Walt disney the triumph of the american imagination by neal gabler was published in 2006 and won the los angeles times book prize for biography gabler is an author journalist and former film critic whose previous books include a biography of barbra streisand and a behind the scenes look at hollywood. The definitive portrait of one of the most important cultural figures in american history walt disney walt disney was a true visionary whose desire for escape iron determination and obsessive perfectionism transformed animation from a novelty to an art form first with mickey mouse and then with his feature films most notably snow white fantasia and bambi. Gabler explores accusations that disney was a red baiter an anti semite an embittered alcoholic but whatever the characterizations of disneys personal life he appealed to the nation by demonstrating the power of wish fulfillment and the triumph of the american imagination walt disney showed how one could impose ones will on the world. The definitive portrait of one of the most important cultural figures in american history walt disney walt disney was a true visionary whose desire for escape iron determination and obsessive perfectionism transformed animation from a novelty to an art form first with mickey mouse and then with his feature films most notably snow white fantasia and bambi