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Elvis Presley: The Man, the Life, the Style by Pamela Clarke Keogh
That voice, those eyes, that hair, the cars, the girls. Elvis Presley revolutionized American pop culture when, at twenty-one, he became a modern superstar. He had a personal style that, like his music, had an immediate impact on his audience that continues to influence us today. "Elvis Presley is the greatest cultural force in the twentieth century," proclaimed Leonard Bernstein. His appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show "ripped the 1950s in half," writes the author. By any measure, Presley's life was remarkable. From his modest beginnings to his meteoric rise to fame, everything about his life clamored for attention-and he got it. Keogh examines Elvis's life and style to reveal the generous, complex, spiritual man behind the sunglasses and answers the question, "Why does Elvis matter?"
Hardcover
Published January 1, 1832
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258 people want to read
About the author
Pamela Clarke Keogh
9 books9 followersPamela Clarke Keogh is the author of "Audrey Style," the worldwide bestselling photographic biography of Audrey Hepburn. Educated at Vassar College, she worked as a journalist, television producer, and screenwriter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
February 20, 2022
This eyeglasses storyline is like the students at hogwarts matching up with their wands
May 20, 2009
Whoa - an entire "biography" on Elvis and only 1 drug is named and drugs in general were only mentioned TWICE! Unbelievable! I think I actually know LESS about Elvis having read this book. Ugh. Actually, she did a great job talking about his wardrobe. If you want to know where he got his first Rock 'n Roll suit - read this book.
November 19, 2023
Format Read: Audiobook free with audible
Review: A very complete and easy to follow audio.
Recommended For: Elvis fans.
Review: A very complete and easy to follow audio.
Recommended For: Elvis fans.
July 28, 2014
Probably the worst biography I've ever read. This is just a die-hard fan telling us in detail how awesome Elvis was. Not objective at all. Almost no mention of sex and drugs. Not many details about rock and roll. There is a lot written about his clothes, jewelry, and how amazing he was. Not what I look for in a "biography".
August 16, 2023
The author is so biased and makes him seem like a god
February 12, 2016
The first half of the book, which covers "young Elvis" is really interesting and details his life before he was discovered and his rise to fame. I learned things I hadn't known.
The second half of the book glosses over the rest of his life seemingly only focusing on the better side of things. I wanted it to dive into more events and even be critical of Elvis and the way he acted in some situations. But that didn't happen.
I still enjoyed the book, and I'm glad I listened to it. I love Anna Fields as a narrator.
The second half of the book glosses over the rest of his life seemingly only focusing on the better side of things. I wanted it to dive into more events and even be critical of Elvis and the way he acted in some situations. But that didn't happen.
I still enjoyed the book, and I'm glad I listened to it. I love Anna Fields as a narrator.
July 4, 2022
If you are telling me that Elvis felt or thought a certain way, then you should have sources to back it up.
Otherwise your entire book has no credibility.
Otherwise your entire book has no credibility.
February 28, 2024
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Keogh's biography of Elvis offers mores than a generic overview of his life. She provides a commentary about the impact Elvis had on his fans, the people around him, the music industry, and the American culture. I especially enjoyed the audiobook version, which featured a female.voice that sounded a lot like Ellen DeGeneres. Keogh gathered information from a few sources that are rarely mentioned in other works, Bernard Lansky, for example. The original owner of the famous Lansky Clothier to the King shares memories of 1950s Memphis, helping Elvis choose outfits for TV appearances, taking care of the entire family when Gladys died, and even selecting the white suit Elvis was buried in. While the book isn't written by one of Elvis' girlfriends or a member of the Memphis Mafia, Keogh's "outsider" perspective is insightful and beautifully written. Even if you've already read Peter Guralnick's Last Train to Memphis, Careless Love, and all the memoirs written by people who knew him, you will still enjoy Elvis Presley: The Man, the Life, the Legend.
