Reviews (3)

One of my favorite elvis books
this book details the day of the meeting between elvis and nixon. It is detailed but an easy reader. It is anything except boring! In the back you will find a RARE 8 by 10 color photo of the two that is worth the price in gold.

All you conspiracy Nuts should get a dose of reality.....
I hadn't heard any of the wierd conspiracy theories until I had this book sitting on my desk and a co-worker offered up his bizzare "facts" about this meeting. I went ahead and read it anyway, to discover that I worked with a Kook. Aside from being very entertaining, the information was simply some good things to know about a couple of men that were great in their own careers. They each have been slammed on character issues, however the facts portrayed in this book illustrate that any ridicule of character is purely the bias of the News Media.

30 minutes reading this book is unforgettable!
Krough's amazing eyewitness account of the day Elvis met Nixon is well worth reading. This unlikely pair got together for the most unlikely reasons. Each was looking for something to gain. Each seemed satisfied with the result. The story adds to the well-deserved mystique of each of these unique characters. The book, while no literary masterpiece (and not pretending to be such), is a delightful 30-minute read that will leave you with a great story to tell at parties. I recommend it highly ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The Worst Book I have even Read
If you are not a big Elvis fan this is not the book to read because there is so many untruths in it, you will get the wrong impression of the man Elvis was.I have read a great number of books on Elvis and this one has to be the worst one.No one that knew Elvis even knows who this guys is???He made numerous errors in telling his story.Such as he said Gladys, Elvis's mom went to Germany with him and then died in 1960!!Untrue - she died in 1958 before he left for Germany.He dated Dixie Locke before he made it big but was still dating her when he was signed to Sun Records.She did not break up with him because he asked her to marry him. They had talked of marriage but unforuntaely it did not last long because he was gone so much.He dated Anita before going to the army and for a while after he was discharged.He did not play in Vegas while he was making movies in the 1960s!!! And so on and so on.There are to many to mention here but I can say that this was a BIG DISSAPPOINTMENT and a waste of my money.DO NOT WASTE YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY ON THE PIECE OF TRASH BELIEVE ME YOU WILL BE SORRY.

Not what I had hoped for
I've read many books on Elvis as I'm always trying to gain new information to help me understand his complex personality.I had high expectations for this offering because of its focus on Elvis' early life and relationship with his mother.However, I found the general tone of the book to be sensational.The sex "revelations" don't seem to be anything more than lurid details the like of which can be found in any tabloid.Everyone knows Elvis was a wonton womanizer.It's hardly news at this point.I found there to be many mistakes and inconsistancies throughout the book.One is so careless as to describe Elvis' first girlfriend, Dixie Locke, as a blond then two pages later she is in picture showing a girl with black hair.The whole thing just read like a trashy novel to me.

Zig-Zag Elvis
I read Mr. Greenwood's book and found it very informative and personal.The book takes the reader through Elvis' personal life and marriage andnumberous love affairs. It depicts the Colonel's control over Elvis andpossible black mail. It depicts how the people he was associated with overthe years were mainly there for the gravy. An excellent book.

a wonderful and sympathetic portrayl of the Rock 'n' roll
EARL GREENWOOD PRIMARILY FOCUSES ON ELVIS' HUMBLE BEGINNINGS AND HIS TRAGIC CHILDHOOD FROM THE PERSPSCTIVE OF SOMEONE WHO KNEW THE FAMILY INTIMATLEY. HE EXPLAINS ELVIS' GUILT OVER HIS TWIN BROTHER'S DEATH AND HISINCONSOLABLE SADNESS OVER HIS MOTHER'S DEATH. GREENWOOD TELLS OF AN ELVISWHO NOBDY REAALY KNEW, A BOY WHO WAS BULLIED AND RIDICULED AND WHOEVENTUALLY BECAME ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS ARTISTS IN HISTORY. IN SHORT THISBIOGRAPHY IS TOLD WONDERFULLY. ... Read more

Book Description

Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath were husband and wife; they were also two of themostremarkable poets of the twentieth century. In this stunning new account of theirmarriage,Diane Middlebrook draws on a trove of newly available papers to craft abeautifullywritten portrait of Hughes as a man, as a poet, and as a husband haunted—andnourished—his entire life by his relationship to Sylvia Plath.

Her Husband is a triumph of the biographer’s art and an up-close look ata couplewho saw each other as the means to becoming who they wanted to be: writers andmythicrepresentations of a whole generation. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

This book describes the real Elvis
All that time that we were enjoying Elvis' music, films, and personality, we never had an inkling that the spiritual life was important to him. Maybe this fact was deliberately withheld for the sake of his career. In any case, it is too bad that we did not really know him while he was alive. This book describes the real Elvis.

At the time he was born, a blue light surrounded his home. This was a sign that the spiritual would be important to him. It began in blood and thunder churches that he quickly rejected. Then he found gospel churches, where he learned to naturally move his body to exciting music. Then, after his career began, Larrry Geller entered his life. Of course, you never heard of Larry Geller, but he was Elvis' best friend and spiritual confidante for many years. Larry was a student of what is called metaphysics, a very broad field that Shirley MacLaine helped popularize. The author of the book, Jess Stearn, has also popularized it. The book describes Elvis' long interest in this field, from numerology to astrology to pre-Christian spirituality to Christ himself. For Elvis, it was a lonely path, as his friends and wife were not interested.

The book, like Out on a Limb, is a good introduction to metaphysics, and describes what a typical (if Elvis could be called typical) student experiences. His study helped him to face death with no qualms, and the book explains the real cause of his death (not drugs)

Interesting, but not fulfilling my expectations.
This is a curious book. It gives an overview of Elvis' spiritual search as seen through the eyes of Larry Geller, his personal hairdresser and self-proclaimed Guru. Geller got Elvis to explore his spiritual side mainly through New Age readings and meditation, and his own conversations with him. But the book seems to be a series of anecdotes, and bits and pieces of information thrown together. It was interesting, but did not give the kind of insight into Elvis' spirituality that I was expecting from Mr. Stearn. Perhaps I am expecting too much - Elvis the mystic? ... Read more

Book Description

"One of the most promising young poet-critics in America" (Los Angeles Times) examines a revolutionary generation of poets.

Robert Lowell, Elizabeth Bishop, Sylvia Plath, John Berryman, Randall Jarrell, and Delmore Schwartz formed one of the great constellations of talent in American literature. In the decades after World War II, they changed American poetry forever by putting themselves at risk in their poems in a new and provocative way. Their daring work helped to inspire the popular style of poetry now known as "confessional." But partly as a result of their openness, they have become better known for their tumultuous lives—afflicted by mental illness, alcoholism, and suicide—than for their work. This book reclaims their achievement by offering critical "biographies of the poetry"—tracing the development of each poet's work, exploring their major themes and techniques, and examining how they transformed life into art.

An ideal introduction for readers coming to these major American poets for the first time, it will also help veteran readers to appreciate their work in anew light. 6 illustrations. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

One of the best I have read......
I really enjoyed this book and hope to read it many more times. I felt a real empathy with Joyce Bova and think she truly cared for Elvis. I disagreed with many of the things she did [especially the abortion] but who knows what we would have done in her place. It is not for others to judge her. I felt I really liked Joyce Bova through reading the book and would love to know what she is doing now and whether she would feel able to make contact with Elvis fans.

