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21st out of 411 books
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Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley (Elvis #1)
Last Train to Memphis was hailed on publication as the definitive biography of Elvis Presley. Peter Guralnick's acclaimed book is the first to set aside the myths and focus on Elvis' humanity, as it traces Elvis' early years, from humble beginnings to unprecedented success. At the heart of the story is Elvis himself, a poor boy of great ambition and fiery musical passions,...more
Paperback, 576 pages
Published
September 1st 1995
by Back Bay Books
(first published March 1st 1994)
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Paul
marked it as to-read-nonfiction
He wasn't my king
For black people, Elvis, more than any other performer, epitomises the theft of their music and dance
Helen Kolawole
Thursday August 15, 2002
The Guardian
As another celebration of a dead white hero winds up, in this hallowed Week of Elvis, shouldn't the entertainment industry hold its own truth and reconciliation commission?
It needn't be a vehicle for retribution, just somewhere where tales of white appropriation of black cu...more
For black people, Elvis, more than any other performer, epitomises the theft of their music and dance
Helen Kolawole
Thursday August 15, 2002
The Guardian
As another celebration of a dead white hero winds up, in this hallowed Week of Elvis, shouldn't the entertainment industry hold its own truth and reconciliation commission?
It needn't be a vehicle for retribution, just somewhere where tales of white appropriation of black cu...more
view all 23 comments
One of the most exhilarating stories ever told. Guralnick accomplishes something astonishing -- he rescues Elvis from myth, in the process reaffirms his legend. This volume chronicles Elvis's early life -- his crackling charisma, musical inventiveness and genuine iconoclasm. The backdrop is America in transformation -- postwar restlessness, racial integration and (much needed) rebellion. In the end, we see why America needed Elvis, and why, sadly, his tragic fall was so inevitable. As good a boo...more
Since this is the first book I've read about Elvis I can't compare it to the rest of the mountains of scholarship. I'm not part of the fawning chorus who think this is a gripping and incredible journey through the early life of one of America's most mythologized and misunderstood pop artists.
While I understand why Guralnick might have toned down his presence in the narrative (an Elvis book is kind of the big leagues) I found his personal relationship to the characters in Sweet Soul ...more
While I understand why Guralnick might have toned down his presence in the narrative (an Elvis book is kind of the big leagues) I found his personal relationship to the characters in Sweet Soul ...more
Another book I picked up after last fall’s trips to visit my friends Heather and Clay in the wonderful city of Memphis. Great book, couldn’t put it down. Reviewers say it’s the best book on Elvis around. Haven’t read much about Elvis, but I can’t imagine it getting much better than this. A very sympathetic account, it keeps an eye on what is important about Elvis – his astonishing talents – and not the sordid stuff (although the sordid stuff is mentioned). To my delight, Elvis’s Army buddy ...more
I read this Elvis Presley biography as research on the 1950s for my memoir. When Elvis had his first big hit, "Heartbreak Hotel", in 1956, I was a nine-year-old in 4th grade. Today I know that kids that age are already up on pop music, the hits and the stars, but it was not like that in middle-class Princeton, N J. By the time I got interested in pop music, it was Bob Dylan and then the Beatles. So I never became an Elvis fan.
Subtitled The Rise of Elvis Presley, Last Tra...more
A surprisingly insightful read about the rise of Elvis, before he became tragic tabloid fodder. Can't wait to get to the second book.
A most detailed study of Elvis Presley's early years and rise to fame. Even as an unknown trying to make his way in the music world, the underlying, smouldering sexuality is there as are certain characteristics which emerge more fully in later life.
A very easy to read book that relies on plenty of interview material with friends and family all of which bring Elvis to life and portray him as a humble, God fearing, loyal and intensely family boy.
He was determined that he wo...more
A very easy to read book that relies on plenty of interview material with friends and family all of which bring Elvis to life and portray him as a humble, God fearing, loyal and intensely family boy.
He was determined that he wo...more
It is a great biography which humanizes the legend of Elvis Presley , showing how he rose to fame and trying to explain his choices in life and the dilemma that surrounded him!
Guralnick has a fascinating way of giving a biography the story essence and cut the pieces and reorganize it in a great sense to tell it as a tale with no holes in.
But it has a prolblem you must be aware of: it sinks to the depth of music in somewhat a pro way, which might gets you lost in details , and the abb...more
Guralnick has a fascinating way of giving a biography the story essence and cut the pieces and reorganize it in a great sense to tell it as a tale with no holes in.
But it has a prolblem you must be aware of: it sinks to the depth of music in somewhat a pro way, which might gets you lost in details , and the abb...more
I really found this to be a fascinating read. Ever since my parents moved to Memphis and I visited Graceland, I was interested in finding out a little bit more about Elvis. To my surprise, the young Elvis was a nervous, awkward teenager who struggled to fit in. It was amazing to read about his rise. But more than anything, I found the story behind the first 25 years of his life to be heartbreaking. Here was someone who wanted to take care of his parents after having grown up in extreme poverty a...more
I love Elvis. To learn about him is to learn about the USA. This book was well-researched and deservedly honest, I think.
