Books about Micheal Eisner

**sx2143** · 10-02-2011, 11:29 PM

Are there any books out there about the Micheal Eisner Years of Disney. I just finished Spinning Disneys World by Charles Ridgeway. He speaks very highly of Eisner. I know Eisners reign as president had ups and downs. I think it would be fascinating to read more about him as the ceo of Disney.

**UBMICK35000** · 10-03-2011, 07:34 AM

Here are two that I've read:

"The Keys To The Kingdom" by Kim Masters

"Disney War" by James B. Stewart

**pinkemma666** · 10-03-2011, 07:38 AM

I'm currently reading the 'Disney War' one.....VERY interesting!!

**NC_WDW_Daddy** · 10-03-2011, 07:51 AM

I read Keys to the Kingdom and Disney War. Both were very detailed, but Disney War tended to get more technical than I wanted... more like a court review.

**MrCottonsParrot** · 10-03-2011, 12:36 PM

I'll also chime in about Disney War. It's a well researched book that helped fill in a lot of gaps in my knowledge of Disney before and during Eisner's era.

IMO, he doesn't get enough credit for what he accomplished and too much blame for problems, real or perceived.

To me, it seems that the 'golden Eisner' period ended with the death of Frank Wells. Coincidence?

**sx2143** · 10-03-2011, 10:20 PM

Thanks, sounds like I need to put both of these on my reading list.

**supernova** · 10-04-2011, 03:34 AM

Originally Posted by NC_WDW_Daddy

I read Keys to the Kingdom and Disney War. Both were very detailed, but Disney War tended to get more technical than I wanted... more like a court review.

Same thing here. I picked it up at a Dollar Store while shopping in Pennsylvania a few years back. First, I was shocked at how thick a book it was. I tried plowing through it, but it read more like a text book to me than a story, so I had to put it back into my library room and chose another book. Now it just sits in my collection but I can't see myself ever picking it up again.

**penguinmickdis1** · 10-04-2011, 03:36 PM

I read Disney War and it was fantastic. I would highly recommend you read it.

**mousterpiece** · 10-05-2011, 12:10 AM

I'll echo the recommendation for Disney War. I don't think it was perfect--Stewart allied himself very heavily with Eisner, it seemed, and as a proud Pixar nut, I don't think he deserves as much praise as he gets--but it's very detailed and filled with a lot of interesting anecdotes.

Also, I listened to the audiobook version, and it was interesting to hear the reader slowly but surely try to sound like Eisner in a deep, booming voice, and Jeffrey Katzenberg in a very nasal, obnoxious tone.

**weepstah** · 10-14-2011, 10:48 PM

I read Disney War recently and it's definitely worth a go. I think one of the odd bits to me was what happened to Michael Ovitz. I know it was looked upon as a complete fail on his part but he really got sandbagged by Eisner.

Keys to the Kingdom is next, and I want to get ahold of the following:

Disney:The Mouse Betrayed (although it seems more like a generic attack on Disney than Eisner); The Disney Touch: Disney, ABC and The Quest for the World's Greatest Media Empire; Storming the Magic Kingdom; The Men Who Would Be King: An Almost Epic Tale of Moguls, Movies, and a Company Called DreamWorks; The Rise and Fall of Michael Eisner, and of course I recommend these 2 movies - Waking Sleeping Beauty and Dream On Silly Dreamer.