Randy Bright does an excelent job giving the reader and inside glimpse on the inspiration, design, and execution of "the happiest place on earth." He takes you on the journey of how Walt Disney and his creative team of Artists, Story Tellers, and Engineers carefully crafted one of America's greatest icons.
The story is carefuly told and documented with many photographs of the park from its earliest concpetion to the finished product. Take a journy into the imagination of The Disney Organizaion and see how they created an true american icon.
This book is rare and hard to come by but it is well worth the read.

This is the most comprehensive and informative book I have ever read about the creation of any of the Disney parks. Randy Bright tells the story of how Walt Disney came to re-invent the amusement park industry with ideas starting in the 30's.

Although this book is unfortuantely out of print now, if you love the Disney parks, this is the book for you.

The book (in true Disney fashion) is overwhelmingly positive, but it doesn't leave out interesting stories from the formative early years. For example, you can read about the opening day disaster (fondly remembered as "Black Sunday"), when twice the projected number of people got in. Or how, one day shortly after the park opened, a gas leak threatened to blow up Sleeping Beauty castle while reporters watched.

Most importantly, the book takes great care to introduce to us the people that were instrumental in designing the park. Practically, all of the attractions, new and those that are long gone are described, and fondly remembered.

Lastly, this book is simply the best collection of archival photographs that I have.

Good Luck in finding a copy.

This is by far one of the best books written about a Disney themepark. If you can get your hands on this one, it's a best buy!

This is an absolutely fantastic inside look at the design process of Disney Imagineering. The book details the past, present and future projects along with great anecdotes from the Imagineers themselves. The book is also filled with rich pictures, illustrations, and sketches from projects both built and left on the "shelf". As one who wishes to pursue a thempark design career, this book acts as a great reference tool and both inspires and motivates your creative juices.

-Ken G.

No other text comes as close to capturing Walt Disney's joy and enthusiasm for the creative process. Written by Kevin Rafferty with Bruce Gordon, their text explores the historical context for this remarkable story. Originally known as WED Enterprises (Walt Disney's personally owned laboratory for creating what would later become known as Disneyland), their story details the guiding influence of Walt Disney himself, as well as of the men and women who succeeded Walt in becoming the first generation of "Imagineers".

Having laid that foundation, the development of Disney theme parks is presented with amazing attention to detail. David Mumford and Randy Webster have taken in-depth research and image selection to new heights. Every graphic and illustration makes a strong contribution in documenting the role of Walt Disney Imagineering in expanding Disney's reach to the far corners of the globe.

I had a hard time finding this book, and guess where I am...Orlando, Florida! You'd think that there would be plenty on the shelves! When I finally found it, there were only two on the shelf in a small section on the 2nd floor of Barnes & Nobles!

I was just in awe at the book, I expected many pages of text, but I can't remember a full page of text in this huge book. It's full of illustrations and pictures that really make you feel like you're one of the Imagineers checking out ideas for the parks.

For anyone who likes Disney, or really anyone who enjoys design, art, architecture, etc.; or just needs a good coffee table book, this book is stupendous, and you get a deal here on Amazon. ...

I hope they come out with another book.

This is a great book about Disney Company. It goes chronologically from 1901 to 1999 and beyond. Every event in the company's history is put in the book, but without much detail.
Since he maintains Disney Archives, Dave Smith could have done a litle better, like he did with Disney's Encyclopedia.

This book was excellent! It had terrific pictures and it told from 1901 when Walt was born until 2001. It is a great keepsake. I purchased mine at Walt Disney World during the 100 Years of Magic celebration.

I really enjoyed this book. It is packed with lots of great photographs and artwork from Walt Disney and the Disney Company. It also has a really nice overview of the life of Walt Disney and the work of the Disney Company in text.

I appreciated the organization of the book. The book is arranged chronologically, which helped me to understand the flow of events better. This book has a very upbeat, positive tone and paints a very bright and exciting future for the Disney Company.

This book does not contain nearly as much information about Walt Disney as some of the biographies that I have read, but I don't think that was the goal of this book. This book does a very nice job of chronicling the art and the work of this great American icon and then continues the chronology with the work of the Disney Company in the post Walt era.

This book starts with very early Disney and takes the reader all the way through to Fantasia 2000. This is an excellent coffee table book. I highly recommended it to anyone that loves Walt, his work and the continuing work of the Disney Company.

