Bob Iger’s ‘One Last Time’ Promises Unvarnished Account of Disney’s Crisis Years

Penguin Random House has unveiled One Last Time: Managing Crisis and Building Resilience at Disney, a forthcoming memoir by former two-time Disney chief executive Bob Iger. Scheduled for release March 1 and available for preorder, the book is being billed by the publisher as “an inspiring candid memoir of leadership in times of adversity.” The announcement arrives as Iger’s second tenure at the helm of one of the world’s most recognizable media empires continues to draw intense scrutiny from investors, employees, and Hollywood observers alike.

Written with Dan Schwerin, One Last Time marks Iger’s return to bookshelves nearly six years after The Ride of a Lifetime, his 2019 account of Disney’s acquisition spree and his initial years as CEO. The new subtitle signals a sharp tonal shift: where the earlier volume emphasized dealmaking and creative expansion, the forthcoming work frames leadership as a test of endurance amid institutional instability.

A Memoir Born from a Second Act at Disney

Iger’s path back to the Disney CEO’s office was anything but conventional. He stepped down in early 2020 and was succeeded by Bob Chapek, then head of Disney’s Parks & Experiences division. Iger remained at the company to oversee creative endeavors, but less than a year into retirement, Disney’s board reportedly called him back as finances grew shaky, leadership faltered, morale sagged, and the brand faced renewed damage. The publisher’s blurb describes that summons as the inciting incident for the memoir, positioning Iger’s return as a rescue mission rather than a planned comeback.

What the Publisher Is Promising

“To survive, the company — and Iger himself — would have to become more resilient, innovative, and, above all, creative,” the blurb states. “Iger would also have to learn to be a new kind of leader, and he would be challenged in ways he never imagined.”

The copy also poses direct questions to the reader: “How do you lead through periods of adversity? How do you regain the trust of employees, customers, and shareholders?” Those questions point to a memoir that intends to double as a case study in corporate rehabilitation. Penguin Random House frames the book as both a personal reckoning and a practical guide for executives navigating turnover, public criticism, and fast-moving technological change.

From ‘The Ride of a Lifetime’ to a Return Nobody Expected

The contrast between Iger’s two books is instructive. The Ride of a Lifetime arrived at the height of his public reputation, chronicling the purchases of Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and 21st Century Fox. One Last Time, by contrast, emerges from a far more complicated chapter: a surprise departure, a successor’s ouster, and a return to a company grappling with streaming losses, box-office volatility, and activist-investor pressure. Iger has acknowledged publicly that he would have to develop “a new playbook, for a new era,” and that he expected to make mistakes along the way.

Co-Written with Dan Schwerin, Available for Preorder

Schwerin, who has worked closely with Iger on previous projects, is credited as co-writer. The book is listed for preorder through Penguin Random House and major retailers ahead of its March 1 release. Neither the publisher nor Iger’s representatives have disclosed advance or first-printing details in the announcement.

Bob Chapek’s Short, Rocky Reign and the Memoir That Followed

Any account of Iger’s return is inseparable from the Bob Chapek interlude. Chapek’s tenure was brief and turbulent, ending with his removal as CEO after roughly two years. In Behind the Castle Walls: My Thirty Years at the Happiest Place on Earth, published last month, Chapek argues that he was set up to fail and largely attributes his downfall to Iger. The rival memoir has already fueled speculation about how much of the Disney board’s decision-making, and the subsequent restoration of Iger, will be addressed from both sides.

Chapek’s ‘Behind the Castle Walls’ Sets Up a Rival Narrative

Where Chapek casts himself as a veteran executive undermined by his predecessor, Iger’s forthcoming book appears to cast his return as a necessary corrective. Together, the two volumes offer a rare, competing pair of insider perspectives on the same corporate crisis—one from the leader who left, and one from the leader who came back.

Disney’s Existential Threats and the Leadership Playbook Iger Says He Needed

The publisher’s description emphasizes that Iger returned to an entertainment industry contending with what it describes as existential threats. Traditional television is declining, streaming profitability remains elusive for many players, theatrical release models are shifting, and theme parks face changing consumer habits. Iger’s challenge, according to the blurb, was not merely to stabilize Disney’s finances but to rebuild employee morale, customer trust, and shareholder confidence simultaneously.

Why ‘One Last Time’ Matters Beyond the Disney Lot

For readers outside the Burbank lot, the book’s appeal lies in its promise of candor about power, succession, and public redemption. Corporate memoirs often trade in self-mythologizing, but the publisher’s framing suggests Iger intends to confront missteps directly rather than gloss over them. Whether the memoir settles the score with Chapek, clarifies Disney’s long-term succession plan, or simply preserves Iger’s version of one of the most-watched comebacks in modern business remains to be seen. What is clear is that One Last Time arrives at a moment when the question of who should lead legacy media companies—and how they should do it—has never been more urgent.

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