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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. Read more
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Top Amazon Reviews
Format: Hardcover
Disney is a justly revered name in the world of mass entertainment. Few of us don't hold a special place in our hearts for one Disney character or film (even if we won't admit it in sophisticated company). James B. Stewart has written a terrific book documenting the reign of Michael Eisner over that empire. Stewart quickly covers how Disney came to be and how it stagnated after Walt's (and Roy's) death. This book really gets underway when Eisner, Wells, and Katzenberg arrive on the seen and begin ten years of phenomenal success and growth. Things changed drastically when Eisner broke with Katzenberg, Wells died in a helicopter crash, and Disney bought ABC. The network became a drag on Disney rather than an engine for growth. Eisner advocated the need for ABC to protect Disney from a hostile takeover. Others never really bought that notion. Some have seen Eisner has trying to recapture his early success in TV, but times had changed no matter what Eisner thought of his ability to make the network successful. Whatever the reason, the integration of ABC into Disney has not been smooth or seamless. The overpriced acquisition of Fox Family and the failed scheme of repurposing ABC programming on ABC Family was also an anchor to earnings and growth. However, this book is much more than a narrative of actions, acquisitions, and numbers. In fact, there are very few numbers. It provides rich insights into the politics, maneuvering, and outright fights between the many managers and directors involved in this story. The cast of characters the author provides at the front of the book is a real help in following the machinations of the people who make up the fabric of this tale of ambition, greed, betrayal, and boardroom war. The three main sections of the book tell the arc of the story: The Wonderful World of Disney, The Disenchanted Kingdom, and Disney War. I found the background story of how certain programs got on the air, how movies were greenlighted and then backed or abandoned all fascinating. The way failure was assigned to people often had nothing to do with their actual culpability, but rather the need to get someone off the plank and into the sea so that another's career ambitions could continue. It was also fascinating how Eisner's ego never lets him be wrong even when he so clearly was. As his power grew, and he carefully groomed its growth, his identity of self with this public corporation became not only odd, but also a bit creepy. It is clear to me that the board of Disney managed the company for their own benefit and their egos rather than for the benefit of all shareholders. However, I am sure that Eisner and others on the board do not see it that way. One of the many strengths of this book is that the author does not take sides or make anyone out to be a villain (or a hero). In fact, he often points out contradictory accounts of certain conversations and actions. Stewart provides a balanced account that is very clear and lets each character speak for himself (or herself). For me, the saddest part of the story is the really bad behavior at the highest levels of management in the way they treated not only each other, but the employees they were managing. One person said that Eisner liked to put six pit bulls together and see which five died. Since Eisner was above the firing line, it was easy for him to keep rivals from becoming a threat to him by keeping them tearing each other apart. One of Eisner's methods of staying in power was keeping the board afraid that he would leave because there was no one left who could run the company. Just as a possible successor would appear, something would happen to undermine them and drive them away. All coincidences. The epilogue does a superb job of analyzing Eisner and his time at the top of running Disney and noting that even though it appears Eisner is through in 2006, that it might not be so. This is a book that should be widely read and I strongly recommend it.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2005 by Craig Matteson
This book is a very eye opening piece. Nothing seems to be hidden or spared. It's written from a factual point of view, and although I have not completely finished it yet (about 3/4 through it) I have been surprised and amazed at the information presented. This book does not take the "let's jump on the pro-Disney bandwagon", nor does it take the stance of a "Disney is so awful" book, instead I feel that this book presents both sides of the tale (pardon the mouse tail pun), and discusses the backstabbing, deals and underhandedness whiloe also presenting things that were also positive during the Eisner years. It (so far as I have seen) is balanced in what it presents. I look forward to finishing this book to see what other surprises surface in the court battles and the conclusion. War was an appropriate title!
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Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2008 by L. M. Danner
A rather lengthy book (over 600 pages), but I found that I went through it much quicker than I ever imagined I could. Both me and my wife read it and just couldn't put it down. There really wasn't any boring parts to it and thats simply because Eisner did so much backstabbing and just plain afwul things to his underlings, you are constantly turning to the next page to see what happens next. About the only "complaint" overall is that there are just too many names to keep track of and what jobs they performed within Disney. This is no fault of the author's and actually a direct result of Eisner's non-stop turnstile of corporate executives. Eisner would hire/fire anyone at anytime (actually, he would never do it himself. He always would get some poor schmuck to carry out his dirty work even after he directly told the person getting fired that they were safe, etc). Having grown up watching Disney classics and visiting the parks, this book certainly raises your blood to the boiling point seeing how Eisner asserts himself as Walt Disney's equal, if not better. Stewart does clearly point out that although the Eisner/Wells team vaulted Disney from rags to riches in 10 years, the death of Wells pretty much spelled the end of Eisners good fortunre. However, that death of good fortunre makes for a great story and a superb job by Stewart to put it into book form. Anyone that can drive off the beloved namesake of the very company he works for certainly gives you an idea of the no questions asked power Eisner held over Disney's Board, the company, and its shareholder. Who else can not honor a contract, say you won't pay, reneg on a $90M settlement, and then have to pay $300M in court when you are found guilty?? Who could hire their best friend as President, fire them after 14 months, pay $140M in severance pay? Who could purchase a cable network with no real advisement, buy it at $5.2 BILLION, afterwards have your accounting dept. realize it is only worth $1.75 BILLION, and then not do a tax write off in order to save your shareholders MILLIONS of dollars? Who could do all of that and STILL remain Chairman and CEO of ANY company?Its pretty simple when you are Michael Eisner. These are just some of the things he did in this book that keep you wanting to read more. The book ends just as Eisner is asked to step down as Chairmen of Disney's board, but still keeps his CEO title. Its a shame that Eisner hung on awhile longer and that didn't make it to book. Even without it, I found it unbelievably fascinating and shocking that this kind of behavior finds a home in the board rooms and companies of America. But look no further than Enron to even worse, which is probably why Stewart picked that topic for one of his books, too.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2007 by Mike
Format: Paperback
I'm a Disney lover and fascinated with all things business-related, especially (and mainly) the psychology behind businesses, the personalities of leaders, and the egos involved. It's awesome being able to look under the hood at how a business defined by effervescent magic can not only exist as a profitable corporation, but reinvent itself, evolve with the times, and produce work that is culturally significant. I love that the author isn't overly salacious for the sake of making things seem juicy-- he trusts the reader to understand the drama unfolding without unnecessary hyperbole. All "characters" are humanized yet flawed in their own ways, and their contributions are reported on as equally as their Achilles heels. As an artist myself, it was wonderful to read about two feuding, shrewd businessmen (Eisner and Katzenberg) who both ended up being that unicorn variety of leader that's perfect for a company like Disney: Eisner understood the value of trusting artists and creators to be experts on storytelling and world building, and Katzenberg understood when something "worked" creatively and when something didn't. It was alchemy that created magic while stirring up a storm, but there's no denying that the two of them (along with the placating and more logistics-savvy Wells, RIP) were the secret sauce that gave us the Disney Renaissance. For a massive tome, it really was a page-turner!