This is an excellent read for any Elvis fan.
Joyce Bova is a fascinating person. This is an excellent book. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. Anyone who reads this book and is a true Elvis fan will know this story is true. Some say she got her info from Priscilla's book but I have many videos and books on Elvis and Joyce Bova is referred to many times by many of his family and the Memphis Mafia, although they don't refer to her by name, the stories are the same. Example: Ricky Stanley (on a 2hr tv special) refers to a woman at Elvis' hotel in Washington D.C., the same story Joyce Bova writes of in her book. If your a true Elvis fan and know Elvis was human and not a God, he had his many faults as we all do, then you must buy this book.

HER light will never dim
I was completely blown away by the strength of emotions presented to me as a reader.
Joyce's courage and love for Elvis was so palpable, so intense, I was almost embarassed by the emotions I would find inside myself when reading this book.
I often would talk to my wife of Joyces' story and together we would sit and reflect on how intense this love was.
The dispair, fear, futility and finally (sadly), her resignation to the fact that, despite how powerful their love was for each other, despite how much Joyce was willing to sacrifice for that love (for sacrifice she surely did), the only way she could save herself from a terrible fate was to leave the very thing that made her feel complete.
If my words make no sense to you, I apologize. Every time I try to put the feelings that this book caused me to have into words, I inevitably cannot.
I would often talk to a dear friend of this story as well. More often than not, I would have to just stop and catch my breath because I could not put my feelings into the right words.
Joyce, you truly are a remarkable, wonderful and beautiful person. Your strength to finally end your life with Elvis was probably one of the toughest things to do.
But it made you a much stronger person.
Truly remarkable. Thank you.

My review on Joyce Bova
I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in hearing the story from a woman who truly loved Elvis- I found myself completing this book in 3 days. It has been one of the best books that I have read regarding Elvis as a person. If I was able to say anything to Ms. Bova it would be "thank you" for allowing a fan like myself to get to know how Elvis was on a more personal level. I admire your strenght and think you were a very special and memorable piece in the complex life that was Elvis Presley.

What a book !..........
I have read this book about 3-times. And I can honestly say that I liked it very much. Bova gives us alot of insight to Elvis the "man" and not so much the Entertainer. Although Im not sure how she can recall every conversation they every had. And I did get the feeling, she was not so much in love with him ( I say this because she chose to abort his baby, without ever teling him! ) And I have a problem with her acting like it was ok, to be sleeping with a marraide man, since she says "Elvis assures me he and Priscilla are marraide in name only" However, over all this is a very good book, and gives alot of information about him, most people prabaly dont know. I would recommend this to anyone who would like to know more about Elvis the man. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In the days of silent cinema, Mary Pickford was unmatched in popularity. Known as "America's Sweetheart," she lived a fairy-tale life appropriate to such status--marrying Douglas Fairbanks at the height of both their careers and living in the legendary mansion called Pickfair (which she maintained until her death in 1979). The world's first superstar was best known for playing children, which her youthful appearance and acting abilities allowed her to do well into her 30s. She was also, however, an amazingly versatile performer as well as a shrewd businesswoman and film producer. Pickford was a founder of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences--she's credited with having conceived of the institution--and she cofounded United Artists with Charlie Chaplin, D.W. Griffith, and Douglas Fairbanks.

Today, it's a precious treat to view one of Pickford's movies, since silent cinema is rarely revived in the theaters and her films have only recently begun to circulate on video. But fans and film historians hungry for Pickford's talent will devour the hundreds of magnificent (and mostly never-before-published) photographs and production stills collected in this stunning tribute to the Hollywood legend. This lush book features 232 black-and-white photos and stills--many taken by some of the century's most talented still photographers and cinematographers.

Robert Cushman's detailed introduction discusses the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' arduous process of collecting the photographs, many of which were for decades believed lost. The main text, which limns Pickford's career and traces the photographs and films in chronological order, was composed by Kevin Brownlow, author, documentary filmmaker, and restorer of silent movies. Brownlow incorporates interviews with Pickford and her former colleagues, period accounts, anecdotes, and technical information about the process of creating a silent film. This gorgeous, fascinating title brings silent movies alive--even for those people who may never have seen one--and, most importantly, pays well-deserved homage to a woman without whose influence the film institution could well have taken a different course. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Outstanding in Every Respect
This is the latest book by the leading historian on silent cinema, Kevin Brownlow. Like all of his other works, it is outstanding. Mary Pickford is thought of mostly as the grown up woman who played little girl roles in films that are unwatchable today. However, this is not true. Pickford was an actress of considerable range, not to mention the fact she was a very shrewd businesswoman. She was and is one of the key figures in the history of film. Brownlow, more than any other writer, puts Pickford's career in perspective, and he spends the majority of the book providing detailed commentary about her films. Furthermore, there are many superb stills from her films in this book.

This book is for all lovers of film and should spark renewed interest in Pickford's life and films.

Discover Mary Pickford
Mary Pickford Rediscovered is a wonderful book, for it allows the reader to follow Pickford's career in films both through the text and through the large number of pictures which bring this writing to life. The main body of the book comprises Kevin Brownlow's film-by-film analysis. His description of these films is fair and even-handed. He is obviously a fan of Pickford, but does not allow this to cloud his judgement. His commentary includes criticisms when these are just, but this means that when he does praise a particular film there is a sense that the film has real merit.

Brownlow's balanced opinions contrast rather with those of Robert Cushman, who provides a long introduction to the book. In his justified desire to raise Mary Pickford to the position she deserves in film history, Cushman, at times, goes rather over-the-top in his admiration. But this is a minor criticism for the introduction is, on the whole, thought provoking and informative.

It is to be hoped that more of Pickford's films might soon be available for viewers to see at home. This book makes the reader long to see the films which are described, so that the magnificent still photographs might move. In this way Mary Pickford could be really rediscovered.

My Mary Pickford Bible
Not only has Kevin Brownlow helped to restore Mary Pickford's movies and researched for year and years, he actually met her. His reviews of each film are incredible and easy to look up. The pictures are amazing, many I have never seen before. His stories about keeping Mary's legend alive are interesting and his efforts are admirable. This book is worth every penny and then some.

A Life on Film
England's Kevin Brownlow brings to life America's Sweetheart, Mary Pickford, in this richly textured and insightful book featuring a myriad of lush and rare photographs chosen by Pickford expert Robert Cushman. Mary Pickford's contribution to cinema is seen in a new light here. Brownlow subtly makes the case that she not only was the most influential woman in the history of cinema, but a visionary force for the film industry itself.

It is difficult in today's climate of instant access to information to understand just how popular Mary Pickford was in her day. She was embraced by the entire world, and reportedly, every twenty four hours, 12 1/2 million people saw her on screen. She perfected her craft in an era of film when very few people actually saw her natural acting style for the hard work and genius it was. George Cukor called her the first method actor.

