General Information:

Media Type: Book
Type: Other
Release Date: 2023-03-07

Geek's Thoughts: For the Disney 100 celebration in 2023 a commemorative edition of the Bob Thomas book, Walt Disney An American Original was published. This book has been considered the authoritative biography of Walt Disney since its original publication.

 

Bob Thomas had a history with Walt dating back to 1958.  Over the years he interviewed Walt a number of times for books and articles he was working on.    After Walt’s passing he was asked to write the biography and was able to interview the Disney family as well as people within the company.  The original book was published in 1976 and then again in 1994.

For this commemorative edition essays by Christopher Miller, Jeff Kurtti, Marcey Carriker Smothers and Rebecca Cline were added to the front of the book.  The 1994 Preface is also included.

This book is a required reading for any disneygeek out there or anyone curious to learn more about the man the company was built by/upon.  Having a copy for reference is great and if you need a refresher on Walt’s story it’s a great read.

Bob Thomas shares an extensive look into the triumphs and failures of Walt over his lifetime.   He has assembled not only Walt’s biography but presents a history of the Walt Disney Company from its founding through its first four decades.

I would highly recommend reading this book to anyone who has not read it.  Walt’s story is one of the American Dream. Working hard and creating a better life for yourself and your family.  This commemorative hard cover edition would make a good addition to any disneygeek’s library.  If you already own a previous printing the new essays would be the only difference and for most people I am not sure if that would justify buying another copy.