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Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2024 by CourtneyShayne
Format: Paperback
Is it possible a story about Disney executives could produce a drama similar to that of the Tudors? Despite its name, when I started reading Disney War I wasn't expecting to find a Disney King that reigned over a court of unfortunates that feared the Tower and the stroke of the axe. I had visions of starving and forgotten executives languishing in the high turrets of Cinderella's Castle in the Magic Kingdom, or chained up in the dungeon of the Pirates of the Caribbean using bones to entice the dog with the keys. A phrase from a Sir Thomas Wyatt poem kept entering my head "Around the Throne the Thunder Roles" which seemed so fitting for anybody at Disney who got close to Michael Eisner. Disney War opened a world I never knew existed. All of a sudden I realized America was a land of kingdoms where ambitious executives fought for a throne, had to hold onto power, keep stability by naming successors and make war on enemies and threats to his crown. Every once in a while a major kingdom even tries to invade another kingdom and take it over in the form of a merger or "hostile takeover." Truly amazing and interesting stuff. A true story of good people and bad people. Your sense of justice will be called upon. I found Stewart to be typically predictable when it came to politics always being programmed to say the politically correct thing as opposed to what he may really feel. You can tell he's moderately biased in favor of leftwing politics, but he thankfully doesn't let it get in the way of the overall writing. he also injects small things here and there like saying people against "Gay Days" at Disneyland are 'anti-gay,' which I think is petty and spiteful because you should be able to give an opinion on something without being called "anti" or :hateful." We need to be free of thought rather than being prisoners of fear. Regardless, the politics doesn't get in the way of the book and isn't an issue.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2019 by sylvia
Format: Paperback
Excellent business and corporate governance book. Reminded me a lot of Barbarians at the Gates and the story of KKR and RJR Nabisco which I found to be an incredibly good book. One of the best I've ever read. This one is not as good because it becomes somewhat too detailed and goes over story after story but I guess is necessary for the author to drive his point home about the issues facing Disney that lead to internal fights and disruptions which eventually caused Michael Eisner to cede power to Bob Iger. Aside form the lack of corporate governance and the internal politics of the Company, what really impressed me about this book is the fact that no matter in what aspect, if you are part of something great, you can live that greatness and take advantage of it. All these executives that came from Disney and where part of successful projects such as Lion King or Aladdin or Toy Story went on to lead fantastic roles. I found that incredibly interesting and inspiring. In conclusion, a great read as a business book, an incredible tail of how a company went from nothing to greatness and how that greatness dissipated sooner than expected for lack of management and governance. Definitely a must read.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2013 by Ricardo Saias
Format: Kindle
Wow. Just finished this page turner! Everyone who works at a company will be interested in this book. The amount of political backstabbing, conniving, back channel spying, and two-faced conversations will feel validating to anyone who has experienced any of the same in the workplace. To know that executives at the highest levels of a major corporation we all know and respect behaved this way was tremendously validating for me to read. Also, the story behind the movies and TV shows we all know so well is beyond fascinating. Disney was and still is a major force in the media landscape. I found myself reading parts of this book aloud to my spouse, and copying and pasting paragraphs to my friends. For example, I knew that Shrek made fun of Disney, but before reading this book, to me it was just a movie. I had no idea the backstory behind Katzenberg, Eisner, and the founding of Dreamworks! All in all, an excellent book and still relevant today, even in 2024. Do check it out and read it!
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Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2024 by Arjun Taylor
Format: Paperback
If you want a great read about someone who started out good, and then let the need for power and control go to his head, this is it! I found myself thinking the same thing that Mr. Stewart said in his epilogue before I had even gotten there: The death of Frank Wells seemed to mark the beginning of Eisner’s downfall. While perhaps not all of the politics and lying and backstabbing that took place after Wells died could have been avoided had he still been alive, I can’t help but think he could have neutralized a significant portion of it. This book does an excellent job showing how so good for so long can turn into so bad so quickly if you let the wrong person (even if they were the right person in the beginning) have too much influence.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2024 by Steve