The Disney Version: The Life, Times, Art and Commerce of Walt Disney Paperback – March 1, 1997

I could not have chosen a better book about Walt Disney to suit my purposes than this one. For years I have refused to go to Disneyland on general grounds having to do with a mistrust of huge corporations, the phoniness I found in the eternal shallow sunshine of anything Disney, and the fact that I just don't like huge tourist attractions. Not to mention... it's expensive!But with a group attack on my "stand" by my adult children, my grandchildren, and assorted nieces & nephews... I promised I would "do some research" and get back with them.Therefore, I selected, from the vast array of books about Walt Disney, Richard Shickel's "The Disney Version: The LIfe, Tiimes, Art and Commerce of Walt Disney." Schickel's book is an in-depth, sensitive, well-informed, and skillfully-written perspective of this man whose early life sprang from mid-western, turn of the century, America.With the exception of only a few sections, the book reads like silk, rich and flowing. It is, all told, a careful, intelligent and highly intuitive analysis of Disney's life and psyche.The picture that Schickel paints of this man is not the "Disney version." It is an unflinching look. Walt's (he always insisted on being called by his first name) genius in organizing his empire for making mega-tons of money, his cleverness in knowing what the public wanted, his boyish response to life, the influence of where he came from on his work (and therefore, upon the rest of the country), his parental influences...all are there to be measured and assessed against his work and influence on the world. He also brings out and places on the table, with determination and balance, the man's darker side.After finishing the last page, and closing the book, I informed my family that I was now willing to make a journey up the road from our home in San Diego, to the Magic Kingdom in Anaheim. Not because I have changed my mind about anything, but because after reading "The Disney Version," I'm now curious about the amazing trance the place casts upon millions of people, including my family. And also because I want to view the spectacle I just read about. And so, call out the magic carpet, and let the journey begin.

First third of the book has very interesting details on the young Disney, although, I found it a little too artsy for my taste. The author has limited resources and makes up for them by exploring the inner meaning behind Disney's animations.

The book is a good read. Using it for a class and really gets you thinking about the Disney bubble and how it is everywhere. Although the book was written a long time ago, it is easy to follow and read. Schickel is a master of words. The book is very analytical about Disney and would read even if I didn't need it for class

Although many Disney enthusiasts feel Schickel misrepresented Walt Disney in his book, Shickel's biography is a valuable piece of scholarship nonetheless. Not only does it provide people with a good overview of Walt's life and accomplishments, but the book does not shy away from providing a critical view of the man and his work. Schickel overtly connects Walt Disney the man, Disney the corporation, the entertainment industry, and American society in order to examine how Disney (man and machine) reflect and shape American culture.It's true, Schickel can be a bit harsh with Walt Disney--his critique isn't as balanced as, for instance, the work of Steven Watts. Placing his work in historical context might help put this in perspective. Schickel took on a serious examination of Disney at a time when Disney was either a) praised as being merely for children (many were well-intentioned fans) or b) ignored or dismissed (usually by critics of "high" art). Schickel took Disney seriously: as a man, an artist, an entrepreneur, and a corporation. And he saw Disney as a major influence and example of then-contemporary America. Treating Disney as worthy of an in-depth critique, more than a brief biography or expose, is a high compliment in its own way.Consider this fair warning. Readers who only want a "feel-good" biography about Walt Disney should not read this book. But Schickel makes a lot of good points about Disney, ones that provide food for thought. Even if you don't agree with Schickel, and I don't always do so, most of his observations are perceptive and worth further consideration. And as a result, Richard Schickel has earned his place in the canon of Disney Studies, a field of study that treats Disney seriously.

Ordered on a Thursday, arrived on Monday, would purchase from this seller in the future.