My wife and I have been to Walt Disney World 3 times in the last 4 years and it's getting tough to explain to our friends and family just why it is we spend money and valuable vacation time at the same place. In a word, it's: MAGIC. Walt Disney World is so much more than an collection of amusement parks filled with thematic attractions interspersed with gift shops and restaurants. Walt Disney World is a study in customer service excellence. It is one man's dream come true. We go as much to be inspired as we do to relax and have fun. This book was an excellent companion to our visit providing insight into just how Disney consistently delivers a quality experience.

So why is Disney flat-lining? Well, this is off the book, but if Michael and the gang are listening- in a word it is "Saturation". In Disney's effort to "be everywhere" the magic wears off. Disney stores in the mall, all over radio and TV, and in many ways becoming omnipresent, they are going to pull a "Planet Hollywood". They need to keep a healthy distance- not chasing people everywhere for fear the competition vying for their time and attention will somehow win out. Just keep doing the basics well and let the customers come and find you.

I highly recommend this easy-reading book for three reasons. First, it helped me understand and appreciate how Disney continues to deliver the highest quality products and services year-in and year-out. Secondly, it clearly described many proven ways and concepts to improve my organization's customer service. Lastly, this book gave me a lot of practical lessons that can and should be adapted to fit into most management or leadership situations.

I read a couple of outstanding books by Disney-outsiders ("Built to Last" by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras, and "The Disney Way" by Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson) about how and why they were so impressed with Disney. I wanted to read a book about a Disney-insider's perspectives on what Disney does to impress everyone and exceed all expectations. This book showed me the "what" of Disney's practical magic of customer service: a full-time business of shared values, enforced standards, focused work, self-discipline, and attention to detail that is virtually transparent to all Disney guests. I got all that I wanted and more from this outstanding book.

After I finished reading this book, I read through my highlights and realized that the following paragraph from the introduction perfectly previewed the book:

"In this book, we take you behind the scenes to discover Disney best practices and philosophies in action. We provide you with an insider's glimpse of quality service principles in action both at Walt Disney World, as told from the perspectives of cast members [Disney-speak for "employees"], and in other organizations, as told by executives who have participated in Disney Institute programs. Walt Disney's fundamentals for success still ring true. You build the best product you can. You give people effective training to support the delivery of exceptional service. You learn from your experiences. And you celebrate success. You never stop growing. You never stop believing."

Sharing the secrets behind Disney's 'practical magic' in this book is yet another example of Disney's commitment to exceptional guest [Disney-speak for "customer"] service. Read this book and enjoy being Disney's guest.

As the Director of an Entrepreneurship Program at a private University, I have found this book to be a valuable teaching tool. Students at all levels of learning enjoy the book because it connects practical stories that students can understand to important aspects of customer service as well as employee management. As recent visitors with our two young children, my wife and I enjoyed the book purely from a "guest" perspective. You can really appreciate all that goes into the magic of the Disney parks by reading this book.

There were alot of interesting facts about Disney and how it was given new life by Eisner and his team. However, this book spent too much time talking about the business deals of the Walt Disney Company. The author should have spent more time on what was done rather than how it was done. I hope the author considers writing a revision of this book so that it will be more up-to-date. Anyway, it was alot of fun to read, so thumbs up!

A very interesting and entertaining perspective of how the Disney company made its transition into the 90's after having spent almost 15 years trying to recover from, and find it's way after, the loss of both Walt and Roy Disney. This book picks up where others leave off, several years after Walt Disney's death. Subjects include: changes and personalities involved in the struggle to carry the company with only Roy Disney Sr. to lead it; The search for new management in the wake of a terrible downturn in success; The struggle for directive and creative control in the company that almost resulted in all immediate Disney family members leaving the company; Several attempted leveraged buyouts; and the search for the new CEO that would save the Disney dynasty. All of which resulted in the selection of Michael Eisner as the new leader at Disney. The second half of the book takes the reader on an enjoyable romp as Eisner and his new team "brush the dust off" many of Disney's hidden treasures, re-releasing tens of Disney classics in theatres and onto video. The story also tells of how Eisner and his team add their own mix of movie, TV, music and animation creations to move Disney into the 90's. This is a great read for anyone interested in the world of the Disney empire, although I recommend reading at least one other book that focuses in the earlier Disney years for a better taste of just how things did change

From about 1985 I was the senior executive assistant to Disney's Vice President of Strategic Planning, Lawrence P. Murphy. I therefore read this book with a special eagerness, and I was not disappointed. It teems with the wonderful people who make up the cast of top management at The Walt Disney Company headquarters in Burbank, California.