June 27, 2019
We listened to this book on a trip. I didn't know much about Elvis's life before he was famous. I didn't realize how poor their family was, and that his father couldn't hold a job, and had low self esteem. I didn't know they moved to Memphis, and after living in rooming houses, their low income qualified them for an apartment in their "projects", in North Memphis. I didn't know that when Elvis first came to Sun Records, to record, it was more than a year, before Sam Phillips decided that he should record him. Apparently know one knows what Elvis's mother illness was, before her death, including the author. It was a fun listen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 12, 2023
Elvis Presley was an iconic figure during my childhood and teen years. I remember imitating him at Christmas programs at my high school, playing the guitar and singing "Blue Christmas," complete with the jerky voice, thrust-out hip, and the characteristic snarl. By the mid-1970s he had almost become a caricature rather than a real person. In some ways, Keogh's book confirms this observation. I had never read that much about Presley, and this manageable biography was just right for me. I wasn't interested enough to get into the day-to-day details, every show he performed, every woman he slept with, all his hit songs, and so forth. I just needed an introduction.
Although Keogh covers the major life events of Presley, she does so from a bird's eye view. We learn about his early home life, growing up in poverty, his education, his early interest in music, the launch of his career and stardom, his military service, his romantic life and marriage (which didn't stop his romantic life, by the way), his bad habits and addictions, his failing health, and his death. However, all of these topics are delivered in overview fashion.
Speaking of fashion, it is clear that Keogh, a writer for Vanity Fair magazine, has an obvious angle for this biography. She focuses on Presley's sense of aesthetics, especially regarding his image, look, clothing, style, and tastes. From very early on, even in high school, Presley was extremely conscious of how important it was to look different than those around him: hair style, color and type of apparel, shoes, and even wearing mascara!
Keogh is clearly sympathetic to her subject and even becomes effusive about his good looks, charisma, stardom, raw talent, and success. However, she doesn't shy away from showing how ridiculous Presley's world became during the last third of his life. He grew up and rose to worldwide fame during a time when the U.S. became heavily involved, and entangled, in military conflicts in southeast Asia, namely Korea and Vietnam. One of the cultural imports from the region that captured the imagination of so many Americans in the 1960s and 70s was the martial arts, especially karate. Supposedly, Presley earned a black belt in karate, as many of his contemporaries did. Karate almost became a romantic passion for him, so much so that he would incorporate kicks and chops into his dance moves on stage during his shows, which in retrospect is rather pitiful and embarrassing.
Perhaps the most bizarre story Keogh tells is about Presley's meeting with President Richard Nixon, where Presley pitched the idea that, because of his huge following of devoted youth in the country and his influence on them, he could be an undercover agent in the political war on drugs, crime, and Communism - not like an unofficial advocate, but a real operative for the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. And Nixon agreed to give him a badge! More than how ludicrous this sounds, it demonstrates what an incredible force Presley had become by 1970. Rock-n-Roll wasn't the only domain of this king.
Although Keogh covers the major life events of Presley, she does so from a bird's eye view. We learn about his early home life, growing up in poverty, his education, his early interest in music, the launch of his career and stardom, his military service, his romantic life and marriage (which didn't stop his romantic life, by the way), his bad habits and addictions, his failing health, and his death. However, all of these topics are delivered in overview fashion.
Speaking of fashion, it is clear that Keogh, a writer for Vanity Fair magazine, has an obvious angle for this biography. She focuses on Presley's sense of aesthetics, especially regarding his image, look, clothing, style, and tastes. From very early on, even in high school, Presley was extremely conscious of how important it was to look different than those around him: hair style, color and type of apparel, shoes, and even wearing mascara!
