The author skipped from one year to another; at times I felt like I was reading random notes rather than a well written biography. I ventured into this book expecting to hate Walt Disney by the time I'd be finished with it--in fact, I was a bit scared I really would, and this is one of the reasons it took me forever to be done with it.

John Canemaker Print “Animated Man is the book I've always wanted to read on Disney the person, and the one that I've enjoyed the most (of the two recently released and the previous few). He too, often would get bored with projects halfway though their completion, making it difficult for them to see the finish line, especially since he had final say on EVERYTHING!Between the two, Barrier is unquestionably more qualified to discuss Walt Disney as he is a leading expert on the man and his films. Barrier is one of the few thoughtful critic-historians to have taken a serious interest in animation, and The Animated Man is a superbly penetrating piece of work. Given Barrier's obvious bent toward the history of animation and Disney's place in it, I didn't have the highest expectations. As a straightforward, as many-warts-and-all-as-possible biography of a very smart and clever and, frankly, difficult person, this is one to seek out.

So as someone who is clearly an afficonado of that world, as well as a good critic of films and art in general, this is someone who won't mince words and won't cut corners. The author's other book is on something about animation history or something, and this probably gave him a larger than normal interest in film history.Walt's studio hasn't always been the super-ultra-mega powerhouse that we know today, and its ascension to that position isn't even complete by the time of Walt's death in 1966. Barrier juxtaposes Disney's own recollections against the memories of those other players to great effect. Gabler's bio, while longer and having more details, does not have an appreciation for Disney or animation. It makes for a read that if you don't really know much concrete stuff about Disney it paints a fuller picture than anyone could reasonable ask for. Walt Disney (1901-1966) was one of the most significant creative forces of the twentieth century, a man who made a lasting impact on the art of the animated film, the history of American business, and the evolution of twentieth-century American culture.

I really enjoy reading about Walt Disney and the Walt Disney Company and have read 14 Walt Disney biographies alone. The poor assumptions made during the planning were corrected by spending plenty of time joining guests on the rides and walking through the park. On one hand, we wouldn't have Disneyland or classics like Bambi, but on the other hand, it drove his company to the brink of bankruptcy on more than one occasion. Jeff Pepper 2719 Hyperion “Barrier's telling of the Disney legend is by far the most straightforward ever published.The Renderpeople newsletter informs you regularly about 3D People news, product updates and exclusive offers via e-mail. The later animated films are covered much less intense, with 'Lady and the Tramp' being hardly mentioned, at all. Therefore we think that this book may just be one of the more accurate biographies ever printed, and we especially recommend it to anyone who is really struggling to "know" Walt Disney better. It was of course, not to be, as neither the technology nor the design of the experience lent itself to storytelling. So if you want to know more about animation and about Disney in general this is a good way to start.

Walt Disney in a promotional video clip on one of the early 80's VHS tapes I used to watch when I was really little which told the "Story of Disney's origins" in five minutes, i. The Animated Man: A Life of Walt Disney' is animation historian Michael Barrier's attempt to grasp Disney's life and persona.Whatever his dedicated to his child-artform, what comes across clearly was the fact that Disney was absolute tyrant of a boss. It's a long and exciting adventure about somebody very famous who actually isn't well known from the public, except surface stories. Walt Disney is a hero of mine, and I enjoyed this biography that didn't pull any punches and revealed him as an actual human, faults and genius both. As a mildly interesting side note, and an example of some weird synchronicity, I wanted to point out that I started this book on the anniversary of Walt's birth (December 5) and finished it on the anniversary of his death (December 15th).