Walt Disney Biographies

a list by Eric M., airplane and bedtime reader

Over 35 years after his death, Walt Disney is still inspiring authors to research and write biographies about this remarkable man. While each book below has its own different take on Walt, any one of them will give you a great read.

	Walt Disney: An American Original by Bob Thomas This is the first major Walt Disney biography, written (with the cooperation of the Disney family) in the early '70s. 384 page paperback \|$10.85 \|34 reviews


	Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination by Neal Gabler This recent, thick book (912 pages!) is considered the best and most meticulously-researched biography of Walt Disney. Kindle edition available 912 page paperback \|$13.60 \|75 reviews


	Walt Disney: Hollywood's Dark Prince by Marc Eliot This book (the first "unauthorized" Walt biography) is a little different from the others, in that it emphasizes Walt's "dark" side, with stories about him being an FBI informant (really!), Walt's rumored impotence on his wedding night, his supposed selfishness with credit for work, and so forth. I wouldn't call this book "fair and balanced," but it's definitely a captivating read. 372 pages, used, starting at $0.01 \|15 reviews


	The Animated Man: A Life of Walt Disney by Michael Barrier I like this book because the author draws upon his own extensive interviews — shortly after Walt passed away, Barrier interviewed over 150 people who worked with him, and compiled his research into this comprehensive biography. 416 page paperback \|$12.89 \|21 reviews


	Disney's World: A Biography by Leonard Mosley This book, released in 2002, is apparently riddled with errors and half-truths about Walt Disney. Sounds like an interesting read to me! 352 page paperback \|$15.25 \|15 reviews


	Remembering Walt: Favorite Memories of Walt Disney Ray Bradbury, edited by Amy Boothe Green, Howard E. Green This is a lovely concept for a book— nothing but stories and quotes from the people that knew Walt. 212 page paperback \|$19.00 \|17 reviews


	Inside the Dream by Katherine Greene, Richard Greene Read this book? Click here and tell us what you thought. 192 page hardcover \|$37.80 \|4 reviews


	The Magic Kingdom: Walt Disney and the American Way of Life by Steven Watts Read this book? Click here and tell us what you thought. 568 page paperback \|$21.86 \|13 reviews

Know any books we should add to the list above? Leave a comment below!

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About Eric M.

I live in Los Angeles, where it's not really about reading, it's about movies -- yet given the choice, I usually prefer to curl up with a good book. Most of my reading gets done on airplanes or laying in bed in that quiet hour right before lights-out. I'm also known to collect pretty much every book having anything to do with Disney's theme parks.