Keogh is clearly sympathetic to her subject and even becomes effusive about his good looks, charisma, stardom, raw talent, and success. However, she doesn't shy away from showing how ridiculous Presley's world became during the last third of his life. He grew up and rose to worldwide fame during a time when the U.S. became heavily involved, and entangled, in military conflicts in southeast Asia, namely Korea and Vietnam. One of the cultural imports from the region that captured the imagination of so many Americans in the 1960s and 70s was the martial arts, especially karate. Supposedly, Presley earned a black belt in karate, as many of his contemporaries did. Karate almost became a romantic passion for him, so much so that he would incorporate kicks and chops into his dance moves on stage during his shows, which in retrospect is rather pitiful and embarrassing.
Perhaps the most bizarre story Keogh tells is about Presley's meeting with President Richard Nixon, where Presley pitched the idea that, because of his huge following of devoted youth in the country and his influence on them, he could be an undercover agent in the political war on drugs, crime, and Communism - not like an unofficial advocate, but a real operative for the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. And Nixon agreed to give him a badge! More than how ludicrous this sounds, it demonstrates what an incredible force Presley had become by 1970. Rock-n-Roll wasn't the only domain of this king.
December 21, 2019
In life, Elvis was a legend. In death, he became the thing that he feared most, a myth.
This is an excellent retelling of Elvis' life. Though I researched him 3 times throughout my time as a student, it turned out I still really knew very little about him. I knew his biggest hits, I knew about how he paved the way for artists that came after him, and I knew about this subculture, of a sort, in which people dress up like and impersonate him. But that was really it. I knew Elvis the artist, the legend - I never really knew Elvis Presley, the person.
Because of that, I really enjoyed this book. It made for some very intriguing and relaxing listening sessions as I put on the audiobook before bed for several months. (I didn't listen to it every night, maybe 3-4 times a week at most.) And by the end, I finally felt like I knew Elvis. Not personally, of course, but... I feel like I understand him now.
Mostly, now I actually feel like he was a real person. Because, like the quote I included implies, growing up, Elvis did sort of feel like a myth to me. Like the stories of figures like Jesus or Moses, I knew Elvis was a real person, but it never fully felt that way. It was almost like a fantasy, like he was some otherworldly being. Or even just a fictional character that inspired this huge cosplay phenomenon with the impersonators.
I also appreciate knowing now that he wasn't a perfect person. Of course, his whole image was based on the rebellious nature of his earlier televised performances and music style, but over time, he still became like a God, in a way. Seemingly perfect and untouchable. But he wasn't. He had health issues later on in life, and prior to that, he was a true rockstar, sleeping with woman after woman, even after he and Priscilla were married. (And even that relationship, aside from the cheating, was filled with flaws too.) Some of these flaws of his do taint the image of him I have in my head, but in today's "cancel culture" landscape, I'll break the mold and NOT let that fully change how I feel about him. As I said, he was a legend. A true musical genius. And he should be remembered as such. Whatever he did in his personal life was his business and I should not judge it from my own views of what I believe is right and wrong behavior for a man.
This review is probably a little too focused on my feelings for Elvis rather than this book. But the book is about him after all, so, can you blame me?
I highly recommend this book if you're a music fan or an Elvis fan or just enjoy biographies. I know I, having already been a casual Elvis fan prior to reading this book, am definitely inspired to go listen to even more of Elvis' music, watch more of his concert specials, and some of his films. Because I do kinda love the guy, even if he and I never actually lived at the same time. But his legacy will live on always.
This is an excellent retelling of Elvis' life. Though I researched him 3 times throughout my time as a student, it turned out I still really knew very little about him. I knew his biggest hits, I knew about how he paved the way for artists that came after him, and I knew about this subculture, of a sort, in which people dress up like and impersonate him. But that was really it. I knew Elvis the artist, the legend - I never really knew Elvis Presley, the person.
Because of that, I really enjoyed this book. It made for some very intriguing and relaxing listening sessions as I put on the audiobook before bed for several months. (I didn't listen to it every night, maybe 3-4 times a week at most.) And by the end, I finally felt like I knew Elvis. Not personally, of course, but... I feel like I understand him now.
