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.
by Bob Thomas
This is the first major Walt Disney biography, written (with the cooperation of the Disney family) in the early '70s.
by Neal Gabler
This recent, thick book (912 pages!) is considered the best and most meticulously-researched biography of Walt Disney.
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.
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.
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!
by Ray Bradbury, edited by Howard E. Green, Amy Boothe Green
This is a lovely concept for a book— nothing but stories and quotes from the people that knew Walt.
Flashlight Worthy
Recommending books so good, they'll keep you up past your bedtime. more...
About Eric Mueller
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.
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