Discovering Walt: The Magical Life of Walt Disney
by Jean-Pierre Isbouts

Jean-Pierre was the director of the recent documentary "Walt: The Man Behind the Myth". He continues his look at Walt's life with this hardcover edition for children. It's a pleasant easy read with some interesting anecdotes and pictures.

Disney: The First 100 Years
by Dave Smith, Steven Clark

Written by the two leading authorities on Disney trivia, this volume looks at both Walt Disney and his legacy. Organized by year with plenty of pictures.

When Schickel came out with the first version of this book, about 20 years ago, he outraged Disney fans for daring to admit that Walt was less than perfect. In fact, certain portions of the book were downright critical. Now, with the wisdom that time brings, he has admitted he was perhaps just a bit too harsh. The original text is still here, but he has updated the book with a new chapter that grudgingly admits Walt wasn't all that bad.

I first bought this book while in London, and read the whole thing before making it back home. Mosley has done a good job of bringing Walt to life, neither bashing nor fawning over the man. A good one for Walt's fans.

This biography of Walt takes an unusual approach, for it's a collection of audio stories rather than printed chapters. Click on the title or picture to order it on two cassettes, or click here to order the CD version.

I had the pleasure of working with the Greenes on the 1998 CD-ROM biography "Walt Disney: An Intimate Portrait". They sure do know their Walt Disney! Their work on the first version of the book was so well received by Diane Disney Miller that it helped lead to the CD-ROM project. If you're looking for a good bio of Walt, you'll need both this and the Bob Thomas book listed below.

Quotable Walt Disney, The
compiled by Dave Smith

Lots of great sayings from Walt on a wide variety of subjects, compiled by Disney archivist Dave Smith. Like many other famous men, Walt used a variety of speech writers. How many of these thoughts are his and how many are theirs is unknown. To quote a famous line from The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, "When the legend becomes the fact print the legend."

The Greens turned to those who knew Walt best over the years and collected an outstanding set of memories and anecdotes. Accompanied by rare pictures from the Disney family and the Walt Disney Archives, this is a must have.

A short but still entertaining look at Walt, one intended for a younger audience.

Bob Thomas is such a good writer that he has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. You'll understand why when you read this biography. Written with assistance from the Disney family and many of Walt's associates, it is one of two definitive works on Walt you'll want to have. The other? Go up a few books!

Part of the "Community Builders" series of biographies for younger audiences.

Another biography intended for a younger audience.

I've had the pleasure of knowing Russell for years, and can heartily attest to his knowledge and enthusiasm for the history behind the Disney company we know today. Many of you will have seen his work and never known it, for he's one of the company's primary artists for merchandising and publications. This time out, he turned his talent into documenting Walt's life through historical photos, many of which have not been published before. Additional commentary from Diane Disney Miller makes this a "must have".

Walt Disney: Young Movie Maker
by Marie Hammontree. Paperback, 1997 version.

Intended for the younger audience (teens), this is a quick read on Walt. Nothing new, but a competent job.

This is an outstanding behind-the-scenes look at how Walt's interest in railroads led, in part, to the creation of Disneyland. Michael's father was one of Walt's earliest Disneyland designers, and together they built Walt's miniature steam train, the Lilly Belle. Full of rare photos from the Disney and Broggie family collections, this book could only have been written by someone on the inside.