Celbi Pegoraro emailed me recently asking for my "top 5" of Disney history books published in 2007. I thought I would share my thoughts with all of you. Very subjective as all "top 5", of course. (I have not included the Walt's People series in the list as this would be way to subjective a choice coming from me!)

1. Michael Barrier's Animated Man - A Life of Walt Disney is the obvious choice for number 1. It's a page-turner, a very precise biography, a fantastic historical document and a window into the fascinating world of Mike's interviews. One may be frustrated at some of Michael's opinions or at the way the second part of Walt's life seems neglected when compared to what Michael considers as Walt's most creative period, however the book remains a masterpiece.

2. Russell Schroeder's Lost Chords is the best suprise of 2007. How Russell managed to publish such a lavish book, full of never-seen-before artwork and that fills a key gap in Disney history is close to impossible to understand. Way to go! I can't wait to read part 2 when it is released. If you have not yet picked up that volume, you should do so right away.

3. Robert Tieman's Mickey Mouse Treasures is another winner. We all knew it would be, but the 6 pages about "the Mickey that never was" did come as a beautiful surprise.

4. I love Jason Surrell's books. They are perfectly researched and full of never-seen-before renderings from WDI. The Disney Mountains - Imagineering at its Peak is no exception.

5. Finally, I enjoyed tremendously David Koening's Realityland: True-life Adventures at Walt Disney World. A good, in-depth, "non-authorized" book about the origins of Walt Disney World was long overdue. The first chapters of Realityland are a good step in the right direction. I did not care too much about the chapters focusing on accidents at the parks or cast member lives, but I adored all the parts that were based on primary research with Disney Imagineers and key executives.