Saturday, September 21, 2013

Review ~ Remembering Roy E. Disney: Memories and Photos of a Storied Life By David A. Bossert

Remembering Roy E. Disney: Memories and Photos of a Storied Life
By David A. Bossert



I was excited to get an email from Disney Publication asking me to review this book. I said yes right away and waited for the book to arrive in the mail. I got the book at 12:30 pm Saturday and by 5 pm the same day I had finished it! That included several breaks necessary because my dear husband kept interrupting me! Yes the book is that good! At 208 pages and full of wonderful pictures it is an easy and engaging read.

Remembering Roy E. Disney: Memories and Photos of a Storied Life is well titled. The book is a collection of stores told by David Bossert and those he asked to share their stories and memories of Roy E. Disney. It is a collection of photos that show snapshots of an amazing and complex life. This book revels the multifaceted person that was Roy E. Disney. It shows both his dedication to his family’s legacy, the art of animation and his passion for life lived to the fullest.

David Bossert came onto the Disney Animation staff at a time in Disney Studio history when change was needed and leadership lacking. Roy E. Disney stepped up and took charge and brought the studio back to its former glory. David shares his memories of Roy E. both at the studio and out. Throughout the book David’s great respect and love for Roy E. shines through. The relationship both personal and professional was a long and deep one. They worked together on many wonderful movies such as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Lion King, Pocahontas, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Time Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas, Hercules, and many others. He helped Roy E. Disney work on Fantasia 2000 and even worked on finishing a project that Walt Disney started in the 1940’s with Salvador Dali, called Destino. In his role as Producer, Creative Director and Head of Special Projects at Walt Disney Animation Studios he is currently overseeing numerous other projects for various divisions across The Walt Disney Company globally.

The book is humorous and pungent. It makes you laugh at Roy E.’s antics and cheer when you read the stories of how he saved Disney Animation Studio not once but twice. I know I also wanted to cry when I read about his battles to save his father’s and uncle’s legacy. I did cry when David shared Roy E.’s valiant fight with cancer.

These stories were shared with class and dignity. This book was reviling and yet respectful of Roy E., Patricia Disney (Roy’s 1st wife) and Leslie (Roy’s 2nd wife) along with the entire Disney family.


I highly recommend this book for any true Disney fan. It is a glimpse into the history of the Disney Studio, Disney Family and mostly Roy E. Disney. 

This book is available at all book seller sites and stores.

In the next 2 weeks I hope to interview David Bossert and will share that interview here on my blog.

Here is a link to my interview with David Bossert:


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