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DisneyWar

By: James B. Stewart
Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
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Publisher's Summary

The dramatic inside story of the downfall of Michael Eisner - Disney chairman and CEO - and the scandals that drove America's best-known entertainment company to civil war.

"When You Wish Upon a Star", "Whistle While You Work", "The Happiest Place on Earth" - these are lyrics indelibly linked to Disney, one of the most admired and best-known companies in the world. So when Roy Disney, chairman of Walt Disney Animation and nephew of founder Walt Disney, abruptly resigned in November 2003 and declared war on chairman and chief executive Michael Eisner, he sent shock waves through the entertainment industry, corporate boardrooms, theme parks, and living rooms around the world - everywhere Disney does business and its products are cherished.

Drawing on unprecedented access to both Eisner and Roy Disney, current and former Disney executives and board members, as well as thousands of pages of never-before-seen letters, memos, transcripts, and other documents, James B. Stewart gets to the bottom of mysteries that have enveloped Disney for years: What really caused the rupture with studio chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg, a man who once regarded Eisner as a father but who became his fiercest rival? How could Eisner have so misjudged Michael Ovitz, a man who was not only "the most powerful man in Hollywood" but also his friend, whom he appointed as Disney president and immediately wanted to fire? What caused the break between Eisner and Pixar chairman Steve Jobs, and why did Pixar abruptly abandon its partnership with Disney? Why did Eisner so mistrust Roy Disney that he assigned Disney company executives to spy on him? How did Eisner control the Disney board for so long, and what really happened in the fateful board meeting in September 2004, when Eisner played his last cards?

DisneyWar is an enthralling tale of one of America's most powerful media and entertainment companies, the people who control it, and those trying to overthrow them. It tells a story that - in its sudden twists, vivid, larger-than-life characters, and thrilling climax - might itself have been the subject of a Disney classic - except that it's all true.

©2005 James B. Stewart. All rights reserved. (P)2017 Simon & Schuster, Inc.

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A war to stop listening

James Stewart's work is a fascinating insider account of Michael Eisner's meteoric rise from the ranks of the, already extraordinary, creative elite of Hollywood, to a global titan whose word defined the cultural experience of billions. Lawlor's narration keeps a crisp, detached, newsman's tone to an emotionally torrid story. Few of the major players at Disney, or in Hollywood, are now recognisable in this modern era of streaming content and #metoo, and a good thing that is; but the fascinating insight Stewart gives into the last generation of creative executives who lived and died by box office numbers and Monday night ratings serves as a backdrop, tragically in many ways, to our modern media landscape.

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Amazing!

Everything was perfect about this book. Great narration, storytelling and very informative. As a Disney fanatic I learnt so much about the people that I only heard about growing up with all things Disney. Definitely worth listening to if you are into boardroom politics and Disney.

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Good read

Fascinating read about the goings on behind the scenes of such a big business and brand. The information around the process of making some iconic movies / franchises like lion king, nemo, pirates etc. was quite interesting.

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