“Disney War” by James B. Stewart is a great example of my favorite type of business book, a company profile with intimate access to characters and events. While Roy Disney and Stanley Gold’s revolt against the Disney board of directors in 2003 and 2004 is a major topic of the last quarter or so of the book, it really is the story of Michael Eisner’s twenty year rein as the CEO of the company.
After reading the book I came away thinking that Mr. Eisner is an absolutely fascinating individual. The book is blunt and pulls no punches. Story after story paints Eisner as an overly political being who is loose with the truth, either by design or because he forgets the difference. At the same time, he must be credited with the stunning growth in Disney between 1984 when he took the helm and 2004. The book takes you through the back story of a litany of TV shows, movies, personalities, both within Disney’s sphere and as part of the greater entertainment industry.
What emerges is the picture of two large stages of Eisner’s reign at Disney. The first is characterized by success after success, driven by the reinvigoration of Disney’s animation studios, the retail stores, and successes of both Touchstone and Mirimax live action films. The first ten years were characterized by the presence of Frank Wells, a seasoned executive who agreed to play second to Eisner’s leadership role when the two took over Disney in 1984.
The second ten years of Eisner’s term is marked by a steady decline. The book recounts the story of the loss of Jeffrey Katzenberg and the eventual $280 million payoff from an arbitration settlement. The matter at one time could have been settled for $40 million, but wasn’t, primarily due to Eisner. Next the story moves to Eisner’s hiring and eventual firing of super agent Michael Ovitz as President to replace Frank Wells who was killed in a helicopter accident. In amongst all of these stories are the ups and downs of the various executives at Disney, including the film studios, the animators, the “Imagineers,” ABC, ESPN, ABC Family Network, the theme parks in both Europe and the states, the retail stores, and relations with external companies such as Pixar.
The book is a great read, full of enough “boardroom drama,” smashing successes, and corporate intrigue to keep any MBA hooked well into the night. J
(incidentally, James Stewart’s book “Den of Thieves” about Michael Milken and Ivan Boesky is another great read (and winner of the Pulizer Prize).
After reading the book I came away thinking that Mr. Eisner is an absolutely fascinating individual. The book is blunt and pulls no punches. Story after story paints Eisner as an overly political being who is loose with the truth, either by design or because he forgets the difference. At the same time, he must be credited with the stunning growth in Disney between 1984 when he took the helm and 2004. The book takes you through the back story of a litany of TV shows, movies, personalities, both within Disney’s sphere and as part of the greater entertainment industry.
What emerges is the picture of two large stages of Eisner’s reign at Disney. The first is characterized by success after success, driven by the reinvigoration of Disney’s animation studios, the retail stores, and successes of both Touchstone and Mirimax live action films. The first ten years were characterized by the presence of Frank Wells, a seasoned executive who agreed to play second to Eisner’s leadership role when the two took over Disney in 1984.
The second ten years of Eisner’s term is marked by a steady decline. The book recounts the story of the loss of Jeffrey Katzenberg and the eventual $280 million payoff from an arbitration settlement. The matter at one time could have been settled for $40 million, but wasn’t, primarily due to Eisner. Next the story moves to Eisner’s hiring and eventual firing of super agent Michael Ovitz as President to replace Frank Wells who was killed in a helicopter accident. In amongst all of these stories are the ups and downs of the various executives at Disney, including the film studios, the animators, the “Imagineers,” ABC, ESPN, ABC Family Network, the theme parks in both Europe and the states, the retail stores, and relations with external companies such as Pixar.
The book is a great read, full of enough “boardroom drama,” smashing successes, and corporate intrigue to keep any MBA hooked well into the night. J
(incidentally, James Stewart’s book “Den of Thieves” about Michael Milken and Ivan Boesky is another great read (and winner of the Pulizer Prize).
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