Worlds to Conquer: The Art & Making of Walt Disney's Fantasia
By (Author) J.B. Kaufman
Weldon Owen, Incorporated
Weldon Owen, Incorporated
16th December 2025
United States
General
Non Fiction
Digital, video and new media arts
Filmmaking and production: technical and background skills
Hardback
240
Width 241mm, Height 267mm, Spine 16mm
796g
The third in the Disney Making of series is the story of Disneys most ambitious, monumental work. The concept: the worlds greatest music, presented according to the highest acoustic standard, and illustrated by the brilliance of the Disney studio at the height of its powers. The journey of how Fantasia came to be, beset with almost insurmountable challenges, is one of the most breathtaking in movie history.
In 1940, Walt Disney released his third feature film: Fantasia, consisting of eight animated segments set to music by Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra. The film was groundbreaking: it was the first to be presented with multiple audio channels in a process called Fantasound, the precursor to surround sound.
Apart from its technical achievements, Fantasia broadened the scope of Disneys appeal. Adults had always comprised a large percentage of Disneys audience, but Fantasiawhile suitable for childrenwas designed specifically to appeal to audiences with a mature appreciation of the arts.
To celebrate The Walt Disney Companys 100th Anniversary, author J.B. Kaufman presents the definitive history of the making of Fantasia, from source material to hundreds of photographs documenting the films production. In Worlds to Conquer, become a part of the wild ride that was the making of a Disney classic.
J.B. Kaufman is an author and film historian who has published and lectured extensively on Disney animation, American silent film history, and related topics. His books includeThe Fairest One of All,South of the Border with Disney, andPinocchio: The Making of the Disney Epic. He is also coauthor, with Russell Merritt, ofWalt Disneys Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Seriesand the award-winningWalt in Wonderland: The Silent Films of Walt Disney, and collaborated with David Gerstein on TaschensWalt Disneys Mickey Mouse: The Ultimate History. Kaufman has also presented programs at festivals including the TCM Classic Film Festival; the San Francisco Silent Film Festival; and Le Giornate del Cinema Muto in Pordenone, Italy, where he was a 2020 recipient of the Jean Mitry Award.