
Walt Disney
The Triumph of the American Imagination
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Narrated by:
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Arthur Morey
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By:
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Neal Gabler
About this listen
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
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Critic reviews
2007, L.A. Times Book Prize (Biography), Short-listed
"Thorough...[and] engrossing." (Publishers Weekly)
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"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)
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Overall
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Walt Disney is an American hero. From Mickey Mouse to Disneyland, he changed the face of American culture. His is a success story like no other: a man who developed animated film into an art form and made a massive contribution to the folklore of the world. After years of research, respected Hollywood biographer Bob Thomas produced a definitive biography of the man behind the legend of Disney: the unschooled cartoonist from Kansas City who when bankrupt on his first movie venture and developed into the genius who produced unmatched works of animation.
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Overall
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Performance
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-
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Disney's Land
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- By: Richard Snow
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
This is a spectacular story of error and innovation, a wild ride from a vision to the realization of an iconic cultural landscape. It reflects the park’s uniqueness, but just as strongly that of the man who built it with a watchmaker’s precision, an artist’s conviction, and the desperate, high-hearted recklessness of a riverboat gambler.
-
-
Okay, but better books on the subject
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By: Richard Snow
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- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As you'll hear in this audiobook, Walt found resourceful ways to earn money even in his youth. The warm reminiscences present Walt as a creative and energetic business person and loving family man. His story includes fascinating details about animation, his cartoon characters and films, the movie and TV industries, and technological processes he invented.
-
-
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Performance
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DisneyWar is an enthralling tale of one of America's most powerful media and entertainment companies, the people who control it, and those trying to overthrow them. It tells a story that - in its sudden twists, vivid, larger-than-life characters, and thrilling climax - might itself have been the subject of a Disney classic - except that it's all true.
-
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Performance
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Joins “Shoe Dog” as required biographies.
- By Matt S. on 01-02-20
By: Robert Iger
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A Mouse Divided
- How Ub Iwerks Became Forgotten, and Walt Disney Became Uncle Walt
- By: Jeff Ryan
- Narrated by: J. D. Jackson
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Almost everything you know about Mickey Mouse is wrong: He wasn’t Disney’s first star; Steamboat Willie wasn’t his first movie; Mickey wasn’t a nice guy - and Walt Disney didn’t invent him. In 1928, two very different best friends invented Mickey Mouse. And the success tore them apart. Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks’ friendship is a story of betrayal, love, war, money, power, tragedy, intrigue, humor, despair, and hope. You’ll love them both - when you don’t want to drop anvils on their heads.
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Wasted money and wasted time
- By E. Johnson on 12-27-18
By: Jeff Ryan
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Walt Disney
- The Triumph of the American Imagination
- By: Neal Gabler
- Narrated by: Leonardo Leoncavallo
- Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins
- Abridged
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Seven years in the making and meticulously researched - Gabler is the first writer to be given complete access to the Disney archives - this is the full story of a man whose work left an ineradicable brand on our culture but whose life has largely been enshrouded in myth.
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How Disney became an Icon
- By Tim on 06-29-07
By: Neal Gabler
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Jim Henson
- The Biography
- By: Brian Jay Jones
- Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
- Length: 21 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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He was a gentle dreamer whose genial bearded visage was recognized around the world, but most people got to know him only through the iconic characters born of his fertile imagination: Kermit the Frog, Bert and Ernie, Miss Piggy, Big Bird. The Muppets made Jim Henson a household name, but they were just part of his remarkable story.
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Dramatically complete
- By T on 10-01-13
By: Brian Jay Jones
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The Animated Man
- A Life of Walt Disney
- By: Michael Barrier
- Narrated by: Jack de Golia
- Length: 17 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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In his compelling new biography, noted animation historian Michael Barrier avoids the well-traveled paths of previous biographers, who have tended to portray a blemish-free Disney or to indulge in lurid speculation. Instead, he takes the full measure of the man in his many aspects.
