Michael Crawford has started uploading his collection of Disney-related documents on the Internet Archive. Some wonderful stuff in there at this link.

Author Joe Gallagher was kind enough to send me a copy of his new book A Walking Tour of the Magic Kingdom. Like Tim Foster's books it is an excellent entry point to Disney history for casual Disney enthusiasts. Beautifully illustrated, it is divided into three sections:

"Tours" (of the various lands), "Facts by Year" (my favorite section) and "Slightly Impossible Quiz" (to test your knowledge of course).

Again, not a book for historians but a fantastic gift for casual fans who want to know a lot more. I am glad to own a copy.

 

For those of you who have friends and family who love Disney history and want to learn more without becoming Disney historians... for the casual Disney fans who want to discover a little more about the history of the parks while enjoying beautiful Disney-related illustrations... I have something for you:

I just discovered the magazine "Celebrations" as well as the books written by Tim Foster and really liked them. Like books by my good friend Jim Fanning they provide the perfect introduction to Disney magic. I wish these books had been available when I was a kid or a teenager starting to learn about the wonderful world of Disney!

 

At long last! This is the book about Disney history I have been waiting for more than 30 years. Stephen Anderson's year-by-year account of the period between Walt Disney's death and the Renaissance of Disney animation is researched with care, visually striking, thoroughly entertaining, and a page-turner to boot. Thanks to this masterful volume, light is finally shining bright on those years full of drama and promise known to some as Disney's "dark ages.”

The Indigogo campaign is worth supporting if you can do so.
 

I can't wait to put my hands on the upcoming book Walt Disney Treasures: Personal Art and Artifacts from The Walt Disney Family Museum which is now available for pre-order on Amazon!

(The above is Walt's hat cast in bronze and gifted to Lilly.)