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This is one truly cool book about one of the most influential entertainers of the 20th century.It delves into some of the things from his early life that shaped him into the man who became known as the "king of rock and roll".To me one of the coolest things about Elvis,and something nobody examined until this book came out,was the fact that he was a member of the first generation of comic book readers.Unlike the first edition of this book there are no photos and illustrations here,so unless you're a comic book geek you can't really see how much Elvis was influenced by Captain Marvel Jr.That's one of the things I've always thought was so cool about Presley.The fact that deep down inside,despite all his success,he was one of us at heart.A man who dug comic books,pro wrestling,beauty pageant winners,cadillacs and the all things American.I recommend this book to all fans of the "king".
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Great read on Presley history. Nice to see the relationship that Elvis had with his mother. It's a sad ending but a good read overall.
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This book is truly welcome from the myriad of Elvis books that repeat the same stories and don't give any new substance to this legend named Elvis.
Finally a book that explores his roots and early history. It is written with compassion and was researched extensively. There is a part of this history that seems to go on too long, but it's worth getting through it because it does get interesting again and even gets better the more you read. This is not the end-all in Elvis biographies, but it will help you understand where he came from and learn some truth behind the reported myths. For instance, Elvis didn't go to Sun Records to record a song for his Mom's birthday. He wanted to get discovered! Many more truths come out. Elvis's maternal grandma was Jewish. That had to be kept secret in the south.
Beside this book, I recommend If I Can Dream, Last Train to Memphis and Jerry Schilling's book.
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the Presleys were poor. no -- they were POOR.
his father Vernon borrowed $180 from the landowner to build the house Elvis was born in. five years later in 1938 (when Elvis was 3), with the loan still not fully repaid, the landowner evicted the Presleys.
as Elvis himself said of their leaving Tupelo for Memphis in 1948, "We were broke man -- broke."
even in Memphis, where WWII had brought better times, the Presleys would often do odd jobs for neighboring black families, just to have enough to eat.
as can be seen from school photos taken at the time, though his classmates had regular clothes for that period, "Elvis's first 'jump suit' was a pair of overalls."
but, as his fifth grade teacher (a niece of the landowner who had evicted the Presleys) later said, "There is something nice about everyone. There is everything nice about Elvis."
Hill and Range was the music publishing company that Elvis did business with from age 20 until his death at age 42. its owner, Jean Aberbach, stated without qualification, "Elvis was the finest human being I've ever met."
the thrust of this excellent book by Elaine Dundy (who died last year) is that no matter how poor they were, Gladys was determined to raise Elvis to be the finest human being anyone who ever met him had ever met.
"Elvis never forgot his raisin'." (Cousin Annie Presley)
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I grew up poor (though not as poor as the Presleys). There were 6 people living in a 2-bedroom home. That Elvis slept with his parents (it gets cold in northern Mississippi and Tennessee) doesn't really shock or surprise me.
What does surprise me is that someone like Dee Stanley, who put her own sons in foster care so she could pursue Vernon Presley, would condemn them.
I am also not surprised that Elvis was never able to form a long-lasting relationship with a woman. Most of the women I have read about seemed only interested in what they could get from him. not what they could give to him; a total contrast to his Mother.
I thought Elaine Dundy did a masterful research job. Too bad the history books kids use in school don't usually match this level of research and dedication to facts.
This book is not just about Elvis, it is about poverty and how it shapes people and stays with them throughout their lives.
Buy this book, you will treasure it.
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