A Mouse Divided

How Ub Iwerks Became Forgotten, and Walt Disney Became Uncle Walt

De: Jeff Ryan

Narrado por: J. D. Jackson

Almost everything you know about Mickey Mouse is wrong: He wasn’t Disney’s first star; Steamboat Willie wasn’t his first movie; Mickey wasn’t a nice guy - and Walt Disney didn’t invent him.

In 1928, two very different best friends invented Mickey Mouse. And the success tore them apart. Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks’ friendship is a story of betrayal, love, war, money, power, tragedy, intrigue, humor, despair, and hope. You’ll love them both - when you don’t want to drop anvils on their heads. Discover the men behind the mouse and the mystery behind the magic.

A Mouse Divided is a stirring depiction of two underdogs. One invented Mickey Mouse - and one said he did. You’ll love Walt Disney more than you ever thought possible - until you don’t. And you’ll sympathize with Walt’s friend-turned-rival Ub Iwerks, always in Walt’s shadow.

This true story of how the Disney empire was made is a captivating, addictive listen, endlessly fascinating and revealing. And it’s never been fully told - until now.

©2018 Jeff Ryan (P)2018 Audible, Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"This is a fascinating story about the early years of what would become the Disney empire. Walt's a big part of it, but others - particularly Ub Iwerks - played critical roles, which are thoroughly explored in this breezily readable book. Disney fanatics - you know who you are - will love it." (Dave Barry)

Bouncy, clever writing carries thorough research

A truly well written book. The author's use of puns, word play, irony and symbol seem effortless but elevate the writing beyond fact. "Clever" writing can be annoying, but Ryan's prose never seems forced or stilted. I entered the text thinking it might be nice to read about Mickey before a Disney vacation, but I ended up learning so much more about Iwerks, Disney, Bugs Bunny, labor unions, animation, war propaganda, camera technology, Snow White brand hams, Nazi Germany, and American mythology. I actually listened to the last chapter over again after I finished. It is quite well done, balancing research and storytelling perfectly.

Learned a lot from this book

I enjoyed this history. I learned a lot about UB.
The picture of Walt is more realistic then most warts and all.

Informative about the industry in general.

I did not realize how much the studios overlapped creators, artists, and general staff. It is amazing to me Disney’s effect in the industry. Walt set the standard of production to strive for. I enjoyed seeing marks made by Ub that are still evident today.

Needs more Ub

Not as much about Ub Iwerks as I had hoped. its much more Disney focused than I would have thought.

very good

very good. made me want to go back and rewatch a bunch of the classics.

Interesting story

Interesting story but took awhile to tell it. Thanks for the listen. Definitely brings an interesting spin and twist on history.

And they all lived happily ever after... Not quite.

Wow... Just when you thought you knew a seemingly public story it's amazing how little we often know. In full disclosure I am a complete Disney fan (heck, in my youth I worked at Disneyland and still live only minutes away), but I found myself completely captivated by this Disney story that has been lost to time and propaganda. Given my lack of familiarity with Ub's story, at first I thought this story was going to be yet another story of the genius of Walt Disney ...but as the complex relationship between Walt and Ub unfolded (often seemingly reflected in the personalities of the characters they created), it became very much a story of an inconvenient truth that never quite fit the narration that Walt wanted to present to the world. Despite the human drama between these visionary men, this is an excellent exploration into the early history and art of animation. The narration of JD Jackson is utilitarian but not outstanding. Given the very dry monologue, this felt like and audio version of a Ken Burns documentary. However, the fascinating seldom told story held my attention with little distraction.

Not even a big Disney fan likes it...

If you have a even a passing interest in Disney and enjoy history, this is a great book. The narrator is pleasant enough and the content actually quite intriguing. I found myself discussing the content with others. I would recommend the listen.

No really new material

Author mainly repeated information I had already read ir heard. Not sure why he put it together.

Interesting historical picture

This was very interesting! The history was very insightful. I wish I could hug Ub Iworks! He's a very notable man. I'm grateful for the Disneys and what they did for my childhood as well as many others. It was fun googling each episode that was talked about especially the ones that were not popular like Flip the frog.