Mentioned herein are many, but not all, of the bright and driven executives who comprise Michael's well known "Dream Team", those brilliant businessmen and women who increased the company's market value from $2 billion to $75 billion in a scant 15 years. While many attempts have been made recently to explain the magic of Disney management (wouldn't everyone like to succeed this well), Eisner's book reveals a great chunk of the truth: As strategic planner Peter Murphy phrases it at one point, "We are a compulsive culture".

As important as smiling employees and customer satisfaction are, Disney management tests its own mettle on a daily basis, working incredibly long and hard upon every operations detail, research task, acquisition project and growth enterprise that captures its attention. No one can expect to duplicate Disney's success without emulating this crucial aspect of its management work ethic -- its people work tirelessly, passionately and often single-mindedly, and find immense joy and personal satisfaction in achieving the desired results.

This is a fine book and highly recommended for any executive who wishes deeper practical insights into how a brilliant but prudent Disney management team transformed the company's future.

I was drawn to this book after watching Eisner plug it on the Today show and, hoping for the best, bought it that very night. It was no mistake -- this was one of the most enjoyable non-fiction books I have read in ages. I literally could not put it down and finished it in two and a half days. Eisner does a wonderful job of telling Disney's history (as well as snippets of the history of Paramount and ABC), putting a human face on what in other similar tomes has resulted in a stream of dry business facts. (Granted, I am a corporate attorney, so I was also intrigued by the business details -- it may well be that others mind find it somewhat dry). In any event, as a reader you are treated for what is, or at least seems to be, a candid look behind the scenes of an American pop culture icon (Disney, not Eisner, although after finishing the book I want nothing more than to land a job working directly for the man.) It was refreshing to see that someone as successful as Eisner in corporate Americal also has a human side.

From the first chapter, the reader is drawn into the background of one of this country's most unique business leaders; Michael Eisner. This book only gets better. It charts the real life reinvention of The Walt Disney Co., during a time when it had become almost mechanistic in its approach to animation, live action movies, and merchandising, after the death of its originator, Walt Disney. Eisner and company, prod, poke, and blast Disney from a successful family entertainment company, to the undisputed leader in commercial entertainment on every level from sports, to cruise lines, to the internet. Anyone who thinks they know something about wedding the creative process to making a profit, will learn a thing or ten, from reading this book.

After reading Hit and Run and an excerpt from the this book in Vanity Fair, I couldn't wait to read "Keys to the Kingdom." I was not disappointed. Masters does a fine job of telling Eisner's (and the stories of those around him--Katzenberg, Diller, etc)story. Something about Eisner has always bit a bit unreal--even smarmy at times--and Masters holds nothing back. It isn't always balanced, but overall is fair. The details and stories are terrific--until the last 1/5th of the book. I was engrossed until the story turned the Katzenberg trial--where Masters drowned us in the details. I love details, but at times one needed a road map to keep. Masters is to be commended for a journalistic/insiders account of that dark time for Disney, but wow...I just had a time staying focused. However, on the whole the book is well worth the paper back price. You'll learn how Disney has never really gotten over the death of Frank Wells and why all those executives keep leaving. It is indeed a grim place; Eisner's inner sanctum. It is also another fascinating book.

Michael Eisner is routinely credited (and has been handsomely rewarded) with the great Disney turnaround. Was it genius or luck? Kim Master's Key's to the Kingdom-How Michael Eisner Lost His Grip is a well researched and thoroughly entertaining look into the Hollywood scene and the Walt Disney Company in particular from 1984 to 1999. We are given a rare unfiltered peek over the burm and into the inner sanctum of the Magic Kingdom. In the end, one comes away with the intended impression that Bravado, Ego and Greed are the three horseman of Hollywood. We are left with an unflattering portrait of Michael Eisner as a parsimonious and deeply flawed leader clearly out of touch with the world around him.

So how did such a flawed leader turn a Two Billion Dollar company into a Sixty Billion Dollar juggernaut of American industry? Frank Well's summed up the situation best when shortly after the Eisner/Wells team ascended to the leadership of Disney, Well's noted "Every time I open a door at this company, there's money behind it."

What is glossed over and unappreciated in Kim Master's book is the fact that when Walt Disney died in 1966 he left the Disney organization without a well groomed leader. From 1966 to 1984 Walt literally ruled Disney from the grave and no one in the incestuous leadership of the company dared peek into the cupboard or look behind any door.

