Customer Reviews

Disney's World: A Biography

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Many of the more sensational items in this book have been exposed as inaccurate at one time or another by respected Disney historians such as John Canemaker, Paul Anderson, Bob Thomas, Disney family members, and employees. The book trots out some old negative rumors without citing their sources. No source documentation or supporting material is included to support the wild tale about cryogenics. There is a story about an attempted suicide that never occurred and the book seems to tie it time-wise to the well documented nervous breakdown that Walt had at that same age. Big difference.

If you like books that bash famous people just for the sake of doing it, you may enjoy this. But for historic accuracy I prefer to read a bio that is neither sugar-coated or harsh. The Bob Thomas biography is considered by many to be the most accurate and complete available, and he also wrote a bio of Roy Disney (Walt's business partner and brother. In Thomas's case he carefully documents and quotes all of his sources, Then he confirms that person's version with others and quotes them as well. Some animators and studio employees have their own bio books that include some of their personal interactions with Walt Disney, like Shamus Culhane, Charles Show, Bill Peet, Ub Iwerks, or Harry Tytle. They have personal interactions to share including some negative ones and their stories match. I can recommend a book about his personal philosophies he used in life in his own words, "Quotable Walt Disney", tracks over 30 years of his comments on just about everything. You can tell a lot about a person with their own words. Walt Disney's family has always maintained he was a loving husband, and father. In summary, this book should be classified as fiction, and not a biography.

Mosley presents Walt Disney's life story in a fair, human (foibles and all) account of the man behind the corporate icon. Filled with detailed personal accounts of Walt's involvement with various productions. I have no problem with this "unofficial" biography, one which portrays a less-than-stellar account of Disney's attitudes, while giving full credit for his creative achievements, but I tend to question Mosley's tendency to parphrase conversations and qoute them as verbatim. More explicit citings of his sources (who told him what stories) would lend more credence to Mosley's "story-telling" narrative.

This is a great biography of Walt Disney, and in many ways it is similar to Bob Thomas's biography "Disney: An American Original." Both books emphasize Walt's early Midwest childhood, his strict father and good-natured mother, and his experience in WWI in shaping the young man he became. The two biographies are different in their perceptions of Disney, and it could make a difference for you, dear reader, regarding which one you want to read first.

I would describe Mosley's biography as "more realistic" than Thomas's, but I would say that Bob Thomas's was more inspiring to read. Mosley doesn't hesitate to describe Walt as an ill-tempered ringleader who suffered from emotional instability in his early adulthood, whereas Bob Thomas's portrays such behavior in a more favorable light and seems to grant that it is the stuff of genius. One very clear example: Mosley describes Walt's suicide attempt at 31 where Lillian Disney found her husband out cold with sleeping pills and booze, called a doctor, and had Walt's stomach pumped. In Bob Thomas's book, there is no mention of this incident whatsoever.

Both books describe Disney as an inspiration to the people around him, but I think Mosley's goes more in-depth into Walt's character and describes more thoroughly some of the difficulties associated with working with him. What Mosley describes as "overbearing," Thomas would call "entrepreneurial." What Mosley would call "unstable," Bob Thomas would call "emotionally invigorating." The point is: the subject is the same; it's the perception of the subject that's different in the two biographies.

I think both do a great service to the world in representing quite possibly the most influential voice in 20th century entertainment. It's a fascinating reading, and it will excite you to explore your own creativity. Walt Disney was a man that would risk everything to make people laugh, to entertain, to push the medium of film, cartoons, and theme parks to a level unlike anything anyone had ever seen before. He truly was an inspiration, and, of course, I hope this review is helpful to you!

Stacey Cochran
Author of CLAWS available for 80 cents

Leonard Mosely has written an interesting book. It tells the story of Walt's life, uncensored, so to speak. Mr. Mosely is a British man who seems to have a decent respect for Walt, and his work is not quite as biased as some others might be. His work, although greatly researched, is not officially endorsed or sponsored by the Walt Disney Copmpany. (Although, he was allowed to do research in the vaults of the Disney archives, which is pretty rare for an unendorsed book). In addition, he interviewed most remaining relatives, friends and the Disney's archivists.

The book is well-written, and only occasionally does the author stray from the story and interject his personal opinion in place of something interesting about Walt.

As with all of the Disney biographies I have read, it always ends just as it is getting to the best part, when Walt was locked up in his "Secret" office planning EPCOT, the city of the future. Anyway, I liked the book and recommend it to others. If you are either a fan of Disney or are just interested in the life story of an truly extraordinary man, get this book and read it.

Poorly researched. Several errors put me on my guard that the author was not interested in giving a well balanced look at the life and times of Walt Disney, but instead something that would sell books. Much of the book seems more fiction than biography. He tries to turn a nervous breakdown into a suicide attempt, tries to paint him as a terrible father and unloving husband, and worse, the dialogues he makes up throughout the book between Walt and Roy, or Walt and his family are strange at best. I won't even go into the obsession the author has with Disney being frozen somewhere. Disney was a complicated man with faults as well as traces of genius. This book is not complicated and has more faults and no intelligence at all.

Leonard Mosely has built a reputation for accuracy and objectivity, and in "Disney's World" he makes no exception. Even in the few instances where a dispute exists relating to the nature of the event, Mosely fairly presents all sides.

In Disney's World, Mosely chronicles the "rags to riches" story of one of America's great empire builders of the 20th century. Faced repeatedly with insurmountable odds and continuing crises, Mosely inspires the reader with Walt Disney's unstopable courage and determination to succeed.

Sources for Mosely's material include actual interviews with members of the Disney family, former employees and associates of Walt Disney,and from available public records. And most importantly, the author was given access to the Disney Archives by the corporation.

As a result, certain previously unknown facts appear in this book. But Mosely is careful to confirm each fact, and notifies the reader if there is a question. Mosely also exposes a dark side to Walt Disney, but presents the facts in a fair and objective manner.

Mosely's "Disney's World" is inspiring, uplifting, factual, and historically interesting. It is a "smooth read", and the reader will have difficulty putting the volume aside.

The author either did very little research or just didn't care for the truth. He chose to present many rumours surrounding Walt Disney's name as facts. Mosley provides no source for his statements, other than to assert that Disney's "closest colleagues and advisers" were "confident" that Walt Disney "eventually became convinced of cryogenesis as a viable medical process and was persuaded that, even in 1966, it was possible for a human being to have himself brought back to life after death". In fact, these "close colleagues" of Disney's turned out to be a few employees on the periphery of the Disney organization who had never spoken to Walt about cryonics, and were merely repeating the same decades-old rumor for Mosley's benefit.

Walt Disney's name has become a household word. Wholesome entertainment and DisneyLand and Disney World come to mind. This book is a well rounded look at the man. Neither Saint nor Sinner this book sees Walt as a well rounded human being. Many pictures are included. Many celebrities were interviewed including Hayley Mills. The book seems to be well documented and is quite interesting..

This book is amazing. It is as good as Bob Thomas' Walt Disney: An American Original. In fact, two books are almost similar, except that Mosley emphasizes the human side of Walt's. Bob Thomas describes the human side, but emphasizes the genious side.
When you have both of these books, you have a life of a true genious and just a human being, Walt Disney, in your hands.
Incredible details, personal and professional life...
Just beautful job.

Thank you for your prompt service and a beautiful book! My book was everything I expected and more. I look forward to reading enjoyment from it.