OT-Has anyone read Disney War?

[paslea_pooh]

I just picked it up and can't put it down. Just wondering if anyone has read it and how they liked it.

 

[LukenDC]

I am reading Disney War now. It is interesting, but I regard the accuracy of tell-all books as suspect. Publishers want to sell as many books as possible and salacious details and scandal, even exagerrated, lead to good sales. I have no doubt, however, that Michael Eisner is a very driven man and people with that type of personality tend to be very controlling.

I was fascinated to read that the Imagineers are always planning, even when proposals for parks or rides are simply hypothetical. A couple of years ago the National Building Museum in Washington had an exhibit on the architecture of Disney. The exhibit contained plans of several rides and Epcot pavilions that never made it off the drawing board. Really neat exhibit.

My favorite Disney War "moment" came when I was reading the book in Rome. My boyfriend and I will spend part of our September WDW trip at the Dolphin Hotel. He had commented several times on the unusual design of the dolphin motif that adorns the hotel. During one of our nights in Rome, I read in Disney War that Michael Graves' dolphin motif was inspired by Bernini's dolphin fountains in Rome. The next day we saw two Bernini fountains and sure enough the dolphin sculptures on the fountains matched those on the Dolphin Hotel.

 

[Pinmaniac]

I read it shortly after it was published. I also found it hard to put down. I ended up finishing it up while sitting on the balcony at AKL.

Very interesting reading considering the writer was given behind the scenes access with the blessing of Eisner.

 

[BCVOwner2002]

This is on my list of books to read. I think I'll pick it up this weekend. Annmarie

 

[FOTM_Ring_Bearer]

I just picked it up and can't put it down. Just wondering if anyone has read it and how they liked it.

I had the same problem, just couldn't put it down. It was a very interesting book and certainly didn't make Eisner look good. It's amazing the number of good people the company lost because of him. And the whole Katzenberger story just blew my mind. That cost Disney a lot more money than it should have.

 

[marksniles]

I'm reading it now!

 

[DrTomorrow]

I read it shortly after it was published. I also found it hard to put down. I ended up finishing it up while sitting on the balcony at AKL.[...]

You're braver than I am; I thought of picking up for our WDW trip this week, but the mental picture of our door being broken down by the Disney Pixie-dust Police convinced me to wait until we return.

 

[DVCconvert]

picked it up and can't put it down

I have, and my feelings exactly! In fact I've read it twice, the first right after release, the second, on the balcony at OKW!

 

[donald...really]

I just finished it this past weekend. Like others, I couldn't put it down. I will probably read it again because I read it so fast the first time I know I didn't get all of the details.

 

[VMS]

I've started to read it. The author, Jim Stewart came and spoke about it at our public library last month. I bought it and had it signed by him. The stories he told at that lecture were very interesting.

 

[lillasmom]

I've started to read it. The author, Jim Stewart came and spoke about it at our public library last month. I bought it and had it signed by him. The stories he told at that lecture were very interesting.

Would you share the stories?

I'm reading it now and it is very interesting. Lots of good and bad things to think about.

 

[VMS]

One thing was that the publishing date had to be quickly moved up because some people at Disney got their hands on the book before it was released. This is all followed with the timing of ME announcing his giving up his position earlier than planned. Apparently, a lot of the board members were surprised (and it made them look really bad) at some of the things that were going on under ME without them even knowing about it.

He also just had some interesting stories about their meetings.

 

[lillasmom]

One thing was that the publishing date had to be quickly moved up because some people at Disney got their hands on the book before it was released. This is all followed with the timing of ME announcing his giving up his position earlier than planned. Apparently, a lot of the board members were surprised (and it made them look really bad) at some of the things that were going on under ME without them even knowing about it.

He also just had some interesting stories about their meetings.

Cool, thanks for sharing.

 

[paslea_pooh]

only after reading it a second time did I get it was Michael Eisner, I was having a Jessica Simpson moment, lol!

 

[croach]

Almost finished with the book although you have to take it with the proverbial grain of salt.

Incredible all the things that Eisner passed up but I have to wonder if that doesn't happen alot in big corporate world. Passing up the stake in Pixar for 15M looks bad now though.

One thing and it didn't get disputed with a footnote - Eisner referred to Steve Jobs as " a Shiite Muslim". Easy to see why they don' get along.

Very good read. Wish I could have been reading at Disney World!

 

[Jen D]

I read it. It was amazing to see it all laid out. It was kind of like a horror movie... you kept wanting to tell the various players... "Get out of the house! It's haunted! Can't you see the bodies piled up outside?" But in they'd go and there was Eisner with his ax.

 

[Mike]

I've had this book on my list to buy but I never got around to it. This thread motivated me to buy it yesterday. I ordered it off the amazon.com website but I got it from Fantastic Shopping for $10.99 brand new. Search for the book and then click on the link 72 new and used. Fantastic Shopping was the first on the list that came up. It was $14.48 with shipping.