Elvis: The King

by Gillian G. Gaar

Elvis: the legend lives on, more than 35 years since he died. Relive your musical memories or discover the King of Rock 'n' Roll with this fully authorized book, which contains many rare photographs from the Graceland® archives as well as a poster and removable items of facsimile memorabilia. Includes rare reproduction documents from the King's personal archives.

63 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

I write regularly about music, entertainment, and travel. I enjoy taking pictures for my articles and books as well. My very first book was "She's A Rebel: The History of Women in Rock & Roll," first published in 1992, and updated in 2002; Yoko Ono wrote the book's preface, and it still gives me a thrill to see her name on the cover. Other areas of expertise include Nirvana, the Beatles, and Elvis, all of whom I've written books about. I've also written for a variety of publications around the world, including Mojo, Rolling Stone, Goldmine (where I had regular Beatles and Elvis columns), and many others. I was also a senior editor at legendary Seattle music publication "The Rocket."

Reviews

[Don LaFountaine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an okay book, pretty much only for Elvis fans, or young kids who are just learning about The King of Rock and Roll.

The book goes through the life of Elvis, from his youth through his time with Sun Records, through his movie career, and through his touring during the 70's. There are some nice pictures to look at, though most of them should have been seen by fans. There really is not anything knew in the pages of the book; it's more like a trip down memory lane.

The cover says the book is "Authorized Book From the Graceland Archives". When the reader peruses the pages, they will find a sanitized version of Elvis' life, giving as much of a positive spin on his life as possible. For instance, there is no mention of any drug use or his weight gain in the latter part of his life.

Bottom line, this book is only for Elvis fans. It is also good for the younger kids to learn about the King while not exposing them to the less than pristine side of his life.