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A review by richirvine
Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley by Peter Guralnick
4.0
Extensive, exhausting, and surprisingly depressing. Guralnick's twin mammoth Elvis bios (I'm reviewing them as a whole) give you the whole bloody story, more Elvis background and detail than you ever wanted to know. It reads like a factual novel, and the amount of research that went into this is literally breathtaking.
It's almost too much. The first volume (covering up until his army stint) rattles along as Elvis grows up, gets his first break, the early recordings and starts on the journey to superstardom. The second volume, when he retreats into a life of drugs, hotel rooms and tormenting his long suffering entourage drags - much as Elvis's life drags I guess.
Still, I knew what I was signing up for when I started reading. Guralnick's Elvis Bios are the definitive article. Recommended for diehard fans.
It's almost too much. The first volume (covering up until his army stint) rattles along as Elvis grows up, gets his first break, the early recordings and starts on the journey to superstardom. The second volume, when he retreats into a life of drugs, hotel rooms and tormenting his long suffering entourage drags - much as Elvis's life drags I guess.
Still, I knew what I was signing up for when I started reading. Guralnick's Elvis Bios are the definitive article. Recommended for diehard fans.