The two to sixty billion dollar story, weaved by Kim Masters leaves the reader with the clear impression that it was Michael Eisner's luck rather than his talent which was at the core of this success. Michael's early failure to appreciate the value of animation, his obsession with paying the minimum for talent, the lost movie opportunities, the personal vendetta against Jeffrey Katzenberg, the hiring and firing of Michael Ovitz, the yet to pay off acquisition of ABC/CapitalCities are all fascinating vignette's in a passion play which could easily be called "As the Mouse Turns."

Despite the negative tone of the book in general, Master's paints a flattering picture of Frank Well's insightful decision making and tactful backroom smoothing of feathers, leaving the reader to conclude that it was perhaps Well's talents and not Eisner's that were in fact were the real Keys to the Kingdom.

With fewer doors to look behind and all the cupboards bare, it is interesting to note that since Well's death in 1994 Disney stock has grown only at about the same rate as the S&P 500.

While insisting that most talent work for the minimum, we are told that Eisner in 1996 signed a long term employment contract with Disney which provided in addition to a $750,000 base salary, annual bonus participation and options for an additional 24,000,000 shares of Disney stock.

In fairness to Michael Eisner the shareholders of Disney have profited handsomely during his tenure at the Company. Nevertheless even as Eisner himself might say "Yes, but could we have made the deal without giving up so much money?"

I found this book to be an interesting read. I have also read Michael Eisner's autobiography and was looking forward to reading more about his tenure at Disney.

I appreciated the way that Kim Masters brought a different perspective to the events leading up to Eisner's taking the helm at Disney as well as the time since Eisner took over. There certainly were many things that Masters discussed that Eisner did not cover very well or at all in his book. I think it is important to get more of the total picture on events such as these and not just one point of view. I felt that Masters presented a point of view that was much more broad than the view presented by Eisner.

Now for some of the things I did not like about this book. There is many times in this book that Masters' tone seemed almost gossipy which is something I do not like. Also, Masters seemed to dwell on the negative aspects of Eisner as well as other people that held or continue to hold power in the entertainment industry. She seemed very critical of anyone holding that power and said very little positive about them. There is (hopefully) good and bad in everyone, I would have liked to get a more balanced story from an author with Master's talent.

Overall, I recommend this book. It is a good source of information that I have not found elsewhere. However, I too felt this book left me unconvinced that Eisner has "Lost His Grip."

Michael Alexander Eisner has created a wonderful story. The characters are strong, well developed, and consistent. The relationships between the characters provide the engine that drives this book. The 13th century and the crusades provide the backdrop for the drama.
While the book has an authentic feel, its sensibilities are modern. Brother Lucas attempts to exorcise a knight of the cross, Francisco de Montcada. The exorcism seems much more like a modern therapy session than a medieval religious rite. Lucas's note from the sessions, which are the main body of the novel, read like a modern confession. I read, always waiting for that horrible act that would make the pieces come together.
Eisner creates a believable 13th century. The castles, monasteries, and churches present the feeling of mystery that is so fun about books on this period. The ease with which the reader moves through these places, never feeling lost, is the make of excellent writing.
The battle scenes are great, easy to follow, and not too hard on those of us readers who don't generally read war novels.
If the book has a shortcoming, it is that the Arabs have no voice. Eisner seems content to let them be infidels and monsters, rather than people.
The Crusader is a good start for Eisner. I hope he will write more.

The Crusader, set in 1275, opens as a monk arrives in the middle of a rainy night at an abbey in medieval Spain. Brother Lucas has come with an important mission - to save the soul of Francisco de Montcada, whom he studied with at a monastery six years before. Franciso has returned from the Crusades, so broken in spirit by the war he has witnessed that he will neither speak nor respond to the efforts of the monks who try to "save" him.

The novel unfolds with the fascinating story of Francisco. Not wanting to give too much away, let me just say that The Crusader has everything going for it: beautifully drawn characters, and a suspenseful - and never predictable - plot. The book cuts a wide emotional swath that takes you from scenes of intense ardor between Francisco and his beautiful cousin, Isabel, to the atrocities of the battlefront. As Brother Lucas is driven to understand the "map" of Francisco's soul, the novel seems driven by a journey to understand how one can reconstruct one's life after all reason to live seems to be taken away.
Eisner creates vivid scenes of life-altering moments that jump off the page - a haunting dream in which Francisco is visited by a ghost, a prophetic deer hunt in the snowy mountains of Spain with Isabel and her family. He weaves in colorfully drawn details of medieval life which enrich the novel and the characters, but never feel overtly "historical" or forced. You will finish this book feeling that you have borne witness to the unfolding of a great story. And you will be hard pressed to shake the dramatic scenes and masterfully drawn characters of The Crusader from your mind. Highly recommended!

