. When something may seem so hard you can’t overcome it something good will always come out of, it even if you don’t know what it is. Many times when Walt Disney would go to deliver papers in the snow he would find it was so high it went over his head. Occasionally he would find himself just waking up because he passed out. Then he would have to go to school and start all over in the evening. Even though it may have seemed tough and not worth it Walt brought home money for his family and was able to provide food and eventually he went to art school. This biography is put together very well. I loved the part where they went into his childhood and told us about his life. Bob Thomas also included many of Walt’s early cartoons that many of us forget about. I also liked how they included pictures of Disney and his family. There were also things that I did not like about this book. It was a long book and I felt that some stories went into too much detail. I also felt like some things repeated and Thomas could have just focused on Walt Disney more than his father who was mentioned a lot. A person should read this book if they are interested in history and anything Disney. If a reader enjoyed this book I would recommend reading Disney's Art of Animation #2: From Mickey Mouse to Hercules or Walt Disney: Magician of the Movies. I would give this book four and a half stars because it was lengthy but the information was incredible. This book kept me wanting to read more.

This is the best biography I’ve ever read. In fact it may be one of the best books I’ve ever read period. I for the life of me can’t understand why this story hasn’t been made into a movie yet. The life of Walt Disney is as animated, chaotic, beautiful, emotional, and funny as all the animated and live action films he’s ever made. If you’re a Disney fan, or even if you’re not, this book should be read. Absolutely fascinating.

My review on this book: amazing. This book is incredible and a must read for any Disney lover. I had never read a biography and was hesitant because I thought it might be boring. But it was very interesting and I couldn't put it down. I am a huge Disney fan and this book incredibly made me love Disney more. It gives a detailed look into the life of a great man and a good look into how Disney movies and parks were made. I just wish it was longer because I want more! My review on amazon: Terrible. They took very long to ship the book, then it took even longer to get here. I paid extra to have a new version and I do not believe it was new. There were some marks on my book and the other one I ordered. The book was so good though I have gotten past the terrible service.

Bob Thomas' "Walt Disney: An American Original" is an excellent look into the life of one of America's last truly great dreamers. The story starts with Disney's early years in Marceline, KS and follows his life chronologically through post-war France, Kansas City and on to places like New York and California. Along the way the reader experiences the birth of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, one of Walt's earliest popular creations and eventually the development of the character that put Walt Disney in the spotlight: Mickey Mouse. Thomas covers the ups and downs of creating cartoons and the growth of the Disney name as a family-friendly institution. He reveals the struggle of Disney and his brother, Roy, as they tried to remain independent of the major studios. He also shows how the Bank of America always managed to cast a dark, debt-filled shadow over the Disneys until later in both of their lives. We learn that films considered classics today such as "Alice in Wonderland" and "Peter Pan," started their legendary lives as flops as far as profits were concerned. We also get a look into the development of Disney as a force on television and in live-action films such as "Old Yeller". The primary message that I got from this book is simple: No matter how much the odds were stacked against him and his brother, Walt continued to pursue his dreams. Mountainous debt, failed films, crooked promoters, pressure from union organizers and many other problems failed to stop the Disneys from achieving their goals. The book culminates with the development and opening of Disneyland and the beginnings of what would become Walt Disney World. Disney World is the one dream that Walt never lived to see attained. However, we all know how well that particular venture has done since its opening in October of 1971. This book is enlightening, humorous and empowering. I highly recommend it to anyone who has ever been looked down upon for being a dreamer. Walt Disney's life is proof of how far dreamers can really go, and Bob Thomas has done a wonderful job of capturing Disney's dreams on the written page.

As a veteran reader of biographies, I feel qualified to judge Bob Thomas's book. It is accessible to all, and it is comprehensive. It is what I hoped it would be, written like a nonfictional novel of the person behind a very familiar name. Before reading Thomas, I tried Neal Gabler. I paid forty bucks for a like-new out-of-print hardcover. Its shiny dust cover was attractive, and it was impressively thick. It also got some good reviews. Unfortunately it was pedantic, supercilious, and annoyingly psychoanalytic. I thought about getting Michael Barrier's biography, but some reviewers say it is too technical. And I cannot believe that Barrier is better, now that I have read Thomas. Regarding Hyperion's newer 1994 edition, I hesitated to buy it. It is a trade paperback, and I was afraid its photos would be printed. I need not have worried. It has a portfolio of more than 40 photos, and they are all on glossy plates. I especially liked the one with ten-year-old Shirley Temple. Though he made no footnotes, Thomas lists his sources of research, including his own interviews with relatives, acquaintances, and subject. The index is helpful, with subtopics. In nonfiction, I look for entertainment as well as information. So for me Thomas has written The Biography on this man. I have read that the book is a hagiography (a biography of a saint), and that it overlooks the man's dark side. But I'm not interested in how the man folded his toilet paper. Indeed this particular man would be belittled if he was described as a mere saint. Because he was more than a saint. He was Walt Disney.

I am a huge Disney, specifically the theme parks. Always looking for a good book to read to discover new information. So far I've read around 50 pages and this is one of the better Disney books in the sense that it gives the reader little but interesting facts and information about Walt Disney's life. This is truly a good book that so far I love

as anyone who enjoys animation walt disney can not be overlooked.millions of people worldwide have enjoyed his work through there childhood and beyond.as for the book bob thomas captures walt disney perfectly from his early life to disneyland it is a brilliant read and i would highly recommend it.

The story of a man that invented several industries at the same time: animation, amusement parks, TV for kids, merchandising, etc. Very entertaining and surprising.

Un ottimo libro per gli amanti del solo e unico Walter Elias Disney, questo grande genio del secolo scorso. La biografia è super dettagliata - anche fin troppo in alcuni punti in cui si dilunga su dati vari come costi e incassi dei primi lavori della casa di Topolino - con un sacco di informazioni e aneddoti sull'infanzia di Disney, sulla creazione dei primi personaggi e sulla fondazione della Walt Disney Company. Scritta da un autore che ha avuto l'onore di intervistare più volte Walt Disney negli anni e che ha avuto accesso, dopo la morte di Disney, ai suoi archivi personali. Lo consiglio sia a chi ha già conoscenze sul personaggio che a quelli che vogliono rifarsi una cultura su questo straordinario artista.

Pour qui veut connaître le parcours du plus grand rêveur de notre époque. Reste que ce livre seul ne suffit pas. A compléter avec d'autres ouvrage sur le sujet.