Remembering Walt: Favorite Memories of Walt Disney

I have read many books on Walt Disney. He is a personal hero of mine. Usually, a Walt Disney book will be all positive or all negative. This book is a bit different. It consists almost entirely of anecdotes told by those who knew Walt both as a friend and a leader, both good and bad.I feel like I know Walt a lot better after having this book. From the early days of animation to the creation of Disneyland and Walt Disney World... friends, co-workers, and family members describe this complicated man from every possible perspective. Walt was not a saint or an angel. Nor was he the devil that some recent biographers have tried to make him out to be. He was a human being... a complicated human being. He was a visionary, at least 50 years ahead of his time. Mostly, he was a miraculous, paternal figure in the lives of everyone close to him and a magical, whimsical personality to almost everyone else in the world. They called him Uncle Walt for a reason. This incredible collection of photos and stories will be treasured by those who love Walt and should be enjoyed even by those with an occasional curiosity in the man who created an empire based on a mouse.

Walt Disney was a man of great vision. His name is an American Icon. He is world renowned for the unforgettable images that he brought to the silver screen, which captured the imaginations of young and old alike. Those images and characters he created have transcended the movie houses they were originally shown in and have leaped into literature, art, toys and educational entertainment parks touching almost every part of the globe.The creator of the iconic character, Mickey Mouse, both as an illustrator and supplier of Mickey's original voice, brought together a highly specialized yet diversely talented team of artists and craftsmen whose works will endure for all mankind.There was something always very characteristic on whatever Walt Disney had a personal hand in. Even his live action films that he personally produced have that unique Walt Disney look and feel about them. Their sights and sounds have an enduring quality about them which remains with anyone that has viewed them. Through the end of my adolescence there began a time when I began to feel that Walt's films were nothing more than some cornball kid's stuff and were nothing more than mildly entertaining fluff. However, in retrospect I now see the emotional charged craftsmanship that went into his films. They were always interesting, but more importantly they always sparked the imagination and some such as "Old Yeller" brutally challenged the younger viewer to prepare for the responsibilities of adulthood. I think that while Walt was alive especially heading into the 1960s he was beginning to become taken for granted and his legacy was somewhat cynically scrutinized as something archaic and out of step with the "real world." I think that today as members of the "real world" we have to take a look back and see the values that one man cherished and wanted to share with all the people on this planet. We are losing those values ever so quickly cloaked in a stealth-like path to ultimate despair. It is good to see that one man's vision and hope that the future generations of society would not abandon those values, but cling to them and nurture them. That vision is not dead.Walt is remembered. This book was very inspiring and uplifting. It was good to read anecdotes from people who knew him and were touched by his devotion to his ideals through his approach to his many endeavors. Annette Funicello, Dean Jones, the Sherman brothers, Kurt Russell, Hayley Mills and many others were very kind to share their fond experiences with Walt. They remind us that he is indeed not forgotten and has left an indelible mark on all those that he touched as a man and through his works. I highly recommend this book.

A documentary in book form, it is an insightful and honest look at Walt from all the people who were around him. It reads easier and is more entertaining than your traditional biography. You can see that he really loved his work, it even comes through in the wonderful photographs. You can truly see that he was an entertainment genius. The book is interesting, amusing and at times sad and sweet. It is a great read for Disney fans, movie buffs and animation buffs who want to know about the "man who made magic" and put his stamp on American culture.

To sum up...WOW! Instead of relying on probably non-existant sources, this book takes a simply approach- Print exactly what others said about Walt, with their name attached to the quote. What a refreshing idea! The book of course has sections written by the author, but the true "guts" of the book are many, many quotes about Walt, expertly grouped by the authors. The book does not shy away from talking about Walt's temper or tendency to micro-manage, that is in there. But neither does it embelish the negatives in an effort to tear the man down. This is a truthful look, and it will make you feel even better every time you view a Disney picture or walk through the gates of Disneyland.

This is an excellent book for learning about the man and also getting a better understanding of what this American icon was like. The book is a collection of stories and comments about Walt Disney told by his family, friends and associates. The combination of all the stories gives a unique perspective on the man, his hopes and his dreams.I appreciated the fact that the comments were a mixture of positive and negative reflections on Walt Disney. I finished the book with the feeling that I knew the man a little better, and have a deeper respect for his work and his vision.There are plenty of photographs scattered throughout the book of Walt, his family and associates. I felt the photos added a lot to the impressions conveyed by the book. My only complaint is that I would have liked captions for the photos placed with the photos, detailing the time of the photo and who the people in the photo were. Also, I would have liked to see the photos coordinated with the stories. Having both young Walt and mature Walt on the same page seemed a little confusing at times. However, I did not think this detracted at all from my enjoyment of the book . . . I'm just someone that likes to know the details.Overall, I highly recommend this books to anyone that wants to know Walt Disney, the man, the employer, the business associate and the family man a little better.