A fan of historical fiction, I consider Steven Pressfield's "Gates of Fire" the standard of the genre from which all others are measured. I have searched for several years to find a book that approaches the flavor of Pressfield's work. With his first novel, Michael Alexander Eisner approaches that level. I was pleasantly surprised when I found that the 'advanced praise' on the back cover supplied by Mr. Pressfield; he could not have picked a better book to endorse.

Similar to "Gates," "The Crusader" is narrated through the eyes of another. A Cistercian monk is tasked with the exorcism of Francisco Montcada, a knight from the Spanish order Calatrava returning from his crusade "haunted by demons." As Francisco's confessor, the monk is taken on this adventure that begins with a detailed look at the training proferred by 'Uncle Ramon,' the leader of the Knights of Calatrava. Once trained, Francisco and 140 Knights of Calatrava embark on their journey to the Holy Land. Eisner takes us graphically through two major engagements, one a success, the other a dismal failure. Francisco ends up in The Citadel, the infamous Muslim prison you may remember from the opening scene in Kevin Costner's "Robin Hood." Ransomed, Francisco returns to Spain a broken man.

The timeliness of "The Crusader" has an uncomfortable sense about it. As I journeyed with Francisco on his mission to recover the Holy Land from the infidels, the US mission in Afghanistan continued to surface in my mind. I perceived similarities between the Crusades and America's war on terror. Eisner writes often of the Muslim mentality, and it was too close for comfort.

I cannot speak for the historical accuracy of "The Crusader." I have a strong sense that Eisner did his homework. With that conviction, I finished the novel (in short order as it was extremely difficult to put down) and felt that I had received a layman's education in an area of history and with events that I was previously only vaguely familiar with.

Right or wrong, I often base my recommendations on whether or not I could see this novel unfold on the big screen. Frankly, as I wait for Michael Mann and George Clooney to pick up their pace with "Gates of Fire," I am anxious for someone to move forward with this novel and bring it to life.

"The Crusader" was extremely interesting and fast-paced. Eisner does a fine job with his character development. Many I loved, others I hated. In the final analysis, if you, like I am, are a fan of historical fiction, you must read "The Crusader."

My first question is whether or not Grover even reread his own book. Was this book edited at all? It is ridden with distracting typo after distracting typo. I forced myself to read about 100 pages, and it was absolutely maddening. The first sentence of the book has a typo, for goodness sake!!!! It's like writing, "It was the best of tymes, it was the werst of times." Can you imagine???!!! That set the tone for the rest of the book.

I am amazed with Grover's inablilty to communicate a coherent thought. It's as if he wrote each chapter in a vaccuum, repeatedly and painstakingly reminding us of the background of each player in the Disney story. For example, at some point one would think he would give the reader enough credit to remember who Richard Rainwater is without repeating his full name and telling us who he is everytime he's mentioned.

This ranks right at the top as one of the worst books I have ever TRIED to read. The best thing about it is the picture on the front. A 4th grader could write better than this. Do yourself a favor and don't make the same mistake I made by buying this garbage. There has to be something better on the Disney story out there...somewhere...even if you just read a review of Mulan.

For trivia buffs, this book is chock-full of Disney vitae. Since I'm not interested in the year, actors/actresses, gross revenues, etc. of all of the Disney movies, about 80% of this book was unnecessary. My purpose was to compare the Walt regime with the Michael Eisner organization. Clearly, the Eisner story is a lesson in a hurting kingdom, in search for a white knight, with major doses of pixie dust and how the kingdom's economy turned around. Informational, not really enjoyable. I read it for a doctoral class.

How Eisner and Wells revamped Disney and made it what it is today. I consider this book as being part of a triptych of Disney reference books about the history of the company: first the official biography by Bob Thomas (1901-1966), second Storming the Magic Kingdom by John Taylor (1967-1984) and third this one (1985-today). Those are for me the three best books about the history of the Walt Disney Company.

To those books I would however add a fourth one that was recently published and that comes to the top of my list and is in a way the fourth of the three mouseketeers:

Watts, Steven: The Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney and the American Way of Life published by Houghton-Miflin; 1998.