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8th Book
- By PAUL MATTA on 04-16-24
By: Michael Barrier
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The Disney Story
- Chronicling the Man, the Mouse and the Parks
- By: Aaron H Goldberg
- Narrated by: Susan L. Crawford
- Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Attention, all Disney Fans! Do you enjoy learning about the Disney theme parks? Perhaps you're enamored with the man who was Walt Disney? Maybe you're just plain crazy for Mickey Mouse and the Disney big-screen features? No need to order your serving of Disney history and knowledge a la carte anymore.
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It's basically a direct read from Wikipedia
- By Kris Siegel on 07-08-19
By: Aaron H Goldberg
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The Disneyland Story
- The Unofficial Guide to the Evolution of Walt Disney's Dream
- By: Sam Gennawey
- Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin
- Length: 16 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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The Disneyland Story: The Unofficial Guide to the Evolution of Walt Disney's Dream is the story of how Walt Disney's greatest creation was conceived, nurtured, and how it grew into a source of joy and inspiration for generations of visitors. Despite his successors' battles with the whims of history and their own doubts and egos, Walt's vision maintained momentum, thrived, and taught future generations how to do it Walt Disney's way.
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The narration is killing me.
- By Chris on 03-24-15
By: Sam Gennawey
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The Wonders of Walt Disney World
- By: Aaron H. Goldberg
- Narrated by: Susan L. Crawford
- Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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The Wonders of Walt Disney World will guide you from park to park and attraction to attraction, across all of the Disney property. It will open your eyes to the stories behind the stories of each attraction and bring forth hundreds of secrets that Disney weaves and hides just below the surface.
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Needs an audio companion
- By Todd on 01-13-19
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One Little Spark!
- Mickey's Ten Commandments and the Road to Imagineering
- By: Marty Sklar
- Narrated by: Jeff Cummings
- Length: 5 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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We've all read about the experts: the artists, the scientists, the engineers - that special group of people known as Imagineers for The Walt Disney Company. But who are they? How did they join the team? What is it like to spend a day in their shoes?
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More like a collection of emails.
- By J on 02-19-18
By: Marty Sklar
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After Disney
- Toil, Trouble, and the Transformation of America's Favorite Media Company
- By: Neil O'Brien
- Narrated by: Jonathan Todd Ross
- Length: 9 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Walt Disney left behind big dreams when he died in 1966. Perhaps none was greater than the hope that his son-in-law, Ron Miller, would someday run his studio. Under Miller’s leadership, Disney expanded into new frontiers: global theme parks, computer animation, cable television, home video, and video games. Despite these innovations, Ron struggled to expand the Disney brand beyond its midcentury image of wholesome family entertainment, even as times and tastes evolved.
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wonderful book!
- By B. Meyer on 04-16-25
By: Neil O'Brien
What listeners say about Walt Disney
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- Fern
- 08-01-13
If you're considering this one, GO FOR IT!
Any additional comments?
I was unsure about listening to a biography but Walt's life was plenty interesting to keep me riveted. I listened all day and also into the night until I finished. It is that good. Of course, the story is most interesting once it gets into his animating and creation of Disneyland. I was completely shocked by the reported reception of his classic animated feature films by the public. My one complaint is that I want more detail in his creating Disneyland. Perhaps, I will need to read another bio or some writings specifically geared toward Disneyland history.
I recommend this book to anyone remotely interested in Walt as a man, leader, business owner, or creative genius. You will also love this if you love his films and Disneyland.
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13 people found this helpful
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- Tad Davis
- 10-25-11
Dry in places, but overall fascinating
Like a lot of people my age, I grew up on Walt Disney; in my case, it went way past childhood. I got a lot of ribbing in high school because I continued to insist that he was a genius. I still think that, even though there is, undeniably, a saccharine quality to a lot of his work. Disney always considered himself more a "story man" than a master animator, and the grace and strength of the story structure in his best features is one of his most enduring monuments.
