Walt Disney: Hollywood's Dark Prince : A Biography

Rating:
Summary: A Riveting Account of a Troubled Genius
Review: I love the World That Walt Built beyond all reason. I've studied Disney corporate history, I own stock in the company, and I read anything about it I can lay my hands on.

That said, I know how difficult it is to get a true account of Walt Disney. The company has offered up his image of sainthood for years, making it increasingly difficult to get past that glossed perfection. Disney will do anything to protect its image (understandably so) and this applies lavishly to whitewashing Walt.

I found this book a very moving account of a man brutally abused as a kid, who went through life striving through his unique genius to create and secure the childhood he never had. The book charts Walt's many heights of seeing his various visions to fruition, and the subsequent depression once a dream is realized--the cycle of creativity for us all. And if the book dwells on his considerable darkness, well, there's plenty of room for that. Something needs to balance out the company's, and other writers' God-hype about Walt. His shadow is laid out compassionately in these pages, and Walt Disney stands all the taller for it.

Rating:
Summary: Tabloid Trash!
Review: Plain and simple: Eliot's perspective of this classic American icon resembles more of a supermarket tabloid trash heap than an actual work of literally fact! While I'm certain that "Uncle Walt" was just as human (and erred like the rest of us,) I couldn't imagine him to be the psychological nightmare that Eliot described.

Noone wants to envision Mr. Disney as anything less than the ideal sqeaky-clean role model. But Eliot's depiction of Disney oozes with a distasteful tone which reads as nothing more than a personal vendetta residing deep within his subconscious mind. There's very little information supported by facts or references and it's blatantly obvious at times that Eliot's making this stuff up as he goes along!

If you really want to read a more "authoritative" biography on this great Hollywood legend, look to Bob Thomas' book: Walt Disney: An American Original.

As for "Dark Prince:" it's going to take a lot more than a spoonful of sugar to get this one down!

Rating:
Summary: Utter Discust!!
Review: This Book makes me want to vomit. Not only is it unauthorised, it is untrue. Marc eliot is a well known un-credibul author, If your looking for a book that tells the Truth on Walt, dont pick this one. try "The man behind the myth"