Mary Pickford's career as an actress spanned decades. She did much for women with her strong business savvy and the roles she not only portrayed, but created. A very practical woman by all accounts, her films themselves reflected our better side as human beings and were often sentimental in tone. She didn't play weak characters as many of her contemporaries did. When people walked out of the theatre after seeing a Pickford film, they were often uplifted, feeling generous towards their fellowman.

Brownlow has done a wonderful job bringing Mary Pickford to life as a three dimensional human being. With all the rare and beautiful photographs here to distract you it would have been easy to have an uninspiring text. But the introduction by Cushman, and the lengthy and insightful comments by Brownlow, which includes comments on each Pickford film, make this a mesmerizing journey into a life, both on film, and off.

There were many things about Mary the public knew, such as the famous Pickfair and her celebrated marriage to Douglas Fairbanks and their friendship with Charlie Chaplin. They knew little of a young girl who virtually had no childhood. Before her career finally took off she was poor in the extreme, sleeping in a chair so long it would take quite some time after owning a bed before she could sleep in any other position.

Some knew of her first marriage to actor Owen Moore, but few knew he was an abusive alcoholic who would drive Mary to seek comfort with actor and director James Kirkwood. They certainly didn't know that in 1917, at the height of her fame, Mary almost committed suicide. Though these aspects of Mary's life are only touched upon and not dealt with in depth, it is admirable they are here at all, separating this from other coffee table books.

The photographs are so stunningly beautiful (some never before seen) you may have trouble concentrating on the text. Of particular note are photographs on pages 110, 65, 17, 12, 27, 154, 121, and 66. They are not to be missed.

This lush and informative book, filled with affection for it's subject and augmented by rare and breathtaking photographs, is a must own for anyone who loves film. It's overall perspective of America's Sweetheart, and ultimately the world's sweetheart, Mary Pickford, is unmatched. Pick this one up today!

Just your typical perfect book from Kevin Brownlow
Is there a better writer on the silent era than Keven Brownlow? Look at his earlier books: THE PARADE'S GONE BY. . ., THE WAR, THE WEST AND THE WILDERNESS (someone reissue this book-PLEASE!), NAPOLEON, BEHIND THE MASK OF INNOCENCE, DAVID LEAN (OK, not a book about silent movies, but Lean's pictorial sense owes so much to that era that is a terrific bridge to that time) and now this book.

Mary Pickford did it all, and she did it before Astaire started dancing. Starring, writing, producing, studio exec-she did so much that looking over her history makes you realize just much the movie industry has slid backwards when it comes to women. Brownlow's book shows us how important she was by reproducing some remarkable stills and writing insightful commentary as only he can do. The "Little Mary" of this book is not some antique gathering dust on the shelf of film history, but a vital, exciting actress who may be of her time, but her spirit is more of today than yesterday, and something so needed today. As a companion to Scott Eyman's acclaimed biography (MARY PICKFORD-AMERICA'S SWEETHEART, originally published by Donald I. Fine), this book deserves to be on the shelf of ANYONE who loves movies for what they really are-dreams on film. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Sylvia Plath committed suicide in February 1963, and since then her poetry,fiction, and, increasingly, her life have maintained enormous power over readers'(particularly female readers') imaginations. Biographies continue to appear withregularity, despite the strong hold the Plath estate has on her work. But because of thathold, each biographer has been forced to accommodate the living (Ted Hughes, who wasseparated from Plath at the time of her death, and his larger-than-life sister, Olwyn, longthe executrix), often at the expense of the dead. In 1989, Anne Stevenson's peculiarhybrid, Bitter Fame,waspublished, complete with an appendix full of devastating memoirs. It was not youraverage biography. When Janet Malcolm was first sent the book, she was less drawn to itby the Plath legend than by the fact that she had known Stevenson in the '50s, but shesoon became captivated by the book's defeatist subtext. The dead woman's voice andwritings seemed to overwhelm Stevenson's tentative narrative; and if that wasn't enough,there was also the none-too-angelic choir of those who had known Plath. "Thesetoo, said, 'Don't listen to Anne Stevenson. She didn't know Sylvia. I knew Sylvia. Let metell you about her. Read my correspondence with her. Read my memoir.'"

Bitter Fame was soon garnering some powerfully bad notices, especially that ofA. Alvarez in the New York Review of Books. Alvarez, the author of one of themost influential pieces on Plath, in his study of suicide, The Savage God, had somespecial, personal cards to deal, as have so many others Plath left behind. BecauseMalcolm's great theme is treachery--that of the interviewer, the journalist, the teller ofjust about any tale--the Plath mess seemed a perfect fit, and she decided to become aplayer, too. In 1991, Malcolm was having lunch with Olwyn Hughes in North London, 28years to the day on which the poet died.

This is only one of the coincidences in The Silent Woman, a postmodernbiography par excellence, which is less about the drama of Plath's life and stillcontroversial death than about their continuing effect on the living. For Malcolm, allcards are wild, each one revealing more complexity, human cravenness, and, above all,brilliantly playful aperçus about human agency and writing's deceptions. I lookforward to the dictionary of quotations that foregrounds the elegant "The pleasureof hearing ill of the dead is not a negligible one, but it pales before the pleasure ofhearing ill of the living." And then there's, "Memory is notoriouslyunreliable; when it is intertwined with ill will, it may be monstrously unreliable. The'good' biographer is supposed to be able to discriminate among the testimonies ofwitnesses and have his antennae out for tendentious distortions, misrememberings, andoutright lies." It's clear that Malcolm doesn't see herself as a "good"biographer--she openly declares her allegiance, but is more than capable of changing itand of showing her cards. Or is she? In the end, The Silent Woman is a stunninginquiry into the possibility of ever really knowing anything save that "the gamecontinues." ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Compelling Look at the Biography Process
Malcolm's book is a compelling look at the process of writing a biography, as well as an interesting biography of Plath's and Hughes's relationship in itself. By examining the motivations behind Plath biographers, friends, and enemies, Malcolm comments on the process and biases of the biography genre, most importantly, the controversial Bitter Fame. In this book, we see the Hughes's sister shut out all biographers with a negative view of Hughes. We see Plath enemy Dido Merwin write a skewed tale about a Plath/Hughes visit. We see admirers of Plath's write scathing biographies blaming Hughes for the downfall of the Plath/Hughes marriage. What Malcolm attempts to do is to look at the union in a balanced manner, while exposing the motivations of the players in the Plath drama. She succeeds whole-heartedly in this excellent book.

One of the Best Books on Plath and the Art of the Biography
One could argue that The Silent Woman is nothing more than a look at the art of writing a biography, and why biographies are so unreliable. One could also view The Silent Woman as one of the best books written about Sylvia Plath to date, surpassing Bitter Fame and Chapters in a Mythology. Both would be correct. As the host of the Journals forum at BellaOnline, I found The Silent Woman an indespencable tool in writing my article on journals and why the online journal, like the biography according to Janet Malcolm, is so unreliable.

Ms. Malcolm's book takes us through England and the US, trying to piece together the history of the Hughes/Plath marriage. Along the way, she makes some rather remarkable conclusions not only about the Plath marriage but about the biography itself -- conclusions which transcent genre and, in the end, talk about most biographical/autobiographical works, such as journals, and why we cannot always believe what we read. A wonderful, scholarly piece that everyone interested in literature, reading, or Ms. Plath's life should read.

great book on the biography and sylvia plath
Malcolm has written a great book on the difficulties of writing a good and fair biography. She uses Sylvia Plath, and specifically Anne Stevenson's Bitter Fame as her example. What you get here is an interesting book that engages the reader and at times almost reads like a novel. The book is gripping and before you know it, you've finished it. Also, Malcolm claims to be on the "side" of Ted Hughes, but I still think she gives a fairly balanced view of the whole situation. But, this isn't a biography of Sylvia Plath. This is a biography of a biography.

A good gossip, that's all
This book is just gossip about two famous(or infamous) poets.Janet Malcolm elicits gossip from various people who came into contact with Sylvia Plath in some way.Most of these people wrote about Plath or were her neighbors for a while.They were not close to Sylvia. When she met them,Janet tells us what clothes these people wore, and in some cases, how they dished up a meal. There is no reliable information given about either poet.Janet tells us that interesting biography can't be objective. But really, she can't be objective because she is unashamedly in the pro Ted Hughes camp. If Janet wished to learn something about Sylvia and Ted she could have asked an astrologer. Then she would have found out that Sylvia was a Scorpio, and in Chinese astrology she was a monkey.A Scorpio monkey is a strange character. She can be obsessive, extremely secretive and perversely wilful. Janet would have be informwd that Sylvia's Sun was square with Saturn. This indicates a strict superego controlling the instincts.This inner conflict would boil over at times into destructive behavior. Ted,a Leo, had eight squares in his chart, showing much inner conflict. His Venus was afflicted, indicating self-indulgence, an unloving nature, and erratic behavior in love matters.There is in-built tension between a Scorpio and a Leo. Unless both parties compromise, their strong wills clash and turn the relationship into a battlefield. Ted's Mars is square to Sylvia's Venus, causing a hostile attitude towards her.His Mars is in her fourth house of the home, so his hostility would appear there.An astrologer could have told Janet this, and more on what made these two poets tick.If you like gossip about famous people, you'll find it in this book

The final word
If the intense animus that Janet Malcolm seems to inspire doesn't carry the day, this book should come to be seen as seminal an intellectual achievement as, say, "The Origins of Totalitarianism". Put simply, it is the final word on its subject - which is, of course, the act of biography, not Sylvia Plath or Ted Hughes.

That Malcolm presents herself as a major figure in the narrative, that she sides with Hughes against Plath (she says so in precisely those words; unlike every other book that addresses the Plath story, the agenda here is explicit, not veiled), is not merely apt but crucial. This, she argues convincingly, is what every biographer does - only usually with less self-awareness and honesty.

The point can't be stressed enough - especially as several reviewers here seem to have missed it. Malcolm is only interested in Plath and Hughes (both of whom are more compelling, in my opinion, for the doom-filled lives they led than for their sub-canonical verse) as an unusually illustrative example of the impossibility of "objective" biography. Was he a cruel philanderer? Or was she a neurotic harpy? Or both? Not only don't we know, Malcolm says, we *can't* know. Her argument, presented in crisp epigrammatic prose that is its own unique pleasure, seems to me unanswerable. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Fools
This book is a definitive account of Elvis's life! I can't believe how the other reviewers call this book trash and full of lies when it is the truth! Goldman interviewed the men who saw everything first hand! I love the one reviewer who calls them fat balding men (the mafia who ratted on E) what do you think Elvis was (minus balding)? Besides the book is not as biased as the average fawning Elvis bio, which protrays the man as an untouchable Mythological Hero. This book cuts through the BS that other books keep on perpetuating, and is actually based on fact, not the myths like the other 98 % of Presley books. People dislike this book simply because they dislike the truth and want to hold onto the lies that have became the "Presley Myth". Goldman's language is a bit vulgar at times but this book was not written for a 10 year old, nor is it worse than most movies now days. This book is unquestionable the real story.

Definitely a biased account of Elvis and his life
Thanks for the heads up, but we all know that EP was a human being above other things. We all know about the gun fetish and temper...but that's not the problem with this book. I gave it two stars and not one, because Goldman indeed did his homework and interviewed many people that knew and worked with Elvis, and also for the potential that this book could have had. The problem is that throughout the book he fails miserably in maintaining an umbiased stance and functioning as the messenger. He is not a messenger! He's a critical writer who clearly does not like and did not like Elvis, and with this book he does nothing else but speak his mind about how awful of a person Elvis was and of course uses the accounts of the "victims he interviewed" to support his message. This book could have been a great account of the man's life, but sorry Mr. Goldman, I don't need to hear you telling me that Graceland looked like a whore house, that nothing in there is worth a dime or that Elvis needed a fireman lift to urinate......I think everyone would have appreciated a little more tact in exposing a man's private life like that. I would trash this book before the West brothers book anytime, without thinking twice and I would definitely shelf it as one of Goldman's greatest failures as a writer.

GREAT LIES IF YOU HATE ELVIS!
THE PAGES OF THIS BOOK ARE NOT WORTH LINING A LITTERBOX.
THE "EXPERTS" SUPPOSEDLY INTERVIEWED FOR THIS RAG,
WERE NO MORE THAN A HANDFULL OF DISGRUNTLED,FAT,BALD,AND
LEFT -OUT -OF- THE- WILL EX-EMPLOYEES.
GOLDMAN DESPISED ELVIS AND POPULAR MUSIC IN GENERAL,MORE
OF A BOOK FOR PEOPLE WHO STILL ARE JEALOUS OF HEARING OF
PRESLEY'S SUCCESS AND TALENT.
ONLY WORTH ONE STAR AS AUTHOR IS NOW DUST!

If You Want a Fawning Biography, This Isn't For You
The name Albert Goldman is one that is truly reviled in the world of rock and roll. For his unflattering biographies of Elvis and John Lennon, Goldman is almost universally despised. However, that is unfortunate, because Goldman happens to be a thorough researcher and an intelligent human being who has written many good books on popular culture. The man is an academic with more than a little brainpower. And however much he may have disliked his subject, Elvis, there is no doubt that he was an expert on the man.

While diehard Elvis fans may not like what Goldman has to say, what he says is based on facts - mainly on interviews with primary sources, mostly Elvis's closest associates (bodyguards, handlers, friends and relatives) who lived and worked with him, were with him 24 hours a day, and knew him from childhood. And the simple fact of the matter is this: Elvis was a human being. A flawed human being. Not a saint, not a god, but a flawed human being.

While those who don't like this book claim that Goldman's information is not credible, I posit that it is credible. Fame and fortune have a way of corrupting people - particularly people who already are more than a little disturbed to begin with. Such was the case with Elvis. And because Elvis achieved the heights of fame and fortune (quite a lucky thing for him, considering he was a minimal talent at best - Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Gene Vincent were all a ga-zillion times more talented than he was), he was able to get away with his flaws to a degree that most of us never could.

In fact, Goldman was not the first or the only biographer to maintain that Presley was a drug-addicted, mother-fixated freak with a fetish for guns, 14-year-old girls and excessive amounts of cheeseburgers, banana splits and peanut butter and banana sandwiches. In fact, 5 years before Goldman's book came out, two of Elvis's own bodyguards, Sonny and Red West, wrote a book, called "Elvis: What Happened?" In this book they claimed pretty much all the same things that Goldman later would. Presley went to great lengths to have the West brothers' book quashed because he knew that the revelations, particularly about his drug addiction, were likely to ruin his reputation as a clean-living, God-fearing good ole boy.

Flash forward to Goldman's book. Goldman does a thorough profile of Presley, starting from his humble beginnings in Tupelo, Miss. and taking us all the way through to the end of his life. And Goldman takes a battering ram to the so-called "Elvis Myth" and smashes it to pieces.

Here again, diehard fans hate this book, primarily because they are reluctant to believe that their hero could be what Goldman claims he was - a narcissistic, self-indulgent pervert who put himself first in all situations. However, my question is this: if that is in fact what the man was, why not just admit it and be done with it? Why shoot the messenger because the message he brings is something you don't want to hear or don't want to accept? Goldman interviewed lots of people who knew Presley well and who were close to "the big E" for practically his entire life. Were they all lying? Many of the people Goldman spoke to had no vendettas or grudges against Presley - on the contrary, they served him in life and continued to love him in death. So why is Goldman pilloried for merely recording and creating a narrative based on the facts?

Bottom line: if you would prefer to read about what a wonderful person Elvis was, you will not enjoy this book. If, however, you are interested in an alternative interpretation of what the man was about, then take a look.

Elvis
This author indeed has problems of his own. He has anger issues in which he needs to address. Therapy would be quite helpful for this author.
It was impossible to find anything credible in what he wrote because it was so obvious the contempt he had for his subject.
I understand that one of Elvis' so called friends, Lamar Fike, was one of Goldman's references, with friends like Fike no wonder Elvis was plagued with so many problems. If only Elvis had not trusted people like Fike maybe this entire scenario might have been different for Mr. Presley.
In spite of this trashy novel Elvis lives on in the hearts of his legion of fans and continues to gain more fans all the time. His legacy will go on forever whereas people like Goldman and Fike will cease to even be a footnote. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

THE BEST from the best people who know him. Take care of it
It's one of those book that you need to have even so ElvisPresley don't have all your attention.That phenomeon of the history of America is view by his relatives friends that everybody call the "MemphisMafia". You can see by this book all the life of the Idol from his childhood to his raising career, his weeding, the Vegas years, the sad moment, the dependance on prescriptions the family he have, the stage routine, the place where he live, the feeling he share, his philosophy of life in general...ANYTHING that Elvis Presley truly was is in that book. As Elvis fan, American citizen, people on the earth, you must have to know who the true person Elvis Aaron Presley was. TCB Take Care of that book!

All you need to know about Elvis
WOW! What I have been yearning for years to learn about the personal side of Elvis, I learned in this book. This is one of those rare books that you pick up and can not put down until you finish. Although it is over 900 pages, I read it in just four days because each page was a new adventure. After reading this book, you will discover that there is a very unique bond between the Memphis Mafia and Elvis. I think it was a friendship that we all want to have at one time throughout our life. The only downfall to this book is that it makes you want to have MORE of it! Hopefully they will write another book and tell more stories.

The Court Jesters behead the King
Why any author would take the time to commit the moronic insights of these men about the most complex of people onto paper, is beyond me. Hey guess what everyone, Elvis abused drugs. I have now encapsulated this novel in one sentence. Why did it take Nash nearly 1000 pages? Every story is as boring as it could be and then it ends in Elvis using drugs. For those of you who have never walked past a checkout stand in the last 25 years I guess this is sensational. It is some kind of endless diary more than a novel. *Elvis went to the movies, ate a whole pizza then went home and did drugs.* Elvis lost his temper because the lowlifes around him were stealing everything they could get their hands on.* Elvis cheated on his wife with every foxy star and starlet that could get their hands on him . . . Other than Bily Smith, who should've never associated himself with this book considering how good Elvis was to him and his whole dirt scratching family, the contributors of this book were the people Elvis abused the most. Marty Lacker was the class bafoon at Humes and Lamar was Elvis' human toilet for 20 years. They never miss an opportunity to pay "The Boss" back with tales from the toilet. Without Elvis these guys are a bunch of dung shovelers and this book is nothing but road kill. Fortunately the real Elvis has finally been chronicled this year in the novel AROUND ELVIS by fan club president Thorne Peters.

THIS is IT!
I discovered Elvis when I was 12 years. It's hard to get an accurate account of his life...when I read this book, I couldn't put it down until I was finished. It's truly an amazing book!

NEW TITLE: Hazy recollections from a confused bunch
This book was disappointing for many reasons.

Firstly, people must understand that the three principals involved in this book have a momentous preconception that because they came from the same place and time as Elvis, that they are the same as Elvis. Yet they are forgetting the simple fact of how different Elvis actually was to everybody else at that time and in that world.

I have personally had communications (on several occasions) with Marty Lacker, and I can confidently surmise that he (and the others) were very misdirected about the meanings of Elvis's thoughts, dreams and needs. After reading this book, I am even more confident that the entire Memphis Mafia hardly knew the real Elvis.

This was supposed to be a book about their life with Elvis. It turned out to be a mish-mash of conflicting statements made by a bunch of men (probably in a bar), that can hardly remember where they lived or even who was there. Events that they conveniently do remember (without doubt) are in direct conflict with previously published information that is supported by a variety of official sources and government records. These three men have used this book as a tool to create conjecture in many areas that can still be open to misinterpretation even by eye witnesses. The truth is only Gladys Presley really knew Elvis. All others are left to guess what it all meant!

The majority of this book is dedicated to failing memories of events that occurred, often without the three principals even being present. Yet these are "facts"?

Inconsistent, incoherent ramblings of mere witnesses to a life which even they had no capacity to understand - just because your in the group doesn't mean you know what is going on in the leader's mind. Elvis was the greatest human nucleus of our (or any) time, and these men were simply insignificant particles of meat orbiting around him.

There were no "revelations" in this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Giving Up is Jillian Becker’s intimate account of her brief but extraordinary time with Sylvia Plath during the winter of 1963, the last months of the poet’s life.Abandoned by Ted Hughes, Sylvia found companionship and care in the home of Becker and her husband, who helped care for the estranged couple’s two small children while Sylvia tried to rest. In clear-eyed recollections unclouded by the intervening decades, Becker describes the events of Sylvia’s final days and suicide: her physical and emotional state, her grief over Hughes’s infidelity, her mysterious meeting with an unknown companion the night before her suicide, and the harsh aftermath of her funeral.Alongside this tragic conclusion is a beautifully rendered portrait of a friendship between two very different women.
... Read more

Reviews (5)

Too little, too late
What happened with this book? As other reviewers have noted, it is very slight -- less than 100 pages, almost pocket-book size.
The author never tells us exactly how she first became acquainted with Sylvia Plath and her husband Ted Hughes, and it would have been interesting to know how this striking and charismatic literary couple impressed her.
There's no context for her own part in the story -- what was Becker doing at that time? Had she begun to write professionally? She mentions giving up the notion of writing poetry when humbled by her reading of the work Plath showed her, but doesn't tell us much about her own ambitions, milieu or activities. Becker's husband Gerry plays an important role in the narrative, helping to take care of Plath, even driving her home on the night of her suicide, but we aren't told whether he too was a writer, artist or other brand of intellectual, nor whether the Beckers stayed married nor if he is even still living.
There is some unforgettable new material in Becker's account of the gathering in a pub after Plath's burial, which puts Ted Hughes in a bad light -- interesting, considering the recent rehabilitation of his reputation vis-a-vis Plath in Diane Middlebrook's "Her Husband" and Elaine Feinstein's biography of Hughes.
Unfortunately, Becker probably waited too long to tell her own version of the last events of Plath's life. Too often, she'll say that she doesn't remember what they talked about on some occasion -- honest, but frustrating.
When I finished the book, I started paging through it again, as if I thought I would find the rest of the story this time. Becker could have given us an authoritative glimpse of the young creative people she and Plath lived among in the London of that time -- "a string of luminaries about to be switched on" is her nice phrase for them -- but she seems to have been in a hurry to get the bare facts down and to move on.
She writes that she was moved to write the memoir because some of Plath's biographers had interviewed her, then used little or nothing of what she had to tell them. Where is all that misundertood or unused material? I felt that Giving Up had the potential to be a better, fuller book, but something -- time, guilt or disinclination to the memoir genre -- got in the author's way.

too much the writer and too little the friend
Becker does not seem an empathic, loyal friend of the late poet.
She uses gimcrackery effects to sell better her story:
"The exaggeration taken with her suicide makes it too probable that her final act was(...) dedicated to Posterity. Too much the writer and too little the mother, did she gas herself because the story she invented for her life demanded that ending?"
What about a deeply suffering woman, likely with post partum depression in the last months of her life, who was desperate?

Jillian, my dear -- No More!
In which a recent acquaintance of Sylvia Plath's attempts to comfort and protect the poet from herself during her last horrible days on this earth.

There is much that is scalding and unnecessary in this thin little book. It repeats so much of what we already know -- perhaps from Becker herself -- and is flawed by the author's insistent need to defend herself against (whose?) assumption that she should or could have "done something" to protect Plath from her compulsive need to kill herself. Well, maybe she could have or should have, but she didn't, as didn't many who knew her far better than Becker did, so there's really no need for all the justifications.

The lack of insight displayed here suggests that while Becker might have been stung by real or imagined criticism, she has done little in the last 40 years to understand the hopeless circumstances in which she found herself.

The fact that she barely knew Planth, but found it necessary to blather about it 40 years later, makes me wonder if there isn't a wee bit of the "cashing in" afoot on the part of the author.

Read the day after finishing Middlebrook's marvelous book on this subject, "Her Husband," I found it a total waste of paper.

Haunting
A measured and moving account of Sylvia Plath's final hours, as well as a keen portrait of Ted Hughes's egotism and denial. Jillian Becker proves herself a loyal yet honest friend, even though her relationship with Plath was brief. I've already read this slim book twice. I find it haunting.

Personable, Yet Lacks Creativity
I just finished this book and was suprised at the brevity. I expected more from a "memoir," and was disappointed that it lacked depth. I have read a great deal on Sylvia Plath and this book did not tell me much that I did not already know. I did, however, like the personal spin Becker put on her encounters with Plath and Ted Hughes. The writing is very accessible and personable without excess sentimentality, which I do appreciate. However, I found the narrative overall to be lacking in punch and wonder why it took Becker so long to come out with her version of the last days. Could she be riding the coat tails of the renewed Plath interest surrounding the upcoming release of Sylvia & Ted (the film)? ... Read more

Reviews (4)

I Have Learned Most of What I Know...
Okay, I will admit, I am a teenager, but I can still tell a good book from a great book. And this is definately a great book in my opinion. I went to the library on a school project and I happened to pluck this one off the shelf. Once I started reading the first 13 pages, I was hooked. I never knew how emotional his life was, but the opening had me in tears.
I think that this book is a great starter or even an update for any devoted Elvis fan. It covers every where from his teen years, to his last breaths- from his everyday frustrations to his immediate concerns about his love life and his daughter.
I really was in love with the way Larry Gellar put in bits and pieces of conversations he had remembered and written down, and random quotes (from Elvis) that fit in with the messages he was trying to send you. After I had completed the biography for my school project, I honestly felt like I knew Elvis, not the image or random "everybody-knows-them" facts. I felt like I knew him, and I still do. Once you read this touching book, you've created a bond with Elvis you'll never get from someone who's never met him, but decided to write a book from their own research.
I was touched by this book, and I will be forever. I highly suggest this book to anyone who wants the feelings that I have described above. Believe me, those are just a few of them.

Vision of God
That's what the name Elvis means. Finally a novel from an insider that is written with intelligence. Larry Geller is the only one near the King with the depth to absorb the vast persona of Elvis Presley and we are the better for it. Geller's own story is quite interesting and gives the book a broad dimension. In fact Mr. Geller should follow that vein of the book and tell the complete inside story, with namedropping intimate deatil, as a sequel entitled; "My Wish Came True."

FINALLY A LOVING PERSON WHO ELVIS COULD TRUST
I FOUND THIS BOOK AT A YARD SALE FOR 25 CENTS. THIS WAS THE MOST WONDERFUL STORY ABOUT ELVIS. IT MADE ME SO SAD OF THE TRAGIC LIFE AND LOSS THAT ELVIS HAD IN HIS LIFE. HE WAS SURROUNDED BY "USERS". IN THIS BOOK LARRY GELLAR TALKS ABOUT THE BOOKS ELVIS ENJOYED READING, AND THE PEACE HE SEARCHED FOR. THANK YOU LARRY FOR SUCH A WONDERFUL BOOK ON A WONDERFUL HUMAN.

This book makes me cry
I have now read Larry Gellers book at least 25 times - and I love it. Mr. Gellers love for Elvis is so deep and honest. There are passages in this book that makes my heart bleed for Elvis and just makes me cry. It's good to know that Elvis had at least one person he could always trust and with whom he could share his religious thoughts which meant so much to him. I cant wait to read the new book on Elvis by Mr. Geller. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Not Hard to Believe
I must admit, I am not much of an Elvis fan. Never have been. I have always thought that Elvis-mania was the product of clever marketing by Col. Tom Parker rather than any truly overwhelming talent on Presley's part. But, leaving aside the merits or lack thereof of Elvis the performer, I can say that it's not hard to believe that Elvis the man had a lot of inner pain. And that this inner pain may have caused him to take his own life. Therein lies the thesis of the book.

I found this little book to be immensely compelling. It's a detailed accounting (based mostly on information from Elvis's stepbrother, David Stanley) of the last 24 hours of Elvis's life. The basic theme of the book is to correct errors from Goldman's previous book (the controversial 1982 biography, Elvis). In the 1982 book, Goldman had posited that that Presley died of a massive heart attack caused by years of drug dependency and eating like a glutton.

Now in this later book, Goldman claims that there were inaccuracies in his previous accounting of Presley's death, and he wants to set the record straight. Now, says Goldman, new evidence (again, mostly provided by David Stanley) indicates that Presley did not die of natural causes, but instead killed himself by overdosing on a stash of drugs that he stockpiled. Supposedly David Stanley, not wanting to see Elvis's name tarred with the brush of suicide, got rid of the needles and drug packets near Presley's body before the paramedics arrived.

The idea that Presley committed suicide is, of course, not hard to believe. Goldman is not the only Presley biographer who wrote of Presley's disturbed state of mind at the end of his life. It is pretty much common knowledge that Presley was depressed, drug-dependent, grossly overweight, and had many regrets about his life and career. And when a person is that despondent, it's no surprise that their thoughts can turn to suicide.

Naturally, diehard Elvis fans detest Goldman and maintain that this book, and the prior book he wrote about Elvis, are (in no particular order): inaccurate; mean-spirited; biased (many claim that Goldman disliked Elvis personally and his dislike for his subject caused him to always present Elvis in the worst possible light).

However, not a single word of either book has been disproven. Goldman is an academic, and his research is thorough, based on interviews who are "primary sources" - in other words, with people who knew Presley best - "the Guys" (a.k.a. his handlers/bodyguards who were with him 24 hours a day). Indeed, a number of the Guys were actually related to Presley in one way or another, and knew him well, from childhood.

So riddle me this: why is it so difficult for fans to believe that their hero was not a god, but rather a deeply flawed human being who battled his inner demons, and unfortunately lost the battle? If Elvis was a depressed junkie who just didn't want to live anymore, why is that something to be appalled at? Again, given what is well-known about Elvis's state of mind at the end of his life, it's actually quite believable.

And...believe it or not, Goldman may actually have written this not because he enjoyed Presley-bashing, but because it was the truth and he called it as he saw it, based on the facts. That is possible.

Excellent and Honest Research---A Great Book!
Albert Goldman was an esteemed scholar with a stirling reputation among other writers and researchers. Goldman's objective, well-documented research confirms that Elvis Presley was basically a functional illiterate, drug addict, sexually-perverted human being whose marginal talent was exploited by the shrewd sheister Tom Parker. This comes as little surprise to those who've heard Presley's simple-minded comments and monosyllabic speech patterns in interviews. Nor is it shocking to those of us who've viewed Presley's infantile, formulaic B movies. Finally, Elvis's own closest friends, female companions, and relatives confirm that the man was an undisciplined, self-indulgent hillbilly with a sickly Oedipal relationship with his obese, smothering, unhygenic mother. Albert Goldman has been lambasted by Presley worshippers (which is a sick thought in itself---that any human being would feel so worthless as to worship another human being)simply because his research depicts Presley as he really was---a joke. Through sex orgies, pill-popping, voyuerism, sexual relations with minors, gluttoness hedonism, etc. If the truth is ugly, that's just too bad. Undisciplined, self-indulgent, backwoods hillbillies who have mother fixations and drug habits should not be made into Saints simply because ignorant, self-loathing slobs want to believe in fantasy. There always have been a small number of saintly people in this world, but Elvis Presley certainly wasn't one of them. And the good name of Albert Goldman shouldn't be dragged through the mud simply because uneducated, beer-guzzling, tattoo-wearing Elvis worshippers want to protect their delusional image of a less than virtuous human being of little genuine talent and even less class. Only in America could a semi-literate hillbilly named "Elvis" be hailed as a "god." Ttis phenomena has resulted from mass ignorance, unsophistication, and a need on the part of so many to idolize something----anything---that adds some meaning to their empty lives. Presley fulfilled this need for so many people who were as uneducated and unsophisticated as he was---a "hillbilly Christ." These idolaters are the deranged human beings, lacking any self-worth. Not Albert Goldman---all he was was honest. The slobs who idolize a spoiled, slobbish hillbilly who was allergic to bathing as well as to music that had more than three chords per song---they're the deranged ones. You want to call someone king? Try "Jesus Christ." You have a compelling need to worship a truly great and noble human being? Try Albert Schweitzer or Mother Theresa or Jonas Salk. The mere mention of "Elvis" in the same breath with these moral paragons and humanitarians is a sacrilege that reflects the degeneration of an empty, shallow, mindless society. Don't shoot the messenger because you can't accept the truth contained in the message.

Goldman Wrote the Truth---Elvis Was A Big, Fat Waste
To those of us who realized all along that an uneducated, filthy-looking, pseudo-voiced hillbilly became a millionaire because of crafty public relations on the part of a sheister---thank God for Albert Goldman. He spoke the truth, plain and simple. All of the nitwit Presley fans who wish to remain in denial can do so---losers never recognize their own stupidity. They can recognize a six pack, a pack of cigarettes, and a wrestling match, however. That's about the mentality of idol-worshipping lowlifes. Bravo, Mr. Goldman!

perversely entertaining
Elvis fans probably won't like this short, blunt and to-the-point dissection of the King's final days, penned by the most infamous man who ever typed the word "rock." This is essentially an addendum to Albert Goldman's earlier biography of Presley, but while that book was appallingly funny, this one leaves you feeling rather sad, even if you don't agree with its author's brutal indictment of his subject. After being contacted by Presley's stepbrother, David Stanley, who was at Graceland the day Elvis died, Goldman wrote a new account of Elvis's death which turned on the startling theory that the King committed suicide. The evidence Goldman presents seems overwhelming at first, but it basically depends on whether or not you believe David Stanley, who claims to have pocketed the drug envelopes and syringes that he found in Elvis's bathroom. Supposedly Elvis saved up his sleeping pills and demerol injections and took them on an empty stomach when he was alone in his bathroom on the morning of August 16, 1977. Since it took Stanley over a decade to come out with this information, one feels more than a little skeptical.

The real interest of the book, however, isn't in its thin argument for the suicide but in its grimly fascinating portrait of the King's final days. Shut up inside his air-conditioned bedroom, overweight and hopelessly addicted to prescription drugs, Elvis had nothing to look forward to but another season of dreary shows in Las Vegas. He was also distressed over a recent tell-all book, which he feared would turn his fans against him. He spent most of his days bombed out of his mind on drugs, often remarking "I'd rather be unconscious than miserable." What makes this book shocking is that Goldman shows very little sympathy for Elvis, instead suggesting that he brought all of his problems on himself. "Elvis Presley never stood for anything," he writes in the afterword. "He made no sacrifices, fought no battles, suffered no martyrdom, never raised a finger to struggle on behalf of what he believed or claimed to believe. Elvis was a profoundly specious character, a false messiah. Even in his earliest years, he spoke about his career with the cynicism of a jaded old hack. He always went for the money and then blamed the sellout on his manager. Essentially, Elvis was a phony." One senses that this passage - and possible the entire book - reveals more about Goldman than it does about Elvis, but it's a perversely entertaining read anyway.

LAWDY, LAWDY, LAWDY It's Gaudy!
To quote Shakespere, the uproar this book caused was "Much ado about...." you guessed it. Okay, here's the story- Albert Goldman, a man who disliked Elvis intensely, wrote this acid account detailing The King's most intimate eating, dating, and bathroom habits. Just how Mr.Goldman acquired this information, I leave to one's own imagination. For good measure, he throws in descriptions of Graceland, Elvis' relationship with his mother- in short, his OPINIONS about Elvis Presley. However, through the years the book has taken on a life of its own. People in the "Memphis Mafia" and other inner circles who cooperated with its publication were scorned and cursed as "Judas" by die hard fans, and are to this day. Albert Goldman's book jacket picture was actually fashioned into a bull's eye by outraged Elvisphiles for the throwing of darts. Reading "THE Book", is akin to sacrilege for the Elvis-is-my-life fan, and Goldman is likened to Satan. My opinion? Whether you love Elvis, are indifferent to him, or could care less, this book is like chocolate- you hate yourself for consuming it, but you do it anyway. I was an Elvis fan before I read it, and after. Don't be afraid to challenge your idols. If they're as great as you say, they will stand up to it and it won't shake your admiration. Actually, the book itself is nothing earth shattering, and it certainly isn't one of your timeless classics. It's what it was meant to be- a trashy, dishy gossipfest. It's gotten more attention than it's worth, in my humble view, and so did its author, who, incidentally, was found dead,in his bedroom, bloated and under mysterious circumstances, an irony that was not lost on me. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Class "A" - Best Book Yet!
Hi to everyone reading this review. You are either here to see how good or bad this book is or to see if its worth buying. Well I hope I can answer your questions.

First of all, I am not a big Elvis fan. I dont have hundreds of books in my collection; I have several which I thought were decent. But I do know a good book when I see one; and this is a GREAT book! This Jim Curtin has turned someone like me into an Elvis fan just through this one book! By far this is the best book I have read in any genre.

This book is just perfect for everyone! Whether you are a die-hard Elvis fan or someone who casually likes Elvis. But its a must to have! I liked the style the book was written in. I like the feeling that comes through the writing and the photos just accent this prize even more.

This book is class "A" from start to finish! Beginning with the cover - which is classy, asthetic and mesmerizing; going into the center you find biting and captivating stories that wuld impress even Elvis himself!; then you are left with the story of all stories - how the author made a beautiful guitar for the King and how that meeting happened. I mean CLASSIC!!!!

Jim Curtin shows that he is ... a) a big Elvis fan ... b) a true friend of Elvis' ... c)someone who has class and doesnt resort to hype and lies to sell his book d)someone I would like to say "THANK YOU" to!

And to Celebrity Books: You've got a winner on your hands!

The best book on market. One of best by Jim Curtin
I have been colletor of Elvis Presley for 15 years and collect almost all made on him.

I have started to buy books 4 years ago, and read all on Elvis. I will say that many books are bad, some good, and only few that are great. Jim Curtin is the best books.

He tells everything in truth and very thorough detail. I am very happy with this book, and his others

Unseen Elvis ..... Candids of King ..... Elvis and Stars ..... Unknown Stories ..... Christmas with Elvis ..... The Early Elvis

I say this man is very dedicated in preserving the best on Elvis; and he does wonderfully. Thanks you

My Elvis Bible
This book is what I will call from now on: MY ELVIS BIBLE

Definitely the world's best Elvis "reader book".
Well written, easy to read, easily enjoyed whenever.

I am patiently waiting for the other Volumes of this series.
If they are anywhere near as good as this volume, Jim Curtin will the world's best Elvis books on the market! (well he kind of does already).

I am so happy I found his books online.
My first exposure to Curtin was through his Unseen Elvis book (definitely the best photo book on ELvis to date).
I did not know he authored more books, till one of my friends bought me his Christmas With Elvis book, and from there on, I became a Jim Curtin / Renata Ginter fan!

With as much enthusiasm as I had reading this book, I can honestly attest that anyone who buys it, will love it just as much. I can guarantee it (if my word even means anything to anyone).

I am just a fan who enjoys reading quality material on Elvis and who LOVES to see rare photos on him as well.

So if you want my recommendation as to what kind of books to buy or get on Elvis .... stick with Jim Curtin (the true Elvis expert and friend)

Very interesting indeed
I won't be too long in my review here, so here it is:

This is a very well informative book.
ok there may be some stories that didn't interest me much, but that is quite a small percentage (5% maybe); but I think there are fans out there, who want to know everything.

What I did enjoy (and even learned) were the stories that told the "behind the scenes story" of a particular event (ei: Dorsey Brothers payoff, Parker's business tactics, recording session goings-on, things that showed Elvis wasn't exactly the perfect date)

great reading and I would have to say: a must have reader!

My only problem with this book was some of the photos.
not exactly "unseen" *(because I have seen many before)* but I think they matched Curtin's "chapter themes" (if you want to call them that).

Ok so far Curtin is NOT A MEMBER OF THE FANTASTIC FOUR!
5 more Curtin books to go

My thoughts about this tremendous book
I have never written a review before on anything, so please don't mind if I rattle here and there. I will try to my best ability explain what I liked about this book.

#1- This book dispells the Elvis myths that have for some reason been printed all wrong! ... Jim makes true sense of many of these myths and explains in detail the real truth behind certain things: .... [EX: That the Dorsey Brothers who hosted "The Stage Show" did not like nor want ELvis on their show and only allowed him a few appearances when Colonel Parker paid them $5,000 under the table!!]

#2- Has touching stories about the sad times in his life: his mother's death - breakups with his girlfriends - breakup with his wife - etc.

#3- Has funny stories about how Elvis too had his moments of embarrassment, accidents and just plain ole funny situations .... [EX: In the 1970s, Linda Thompson talked Elvis into going to the local Memphis McDonald's and there he was approached by a man who thought Elvis was an impersonator and told him how sad he was to be someone else! Linda simply went along with the man and said to Elvis, "Cut the crap Bob!" ]

#4- Has wonderful behind the scenes stories during Elvis' movie filming ...... [EX: How on the set of Roustabout, Elvis was accidentally kicked in the head by costar and as a result had to have stitches to sew up the wound. The director incorporated a scene in the movie, where in a fight Elvis' character suffers an injury to his head! ]

#5 - Has great stories about the women he dated and what happened during some of the dates! hehe ....... {EX: How Elvis dated Yvonne Craig and he invited her to his CA rented home, while trying to leave, she activated his alarm which in turn called the local police and swat team. She was almost arrested for breaking and entering by them, if Elvis hadn't been woken up to explain why she was there!]

#6- Also has fantastic business stories of some of the deals he and Colonel Parker were offered and turned down. .... [EX: They were offered $1 million to perform one show in England]

#7- Heartwarming family stories about his parents, Priscilla and Lisa Marie ....... [EX: How Lisa Marie, at age five, would play Elvis' records on her own personal record player and memorize the words - and then go to Elvis and "perform" the songs for him - complete with all of Elvis' stage moves!]

These are just 7 reasons why this book is so great. It is so heart touching it should be retitled to: CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE ELVIS SOUL

So fellow readers, if you want a book that you can laugh, smile, cry and be amazed with, this is it! You do not need to be an Elvis fan to read it ... all you need is an open mind, a hot cup of tea of chocolate, a comfortable chair with blanket and this book! ... Read more