Mostly, now I actually feel like he was a real person. Because, like the quote I included implies, growing up, Elvis did sort of feel like a myth to me. Like the stories of figures like Jesus or Moses, I knew Elvis was a real person, but it never fully felt that way. It was almost like a fantasy, like he was some otherworldly being. Or even just a fictional character that inspired this huge cosplay phenomenon with the impersonators.
I also appreciate knowing now that he wasn't a perfect person. Of course, his whole image was based on the rebellious nature of his earlier televised performances and music style, but over time, he still became like a God, in a way. Seemingly perfect and untouchable. But he wasn't. He had health issues later on in life, and prior to that, he was a true rockstar, sleeping with woman after woman, even after he and Priscilla were married. (And even that relationship, aside from the cheating, was filled with flaws too.) Some of these flaws of his do taint the image of him I have in my head, but in today's "cancel culture" landscape, I'll break the mold and NOT let that fully change how I feel about him. As I said, he was a legend. A true musical genius. And he should be remembered as such. Whatever he did in his personal life was his business and I should not judge it from my own views of what I believe is right and wrong behavior for a man.
This review is probably a little too focused on my feelings for Elvis rather than this book. But the book is about him after all, so, can you blame me?
I highly recommend this book if you're a music fan or an Elvis fan or just enjoy biographies. I know I, having already been a casual Elvis fan prior to reading this book, am definitely inspired to go listen to even more of Elvis' music, watch more of his concert specials, and some of his films. Because I do kinda love the guy, even if he and I never actually lived at the same time. But his legacy will live on always.
October 5, 2021
Best book about Elvis ever
Having read dozens of books about my all time most loved singer I wasn’t expecting anything special. I have become disgusted with the so-called tell-all bios revealing his fascination with girls with white panties or how much he ate and what and so on and so forth, those “facts” are a dime a dozen and there is something nauseating and sneaky about reading them. So I was so happy to read a fact-filled book about Elvis with many incidents about him I never knew before both funny and sad. But this is also an extremely well-written book that rightly pointed out in well documented words just how Elvis started it all, how he paved the way for all rock and rollers and many blues musicians who came after. (Whenever I watch Elvis dancing in Jailhouse Rock I see Michael Jackson moving on stage. But this author makes his life come alive for you like no one else ever has and I am grateful to her for doing so. I think a man with his charisma and talent could never have escaped the inevitable pitfalls but I respect that he tried to live a good life and believed he was a good man and cared about it. I am almost eighty years old and have seen many superstars come and go but no one will ever have what he did as an entertainer and singer. His voice still gives me shivers it is so emotional and beautiful and Miss Keogh is the only author who has been able to convey all that Elvis was and all he did and all that people loved about him. This is a must read for all who loved Elvis and for all of us who lived through those fun years. She can take you back and entertain you, her writing style is not like anyone I have read before and I loved it!
Having read dozens of books about my all time most loved singer I wasn’t expecting anything special. I have become disgusted with the so-called tell-all bios revealing his fascination with girls with white panties or how much he ate and what and so on and so forth, those “facts” are a dime a dozen and there is something nauseating and sneaky about reading them. So I was so happy to read a fact-filled book about Elvis with many incidents about him I never knew before both funny and sad. But this is also an extremely well-written book that rightly pointed out in well documented words just how Elvis started it all, how he paved the way for all rock and rollers and many blues musicians who came after. (Whenever I watch Elvis dancing in Jailhouse Rock I see Michael Jackson moving on stage. But this author makes his life come alive for you like no one else ever has and I am grateful to her for doing so. I think a man with his charisma and talent could never have escaped the inevitable pitfalls but I respect that he tried to live a good life and believed he was a good man and cared about it. I am almost eighty years old and have seen many superstars come and go but no one will ever have what he did as an entertainer and singer. His voice still gives me shivers it is so emotional and beautiful and Miss Keogh is the only author who has been able to convey all that Elvis was and all he did and all that people loved about him. This is a must read for all who loved Elvis and for all of us who lived through those fun years. She can take you back and entertain you, her writing style is not like anyone I have read before and I loved it!
