Customer Reviews

The Vault of Walt

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This book is a wonderful collection of stories about the world of Disney, including stories about Walt himself. I am a huge Disney fan but do not typically read "unauthorized" books for fear of them being explotative and inaccurate. This volume is sanctioned by Disney's own daughter, Diane Disney Miller, by way of the foreward. If it is good enough for Disney's daughter, it is good enough for me. The stories are well researched and well written. Many of them are quite charming. The book is split into four areas of interest: Walt, the films, the park, and miscellaneous. The stories are self-contained and can be read in any order. Reading them is both easy and addictive, as they are formatted in bite-sized chunks that are hard to put down. Disney fans everywhere will love this volume.

I heartily recommend this book!

This book clearly ranks among the 3 best Disney History books of 2010. Jim Korkis' research is precise and in-depth. The book focuses on rarely discussed areas of Disney history and manages to uncover countless facts and stories that had never appeared in any other books. A critical book to own for all serious Disney historians and enthusiasts.

Jim Korkis is the most respected and knowledgable Disney Historian I know. His stories capture the truth, while preserving the magic. A most read for every Disney Fan.

I've known Jim Korkis for several years and have enjoyed us sharing our love for the creative works of Walt Disney and the Disney Company. Over the years, Jim has shared many of his special Walt and Disney Co. tales with me. I'm glad that this book has finally been published to allow other Disney fans to enjoy a honest sharing of stories about Walt and the Disney Co. More than any other Disney historian I've known, Jim combines rare gifts in storytelling, liking Walt Disney without the hero worship, and not making too big a deal about Walt's faults - realizing Walt was human like the rest of us. I loved some of the stories in this book that I hadn't heard before and enjoyed the way the chapters are organized into different subject matter. I would very much welcome similar future books by Jim. He has numerous more stories to share - he is truly most deserving of the title DISNEY HISTORIAN.

Korkis shines a light on nooks in Disney history that previous writers bypass or miss, revealing telling details about Walt's character and personal philosophy. His method is to gather source material when possible, so you will not find cut-and-paste passages from other writers' works. The Disney bibliography is huge, so it's impressive that Korkis reveals so much new information here. His love for Disney is apparent, but he is not a company bootlicker, and his tone is objective and fair. No scandals or unflattering tales are revealed, and frankly there aren't many when it comes to Walt Disney. Walt was a most decent person. The foreword by Diane Disney Miller (Walt's daughter) is sweet, and her endorsement is all you need to know that this book is on the right side of history.

This is an awesome book written so that you can read the chapters in any order you choose. A series of stories that you will most likly not find anywhere else. Disney Historian Jim Korkis is a great writer and speaker who has done great research and interviews with those who were there making history with Walt Disney. Walt's daughter, Diane Disney Miller wrote the foreword to this book and she consults Jim when she is unsure of things about her father. One of the few Disney History books I recommend...and I have read most of them.

I have enjoyed the stories in this book so far. It is nice to be able to pick it up and read a complete story in just a few pages. Jim Korkis is a great storyteller!

This is a fascinating book with stories that tell you what you didn't know about Walt Disney. Although I
have two shelves full of Disney-related books, I had never heard or read these stories. If you're a Disney fan,
historian or collector, you need this book!

This book is filled with really unique and interesting stories. I have read countless books about Disney, and still came across many factoids in this book that I had never seen before.

However, I cannot give it a glowing review because of Korkis' writing style. It is choppy and does not flow well. It isn't even particularly captivating, which is strange because the stories themselves should be far more interesting to read. In addition, the book is riddled with grammatical errors, something that is unforgivable in an era of spell-check.

Overall, the stories are great but the way in which they are presented is not.

I had the good fortune of meeting Jim Last January and taking a walk through Magic Kingdom with him. I took us an hour and a half just to make it down Main Street. This guys knows it all, he just scratched the surface with this book.
Those are his credentials, now, Speaking of the book...I ordered it when I got home and was a little dissapointed when I read through the chapter titles. At first I read only the stories I was inrterested in, then I went back and started reading the other parts of the book. I found out that these "uninteresting" tales were just as interesting as the rest of it.
It's a great book for those little known facts about Walt himself and his business. All Disney fans should have this on their shelf.