Declare Based On Books Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley (Elvis #1)
| Title | : | Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley (Elvis #1) |
| Author | : | Peter Guralnick |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Anniversary Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 576 pages |
| Published | : | September 1st 1995 by Back Bay Books (first published March 1st 1994) |
| Categories | : | Music. Biography. Nonfiction. History |
Peter Guralnick
Paperback | Pages: 576 pages Rating: 4.3 | 5541 Users | 367 Reviews
Narration As Books Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley (Elvis #1)
From the moment that he first shook up the world in the mid 1950s, Elvis Presley has been one of the most vivid and enduring myths of American culture.Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley is the first biography to go past that myth and present an Elvis beyond the legend. Based on hundreds of interviews and nearly a decade of research, it traces the evolution not just of the man but of the music and of the culture he left utterly transformed, creating a completely fresh portrait of Elvis and his world.
This volume tracks the first twenty-four years of Elvis' life, covering his childhood, the stunning first recordings at Sun Records ("That's All Right," "Mystery Train"), and the early RCA hits ("Heartbreak Hotel," "Hound Dog," "Don't Be Cruel"). These were the years of his improbable self-invention and unprecedented triumphs, when it seemed that everything that Elvis tried succeeded wildly. There was scarcely a cloud in sight through this period until, in 1958, he was drafted into the army and his mother died shortly thereafter. The book closes on that somber and poignant note.
Last Train to Memphis takes us deep inside Elvis' life, exploring his lifelong passion for music of every sort (from blues and gospel to Bing Crosby and Mario Lanza), his compelling affection for his family, and his intimate relationships with girlfriends, mentors, band members, professional associates, and friends. It shows us the loneliness, the trustfulness, the voracious appetite for experience, and above all the unshakable, almost mystical faith that Elvis had in himself and his music. Drawing frequently on Elvis' own words and on the recollections of those closest to him, the book offers an emotional, complex portrait of young Elvis Presley with a depth and dimension that for the first time allow his extraordinary accomplishments to ring true.
Peter Guralnick has given us a previously unseen world, a rich panoply of people and events that illuminate an achievement, a place, and a time as never revealed before. Written with grace, humor, and affection, Last Train to Memphis has been hailed as the definitive biography of Elvis Presley. It is the first to set aside the myths and focus on Elvis' humanity in a way that has yet to be duplicated.
Specify Books Conducive To Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley (Elvis #1)
| Original Title: | Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley |
| ISBN: | 0316332259 (ISBN13: 9780316332255) |
| Series: | Elvis #1 |
Rating Based On Books Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley (Elvis #1)
Ratings: 4.3 From 5541 Users | 367 ReviewsWrite Up Based On Books Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley (Elvis #1)
Tried to read this but it has more detail than could ever be needed for a simple biography. Addresses, names of classmates...it read more like an encyclopedia than a biography. I didn't even get to his teenage years and was interested in learning more about Elvis's life, but this was way too detailed, at least for my purposes.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
I've never been a fan of Elvis. In Helen Kolawole's words He wasn't my king. For black people, Elvis, more than any other performer, epitomizes the theft of their music and dance.So, I grabbed Mr. Guralnick's book in a (failed) attempt to like the man and the 'artist' but this book was no use for me. When I first picked up this biography I had high expectations because the cover is beautiful and there are some great reviews about it. I saw a potential but it did not meet any of expectations at
Another book I picked up after last falls trips to visit my friends Heather and Clay in the wonderful city of Memphis. Great book, couldnt put it down. Reviewers say its the best book on Elvis around. Havent read much about Elvis, but I cant 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, Elviss Army buddy Rex Mansfield
Essential. Definitive. Every Guralnick book Ive read takes me a while to get through but in the end Im thankful for such a complete picture he paints about a particular musician or genre. Fantastic if you want to understand Elvis in new and deeper ways.
With 'Careless Love', this two-part book about Elvis is one of the best biographies I've ever read. It's completely un-cheesy and treats him seriously. In this first part, it is fascinating to see how he grew as a singer and musician in those early days, up to his time as a GI in Germany.
Peter Guralnick's books on American R&B, Soul, Country, Blues and Rock and Roll are all heartfelt, deeply researched, and written nearly entirely in the third person, and that last bit separates him from the self aggrandizing that mars the writing of so many other music writers covering the same ground. If he has a fault it is his reverence for his subjects. Accordingly, this first volume of his two volume biography of Elvis Presley will set you aglow with the excitement, innocence and
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