July 23, 2025
A strange book more along the lines of Maeve Binchy meets Elvis biography .She seems more interested in his clothing and internal decorating tastes than acting or singing .She only mentions Jailhouse Rock in the context of it's was when he internally redecorated Graceland . King Creole gets a mention only in respect it delaying his entry into the Army.
The author writes as if it is novel , with her knowing the internal thoughts of many of the key players in Elvis's story .I very much doubt if she was there and certainly she gives no signs of having been there or even interviewed any of those involved .
She does briefly mention the music but only in respect of the How Great thou Art sessions and The American Sound Studio Session.
That said it is an easy listen . One for someone who is not familiar with the Elvis Story who wants an easy read and it's free on Audible . Although in my view Jerry Hopkins original biography would be a better starting point .
Those interested in a thoroughly researched and insightful biograph the Peter Guralnick biographies are recommended .
The author writes as if it is novel , with her knowing the internal thoughts of many of the key players in Elvis's story .I very much doubt if she was there and certainly she gives no signs of having been there or even interviewed any of those involved .
She does briefly mention the music but only in respect of the How Great thou Art sessions and The American Sound Studio Session.
That said it is an easy listen . One for someone who is not familiar with the Elvis Story who wants an easy read and it's free on Audible . Although in my view Jerry Hopkins original biography would be a better starting point .
Those interested in a thoroughly researched and insightful biograph the Peter Guralnick biographies are recommended .
July 4, 2022
The book is gushing to a fault in its praise of Elvis. Drug involvement is all but brushed aside. Organization leaves something to be desired, and there is no subject index. Captions for photographs are listed in the back. Chronology is very loose; it was difficult knowing when some events took place. References to Jackie Onassis, Audry Hepburn, and JFK, on the whole, added little.
Priscilla's voice seemed loud and clear. While that helped in understanding her relationship with Elvis, it made the book appear one-sided. Still, Elvis' intense relationship with Ann-Margret was acknowledged.
There were some interesting new details, but very few. I wondered what compelled the author to write the book. Perhaps hearing the old stories in a new publication, or by a new author makes them fresh again. There are always new books on Elvis, and I find myself buying one more.
Priscilla's voice seemed loud and clear. While that helped in understanding her relationship with Elvis, it made the book appear one-sided. Still, Elvis' intense relationship with Ann-Margret was acknowledged.
There were some interesting new details, but very few. I wondered what compelled the author to write the book. Perhaps hearing the old stories in a new publication, or by a new author makes them fresh again. There are always new books on Elvis, and I find myself buying one more.
November 12, 2025
It was a nice read for me in between other music industry books. That being said, it felt pretty superficial in the facts of Elvis’ life and the parts it did go into detail for seemed unimportant in the grand scheme of his story. There was a lot of personality instilled in all the people around him that was done pretty well in this book, the whole book is very personal. While this helps make it an easier read, the whole thing felt like a nothing burger written by a mid-aged woman reminiscing how Elvis was the man responsible for her sexual awakening.
Definitely a piece of his story and entertaining, but if you are going through the slews of Elvis biographies on the market I would put this one towards the end of your list.
Definitely a piece of his story and entertaining, but if you are going through the slews of Elvis biographies on the market I would put this one towards the end of your list.
January 31, 2023
Enjoyed the photos that I haven't seen yet. I liked hearing more about the Memphis Mafia and how they hung on through the Elvis years. Also, how it was weird that they were always there when Elvis would have girlfriends over. Very interesting how Presley controlled everything that Priscilla did, and would tell her that her hair was too high, or too low. Also told her how to do her makeup, and what dresses to wear. Presley did not like jeans, and no one in his circle could wear them as he considered them from the poor days. He was very particular about his clothes styles and worked with people who could do what he wanted.