Gabler's biography is a fascinating look at Disney's life and work - especially his work. The emphasis here in on the professional, and Gabler provides totally absorbing accounts of the studio's process in creating some of the great features of the 30s and 40s. Disney did go wrong at certain points in his career, some of it financial and some of it political, and the fact that he was able to oversee the creation of so many masterpieces in spite of these wrong turns is astonishing. In the 50s, with the advent of Disneyland and the weekly TV show, Disney began once again to hit his stride.
When Disney is totally committed to what he's doing, Gabler is wonderful. When Disney is bored, Gabler becomes much less interesting. The biggest weakness in the book is the overly-detailed account of the financial dealings. It's an essential part of the story, but (as Gabler himself makes clear) it's not really what Disney was about.
The book is a useful corrective to the only other biography of Disney I've read - "The Disney Version" by Richard Schickel. That was clearly hostile; Gabler takes a much more balanced and nuanced approach. While I understand from browsing the web that not everyone agrees with me, I get the sense from the book that Gabler actually likes Disney. The book isn't the celebration some would prefer, but neither is it an indictment. It's a portrait of a man who smoked too much and drank too much and never lost a yearning for the turn-of-the-century small town perfection he'd known as a child: a man with a brilliant vision of what animation could do and the ability to motivate others to join him in the pursuit of the insanely great.
I enjoyed Arthur Morey's narration (as I always do). He maintains a steady, straightforward tone that matches the material.
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- Lorien Pratt
- 02-09-19
MUST READ for any visionary modern entrepreneur.
There's a lot of what I call "business porn" out there: stories of business success that gloss over the hard times. This book tells the truth and in my opinion is essential reading for anyone looking to start a company or similar major endeavor. There are 2 reasons 1) this is hard; and knowing what you are up against in pushing through barriers is hugely helpful. 2) When you face the navigable set backs, the Disney story will normalize your experience and understand how to persist. From negotiations to lawsuits, from bankruptcy to selling the car and mortgaging the house, the story of Walt Disney is as relevant today as it was during the 20th century when these events played out. Explained in excruciating but fully relevant detail, this book compliments recent documentaries about Disney's life to show the struggles he encountered as well as the victories he achieved in breaking through one barrier after another.
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- RCT
- 01-18-23
Incredible
While well done, detailed, and interesting…. Walt Disney, himself, left me wanting more…. Wanting to know more, ask questions, learn… what a remarkable life.
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- poprocj
- 06-08-20
A wonderful look at Walt and his accomplishments
A wonderful look at Walt Disney and his accomplishments. A very comprehensive look at his life. Well written and well researched.
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- User 1
- 07-29-19
Captivating journey into Walt's legacy!
In depth and informative, this story of Walt's life will captivate you from the beginning and enthrall you till the end. You will feel and think like Walt as you learn about and are given a detailed your of his life, successes, failures, and world changing contributions.
Very well written and researched with historical facts, quotes from people from every part of his life, and interesting facts and trivia!
Fantastic book! Dive into one of the most interesting books you'll read!
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- Anonymous User
- 06-18-18
Interesting story of interesting man.
I enjoy this audiobook. Narrator was fine. Life of Walt Disney was unkmown for me until now ;) I am recommending this book.
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- fred
- 03-28-17
Extensive research
If you could sum up Walt Disney in three words, what would they be?
Very well put
What other book might you compare Walt Disney to and why?
The Illusion of Life. Sums up Disney's work.
What about Arthur Morey’s performance did you like?
Very much. Very fluid, not monotone.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
The introduction quote from William Blake and cryogenic story.
Any additional comments?
Very long, but very interesting.
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- Noah
- 06-18-21
Testament to a Visionary Man
Neal Gabler has written a masterpiece. The story is fantastic and paints a beautiful picture of a man who, even with his flaws, created a whole new world separate from the trials of the early 19th century and yet inspired generations to face their challenges head on.
Gabler’s clear portrait is both honest and endearing. By the end, I was sad to have lost my new friend from history. I hope others will find as much joy and inspiration from this book as I did.
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- Paul Coruso
- 08-04-22
The Steve Jobs of his generation
Every bit the hardworking, driven, egocentric, undiplomatic visionary as Jobs...and changed the world just as much. We need more people like this
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