Walt Disney

This is a good biography. Neal Gabler had access to Walt Disney Company files and makes this access worth it by delivering a balanced and detailed biography. Walt Disney inspires a lot of praise and criticism, and I think the author was able to paint a real picture of the man, instead of a rosy or detractive one.

The author's central point is that Walt's main motivation when doing animation (and later theme parks) was a desire for control that he could never have achieved in real life, and he develops a narrative that makes this case compelling. It's not easy to propose a single theme as a main motivator for someone's work, but I think the author manages to pull it of. That being said, Neal also argues that this need for control is a reaction to Walt's childhood (mainly to his father), and I wasn't fully convinced of this causality.

Some chapters really shine on this book, and none brighter than the chapter on the making of Snow White. Following Walt and his animators striving for excellence was by far the best part of this book and it should be read by anyone who enjoys movies, not only animation.

Being a theme park fan though, I was disappointed by the chapter on Disneyland. It seemed to me that a lot of attention was given to the financing and general architecture of the park, but few attention was paid to the attractions themselves, a theme that deeply interests me.

The rating also reflects the fact that biographies are not my favorite reading in general. For example, while I'm really interested in Walt's work, his personal relationships or political involvement are way less interesting to me.

Overall, this is definitely recommended for any Disney fan who wants to know more of the company and its creator.