Walt Disney World War II: Animation on the Front Lines

Description

When America went to war, so did Walt Disney.

From 1941 to 1945, the legendary Disney studio transformed itself into an unexpected part of the Allied arsenal, deploying the talents of animation’s most brilliant visual artists in service of the Greatest Generation. This revelatory book, Walt Disney World War II: Animation on the Front Lines, uncovers a forgotten chapter of Disney history—one filled with classified training films, propaganda masterpieces, military insignias, and morale-boosting artwork that reached from the home front to the battlefield.

Author David Bossert takes readers on an unprecedented deep dive into Disney’s patriotic contributions, revealing rarely seen materials and exploring the studio’s complex collaboration with the highest levels of government and military. Through meticulous research and vivid detail, he demonstrates how animated films and artworks became powerful tools of visual communication for educating troops, safeguarding soldiers, and sustaining the American spirit during the nation’s darkest hours.

Both serious scholarship and captivating entertainment, Walt Disney World War II: Animation on the Front Lines is the definitive visual history of Walt Disney Studios during World War II. It stands as the essential foundation for understanding how a Hollywood dream factory became an indispensable partner in winning World War II—and as a testament to the creativity and patriotism that defined an era.

• “The range of what the author reveals and explains is revelatory. This book is a serious work of scholarship but at the same time captivatingly entertaining —altogether a sterling achievement.”

–Edward Nowak , Deputy General Counsel, The Walt Disney Company (ret.)

• “In his beautifully written, curated, and designed book, Walt Disney World War II: Animation on the Front Lines, Bossert has proven himself to be a gifted public historian, with a unique insider’s ability to connect popular history with Disney culture…”

–Bob Weis , President Walt Disney Imagineering (ret.) and author of Ghost Dog and Dream Chasing

• “Walt Disney World War II is an important book for any serious student of Disney as well as Hollywood in WWII.”

–Tom Sito , Professor of Animation History (ret.), The University of Southern California