Spellbinding book, note about narration.

Stewart’s book turns a set of show business hirings, firings and controversies into something genuinely epic.

A note on the narration though; it is generally very lively, but the narrator makes the strange decision to assume accents for the British, Italian, and even Japanese persons mentioned. These are never so overdone as to be comical, but they feel extremely odd in a non-fiction work.

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Gripping, insightful but ends abruptly.

As the book was published in 2005, the ‘story’ ends on something of a cliffhanger. The Eisner era was coming to a close by this point but with Disney’s most recent animation at this point being ‘Home on the Range’, the creative and financial turnaround post Eisner goes untold.
If only there was a part 2! Otherwise, it’s a fascinating journey while it lasts.

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3 people found this helpful

The wonderful, cutthroat world of Disney

A fascinating look behind the scenes of "the happiest place on earth" during the years that Michael Eisner was the CEO of the Walt Disney Company. The book candidly tracks the rise and fall of the man who oversaw the resurrection of the company during one of its bleakest time periods in the 1980s, its celebrated renaissance in the 1990s, and the eventual decline of Eisner's popularity and the highly publicized drama that followed as he alienated his closest allies and refused to loosen his micromanaging grip on the company. The performance by Patrick Lawlor is engaging enough to hold one's attention, but his attempts to give individual voices to certain persons are inconsistent. Sometimes the same person is given a gruff or sensitive voice, only for the affect to disappear after a few seconds. It can make it difficult to keep track of who is supposed to be speaking. The narrative gets a little confusing at times, especially in the first half where the story occasionally jumps several years back or forth in time. This is probably done to highlight how past events ended up having long term effects, but it is a little jarring to frequently have the narrator start in 1984, then mention events that occurred in 2004, then jump back to the 1980s again. Aside from the occasional time jumps I found the narrative fascinating and enjoyable. It's great to hear stories about how classic movies and TV shows were conceived and given form (such as The Sixth Sense, Lost, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? or Pirates of the Caribbean), and how many of them were originally considered too risky or destined for failure. There is plenty of scheming and backstabbing here worthy of the most memorable Disney villains, highlighted all the more against the backdrop of a company known for its polished, family-friendly image. The book left me hungry for more stories from the wonderful, cutthroat world of Disney.

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1 person found this helpful

The not so magical world of Disney

An interesting look behind the scenes at one of the largest media conglomerates of recent generations. Covering the less publicised boardroom politics and near Machiavellian intrigues, during the reign of Michael Isner - who headed the company during both its 'renaissance' and subsequent direct-to-video fall from grace.
Despite a somewhat dry and factual accounting (which is, in actuality, to its credit) kept me hooked and coming back from start to finish.

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So much more than I expected

I’m a huge Disney fan and I remembered the Eisner years with fondness. I had no idea there was so much dissent, insecurity and control issues behind the scenes. It’s absolutely fascinating.

Presented and read very well, I looked for excuses to keep listening. Every Disney fan should read or listen to this. The narrator was excellent.

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Hollywood History

This power struggle is epic, set in a backdrop of Hollywood Movies. A great listen!

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excellent insight into the Walt Disney company

a great listen into a turbulent era of an American icon, a well researched book offering a great commentary on the rise and fall of Michael Eisner. narration was delivered well with just enough inflection on voices without been distracting. overall well with the time

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great story with exciting narrative

can't believe I binged this book in two days. it's so good that I just can't stop. character development seems so unreal in a non fiction

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Great book… interesting choice in narration

I found this story of corporate backstabbing to be fascinating and as a film fan, you get a lot of good insight as to what happens behind the scenes. However the narrator occasionally strolls into the realm of racial stereotyping when portraying some of the players involved (the head of Sony was the most egregious display of this). Perhaps a new recording should be commissioned.

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Informative and engaging.

Good book, seen a few comments about the narration, I thought the performance was spot on.

Only disappointment is where the book finishes as, whilst any Disney fan knows how it ultimately played out, it feels slightly anti climatic and unresolved to end where it does.

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