I heard about this book from Harvey Levin on TMZ. Harvey's a smart guy because this is the best Elvis book I've ever read. It covers his life and career up to when he left for Germany. Guralnick did a huge amount of research for this book, and he interviewed many people, some of whom have died since the book was published in 1994. It's good to have this record of what they had to say because rather than sensationalizing Elvis' story or relying on rumor, Guralnick writes with a journalist's objec...more
Left this book in Memphis during Elvis Week. I've visited the town several times during my son's stay there and found the historic detail about the South and the old radio stations and shows interesting. This writer seemed more interested in chronicling Elvis's rise to stardom and the hoopla surrounding it than deifying him as a pop icon. Some good pictures, but there are so many out there it's hard to tell what's what. Try gong to Graceland, it's a real study in popular culture, kitsch, and ...more
The parts of this book I liked I really liked but frequently the story gets bogged down with minutiae about all the business deals Elvis made or the shows he played on such and such date or what he did with all the girls he went out with. But the best parts of this book really humanize a person, the first true rock star possibly, who has long been characatured. I knew next to nothing about Elvis the man and this book provides great insights to that effect. He was in turn humble, polite and shy b...more
This is the 1st of the 2 part supposedly best biography of Elvis Presley. This book covered his early years through the death of his mama and going to Germany in 1958.
I really like the Elvis that the author presents. At this early stage in his life and career, he seemed genuine, open, and really appreciated his fans. I was shocked that whenever he would go back to Memphis and fans lined up at his house, he would come out and sign autographs at least once a day. Even if he w...more
I really like the Elvis that the author presents. At this early stage in his life and career, he seemed genuine, open, and really appreciated his fans. I was shocked that whenever he would go back to Memphis and fans lined up at his house, he would come out and sign autographs at least once a day. Even if he w...more
Colin
added it
9/23
In this book the protagonist or the good guy is Elvis Presley, the king of Rock'n'Roll. This book starts out by giving subsequent detail of the life of Elvis. Elvis is the good guy because he lived the American Dream; he evolved from the depths of poverty,to the luxurious lifestyle filled with drugs and girls. The protagonist is sometimes thrown trials and tribulations in his search for good. Elvis was given a hard-core childhood, but he sought to change it by playing the guitar and s...more
In this book the protagonist or the good guy is Elvis Presley, the king of Rock'n'Roll. This book starts out by giving subsequent detail of the life of Elvis. Elvis is the good guy because he lived the American Dream; he evolved from the depths of poverty,to the luxurious lifestyle filled with drugs and girls. The protagonist is sometimes thrown trials and tribulations in his search for good. Elvis was given a hard-core childhood, but he sought to change it by playing the guitar and s...more
Greta
rated it
Recommends it for:
fans, music history, fashion
Shelves:
biography,
descent-literature
Great award winning biography. You can really get a sense of the humaness and vulnerability of Elvis, Elvis seems like a real person. I found the book quite piognant, as his youth, innocence, creativity, and interest in music is explored.
The most compelling aspect of this book for me was that I really got a sense of Elvis' creativity and musical and fashion artistry as something real, genuine, non-contrived and down to earth. I also enjoyed reading about historical connections t...more
The most compelling aspect of this book for me was that I really got a sense of Elvis' creativity and musical and fashion artistry as something real, genuine, non-contrived and down to earth. I also enjoyed reading about historical connections t...more
I've been working my way through this book for the past six months much to the chagrin of the Huntington public library. Now, I'm of the opinion that there are no bad books on the king, Elvis Presley, but this is one of the best. Peter Guralnick has painstakingly dissected Elvis's life from the age of 15 until the day he is inducted into the army. Not only does the author give a very detailed account of the highlights of Elvis's early career: his early "Sun Records" recordings, the E...more
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
The more I read about Elvis, the more depressing I find his life story. A man who lived the American Dream and didn't know the risks and sacrifices that came with fame. It was so sad, reading about him wanting to get out of the spotlight and just being able to live a regular life, but, as he told Dixie, his first love:
"There are too many people that depend on me. I'm too obligated. I'm in too far to get out."
So sad, huh?
...more
The more I read about Elvis, the more depressing I find his life story. A man who lived the American Dream and didn't know the risks and sacrifices that came with fame. It was so sad, reading about him wanting to get out of the spotlight and just being able to live a regular life, but, as he told Dixie, his first love:
"There are too many people that depend on me. I'm too obligated. I'm in too far to get out."
So sad, huh?