May 29, 2023
After watching the newest Elvis movie, I had some questions about parts of Elvis' life that was presented in the movie. I decided I needed more information so I looked for a biography of Elvis to read. I must say that this book didn't colloborate portions of the movie such as why Elvis joined the army and when Pricilla came to Graceland.
I enjoyed the wide variety of pictures included in this book. There are a number of funny stories recounted such as Elvis' encounter with Sophia Loren. This is a positive account of Elvis' life.
I enjoyed the wide variety of pictures included in this book. There are a number of funny stories recounted such as Elvis' encounter with Sophia Loren. This is a positive account of Elvis' life.
July 24, 2022
Not what I expected
I choose this book because it had such good ratings but boy was I disappointed. Grammatical errors, run on sentences, and typographic all errors thought out the book. It was also difficult to follow because it seemed to jump back and forth in time and the author would stick in small facts that didn't seem to flow well. I don't know how this book got such good ratings, besides for some good pictures, it was difficult to read and just was disappointing.
I choose this book because it had such good ratings but boy was I disappointed. Grammatical errors, run on sentences, and typographic all errors thought out the book. It was also difficult to follow because it seemed to jump back and forth in time and the author would stick in small facts that didn't seem to flow well. I don't know how this book got such good ratings, besides for some good pictures, it was difficult to read and just was disappointing.
December 7, 2023
Directly after finishing the new Elvis movie by Baz Luhrmann I was on the library app looking for any biographies on The King. This book was a nice informative read that took a different narrative than the film, not focusing on The Colonel or painting Elvis to be quite as tragic as he was portrayed in the film. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle? Either way I loved getting to know more and I doubt this will be the last Elvis biography I read. On to play his music now <3
October 18, 2022
I wouldn't call this the definitive Elvis biography at all. The author did do some research, but seems to have glossed over alot of things like sex and drugs. It reads like a love letter from a fan. Not a terrible read, mostly entertaining, but there are much, much better Elvis books out there other than this one.
March 24, 2023
This biography is not exceptional. The author repeats ideas and anecdotes regularly. She gives no effort at hiding her, “ I wanna ride the EP train,” bias.
But there are some redeeming qualities to the book. It is a freshman level, introduction to “The King,” that could appeal to freshmen; and makes a strong argument for his success.
But there are some redeeming qualities to the book. It is a freshman level, introduction to “The King,” that could appeal to freshmen; and makes a strong argument for his success.
October 28, 2024
This is not a biography lest you think that when you pick it up. It's snippets of information about pretty superficial topics - clothing, sunglasses, food preferences, his hatred of khaki and dark green. There are times the author tries to be conversational in tone but they fall flat. And the 4 separate references to Sean Combs? In 2024? Those did not age well.
July 6, 2025
I got about halfway through the audiobook but I had to dnf this one, Anna Fields couldn't save this one for me. This "bio" is poorly written and pretty weighted to positively favor Elvis and his good ol country boy humble pie persona. Much is described in how he is feeling in certain scenarios but without sources to back this up, it's just conjecture.
January 5, 2019
While we were vacationing in Palm Springs we rode our bikes by Elvis and Priscilla's honeymoon house. That got me wanting to know more of their story. Not sure if everything was true in this book but it was an interesting read.
May 24, 2021
Read for our Library's book group (theme- Kings). I liked this, and I liked that while it mentioned Elvis's drug use and infidelity, it didn't dwell salaciously on them. The author is definitely a big fan.
July 28, 2022
What an interesting dude. Wish the author would have delved more Elvis’s shadow side. Seemed like a huge fan and caused the book to feel like fan mail. Wish the author would have dig into Elvis’s mind more. Still good though.
October 25, 2022
Pretty good, although it felt that the ending was rushed. Covered a lot of detail about Elvis’ younger years, then seems to skip a lot of time and certainly leaves out much detail of his latter years. Entertaining.
February 10, 2019
Loved the stories from his childhood.
June 18, 2021
Great book, very well done.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews