Peter Guralnick

INCLUDED IN TIME'S 100 MUST READ BOOKS OF 2025The concluding volume of Peter Guralnick's critically acclaimed Elvis Presley biographies'Guralnick knows the intricacies of this story more than anyone, except perhaps the Colonel and Presley themselves' GUARDIANIn early 1955, Colonel Tom Parker discovered a teenage Elvis Presley and declared him destined for greatness. What followed was one of the most extraordinary partnerships in music history and the creation of a bond built on loyalty, ambition and an unshakeable belief in each other. From the meteoric rise that reshaped popular culture to the struggles that shadowed their final years, this concluding volume of Peter Guralnick's acclaimed trilogy reveals the full complexity of their relationship. Drawing on previously unpublished letters and telegrams from Parker's own archives, it offers an intimate, unflinching portrait of two American originals: the visionary manager who invented the modern superstar and the artist who became one. Brilliant, flawed and inseparable, Elvis and the Colonel changed the music world forever. 'Guralnick's view of Parker is both clear-eyed and sympathetic, but best of all, it's persuasive' TIME'A riveting and revelatory read' SUNDAY INDEPENDENT

The second volume of Peter Guralnick's critically acclaimed Elvis Presley biographies'Homeric in its play of beauty and folly, this is a monumental work'INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY'Riveting ... A masterwork'WALL STREET JOURNALThe next chapter in the definitive biography of Elvis picks up where Last Train to Memphis closed with Presley's military service in Germany 1958 and ends with his death in Memphis, 1977. Careless Love chronicles the unravelling of the dream that shone so brightly, homing in on his very close, and very complex relationship with his lifelong manager, Colonel Tom Parker. It's a breathtaking drama that places the events of a too often mistold tale in a fresh, believable and understandable context. This is the quintessential American story, encompassing race, class, wealth, sex, music, religion and personal transformation. Written with grace, sensitivity and passion, Careless Love is a unique contribution to our understanding of American popular culture and the nature of success, giving us true insight into one of the most misunderstood public figures of our times. 'It must be ranked among the most ambitious and crucial biographical undertakings yet devoted to a major American figure'NEW YORK TIMES

The first volume of Peter Guralnick's critically acclaimed Elvis Presley biographies'Elvis steps from the pages. You can feel him breathe' BOB DYLAN'Wonderful' RODDY DOYLELast Train to Memphis is arguably the first serious biography that refuses to dwell on the myth of Elvis. Aiming instead to portray in vivid, dramatic terms the life and career of this outstanding artistic and cultural phenomenon, it draws together a plethora of documentary and interview material to create a superbly coherent and plausible narrative. This is the first of three volumes from music critic and author, Peter Guralnick, and covers Presley's stratospheric rise to stardom up to his departure for Germany in 1958. Last Train to Memphis is undoubtedly the benchmark by which other biographies of Elvis are judged. 'Soars above all other accounts of Elvis' GUARDIAN'A triumph of biographical art... profound and moving' NEW YORK TIMES

In early 1955, Colonel Tom Parker (the manager of the number-one country music star of the day) heard that an unknown teenager from Memphis had just drawn a crowd of more than 800 people to a Texas schoolhouse and headed south to investigate. Within a matter of days, Parker was sending out telegrams and letters to promoters and booking agents: ''We have a new boy that is absolutely going to be one of the biggest things in the business in a very short time. His name is ELVIS PRESLEY.'' The close personal bond between Elvis and the Colonel is something that has never been fully portrayed before. It was a relationship founded on mutual admiration and support. From the outset, the Colonel defended Elvis fiercely and indefatigably against RCA executives, Elvis'' own booking agents and movie moguls. But in their final years together, the story grew darker, as the Colonel found himself unable to protect Elvis from himself - or to control growing problems of his own. Featuring troves of previously unpublished correspondence from the Colonel''s own archives, revelatory for both their insights and their emotional depth, The Colonel and the King provides a groundbreaking dual portrait of the relationship between the iconic artist and his legendary manager and a unique perspective on not one but two American originals. A tale of the birth of the modern-day superstar (an invention almost entirely of Parker''s making) by the most acclaimed music writer of his generation, it presents these two misunderstood icons as they''ve never been seen before: with all of their brilliance, humour and flaws on full display.

Last Train to Memphis, the first part of Guralnick's two-volume life of Elvis Presley, received unprecedented accolades. This concluding volume recounts the second half of Elvis's life in rich and previously unimagined detail, and confirms Guralnick's status as one of the great biographers of our time. Beginning with Presley's army service in Germany in 1958 and ending with his death in Memphis in 1977, Careless Love chronicles the unraveling of the dream that once shone so brightly, homing in on the complex playing-out of Elvis's relationship with his Machiavellian manager, Colonel Tom Parker. It's a breathtaking drama that places the events of a too often mistold tale in a fresh, believable, and understandable context. This is the quintessential American story, encompassing race, class, wealth, sex, music, religion, and personal transformation. Written with grace, sensitivity, and passion, Careless Love is a unique contribution to our understanding of American popular culture and the nature of success, giving us true insight at last into one of the most misunderstood public figures of our times.

This is the first of two volumes that make up what is arguably the definitive Elvis biography. Rich in documentary and interview material, this volume charts Elvis' early years and his rise to fame, taking us up to his departure for Germany in 1958. Of all the biographies of Elvis - this is the one you will keep coming back to.