Alanna Nash

Very good book that shows Col Parker's relationship with Elvis. This man took advantage of Elvis, his father, and the estate. A 50% commission, while to Elvis and his family, seemed like they were getting a good deal, was robbery. This is especially because the Colonel had the nerve to then charge Elvis for expenses. The author had a lot of interviews with those who worked with both Elvis and the Colonel and did appropriate follow-up as to what the Colonel's estate was when he passed.

A compilation of the many women of Elvis's life, none more important than his mother Gladys. The superstars of any field much less entertainment often deal with the plague of excess. The lesson being, be careful what you wish for, you may not be able to handle it. Elvis certainly was not.

From his inability to commit to a relationship to surrounding himself with those that fueled his eventual destruction. Elvis is a textbook case in the struggles of super fame and celebrity. His early success show more seemed to be his happiest time especially with his mother still alive. But even then you could see what was to come. Though he died young it was almost merciful as the level of desperation he was at was truly sad. show less

My dirty little secret is that I have read pretty much the majority of Elvis tell-all books over the years. So as part of preparing for a trip to Memphis this summer, I felt like I needed to read something I hadn't read. This is basically over 800 pages of oral history from the Memphis Mafia. It does a good job of tying all the other gossip in the other tell-all books together. I found it endlessly fascinating, and equally depressing. But I am so ready to visit Graceland now.

I never cared too much about Elvis,but this is a fascinating tale of the things that keep the murky world of show business rolling along,at any cost.