...more
This and the second part, Careless Love, are far and away the best bio's I have read based around music. We get an almost day by day account of The King. Putting the story all together, we know that Elvis as talented as he was didn't have much drive nor desire to maintain his early sucess and coasted by much of his career. His manager Col. Tom Parker, one of popular music's most interesting characters is the best example of how a manager can be a huge detriment to his artist. Elvis never toured ...more
For the first time ever I feel like I have insight into and empathy for the young Elvis Presley. Peter Guralnick manages to get the reader close to that strange, tight family and the shy, odd boy who despite this shyness put himself again and again in front of people, drawing attention to himself through singing or exhibitionistic clothes and hair. He was inarticulate, he didn't write songs; nevertheless he had within himself something huge and intense he meant to express.
Awesome read for any true Elvis fan. This book supplied many divine moments for me...while reading about when Elvis sat on the floor in the recording studio in front of the speaker to carefully listen to the track he just laid down of one of my favorites 'Don't Be Cruel', that song played on my iPod out of the blue. Gives me the chills just to think about it. Great read filled with awesome detail and insight into Elvis' early life and rise to stardom.
A sharply-rendered and painstakingly-detailed account of Elvis' early days. Guralnick's narrative prose is simple, even crude, but his material is richly precise: in some places, we get an almost day-by-day account of Elvis' life and career, with sources split neatly between firsthand interviews and the author's own historical knowledge, which is impressive. Guralnick is, it should be noted, a far better historian than he is a writer, and there are whole blocks of prose that ramble indistinctly ...more
the Elvis book left me speechless and amazed. Dreaming about hillbilly forevers. Sentimental on a Sun Recording bender that nearly drove the neighbors to nail my windows shut to save them from the pain of the thousandth play of "Its all Alright Momma" at full volume. Have you ever seen "Jesus Camp?" It was kinda like that but with Elvis instead of Jesus and I only cried when Gladiolus died near the end. To say Elvis is iconic from Tokyo to Mobile and cult like for many that ...more
Even if you're not an Elvis fan, this is a pretty interesting look at the circumstances that led to the rise of rock & roll (and dare I say?) celebrity culture. Guralnick does a good job of trying to look at a sometimes murky history from the angles of everyone who claims to have been involved.
It does make me wonder about the psyche of Elvis. Almost everyone BUT Elvis comes away looking three dimensional and real and Elvis (whose name I can't even say without thinking of a zipper bei...more
It does make me wonder about the psyche of Elvis. Almost everyone BUT Elvis comes away looking three dimensional and real and Elvis (whose name I can't even say without thinking of a zipper bei...more
Marian Brown
rated it
Recommends it for:
middle aged people from TN and Elvis fans of all ages
Recommended to Marian by:
The Elvis greatest hits cd
I laughed and cheered all the way through this book. It is wonderful to read about a poor boy hitting it big because he has an extraordinary talent that seems to be God given. Wouldn't we all love to have a gift like this and live a life of success and extreme popularity? It is a treat to recognize so many names from Tennessee and the country music industry.
This is one of my favorite biographies ever. Well researched and written. Guralnick captures all the excitement and portent of Elvis discovering his gifts and the kind of music he (and Sam Phillips of Sun) would make. The second book is sad, sad, sad, but this one makes you wish you could have been there to watch it all unfold.
This was a thoroughly engaging biography that takes great care to chronicle the early life of this young rock-n-roll legend as he was the willing tool for the formation of everything that we tend to understand about the luxuries and hazards of fame and fortune in America. The author paints a complicated portrait of a young hillbilly who literally creates the rock star life that modern young garage band wannabes aspire towards. Not only do I get an appreciation and a respect for the trauma of y...more
Both of my parents were big Elvis fans, so as a kid there was a time when Elvis was pretty much the only singer I knew. This book is amazing for Elvis fans -- it is incredibly detailed and you really get a sense of Elvis as a person before he was famous. This is the first volume of a two book set and I dread reading the second one a little because I'm sure it is more dark/sad.
This is an excellant book, or so what I have read so far!! I love it!!! Although the reason for this is because I am a big fan of Elvis Presley!! This book has talked about a young boy coming up as a poor man that will eventually turn into the legend we know and love today!! It tells about him being a shy boy who keeps to himself!!!
I was not a big Elvis fan, but this book really opened my eyes to who he was as an artist. Peter Guralnick is a music writer and the depth of his research is astounding! If you read ONE music biography, you must pick this one (well, also the second one about the downfall)
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Peter Guralnick is an American music critic, writer on music, and historian of US American popular music, who is also active as an author and screenwriter. He has been married for over 45 years to Alexandra. He has a son and daughter, Jacob and Nina.
Guralnick's first two books, Almost Grown (1964) and Mister Downchild (1967), were short story collections published by Larry Stark, whose...more
More about Peter Guralnick...
Guralnick's first two books, Almost Grown (1964) and Mister Downchild (1967), were short story collections published by Larry Stark, whose...more
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