Most importantly, Guralnick separates the man from the myth. He interviews hundreds of first-hand participants. Guralnick’s research is breathtaking and his eye for detail extraordinary. Why the poverty he was born into was so critical to his story. We are shown the societal and cultural forces that shape Presley. It’s the period many believe to be the most important in Elvis’s short life. This volume chronicles Elvis from his birth to his induction into the army in 1958. It truly feels like you are experiencing the Elvis explosion as it unfolds in real time. As Guralnick says, he wanted to “…keep the story in ‘real’ time, to allow the characters to freely breathe with their own air, to avoid imposing the judgment of another age… with all the homeliness and beauty that everyday life entails.” His take on Elvis is fresh, it sweeps you along with the propulsion of great fiction. So much has been written about Elvis you would think there is nothing left to be said or uncovered. The phenomenon of Presley is irresistible to me. But this volume turned me into an intensely curious fan. There’s a lot of his music I like and a lot I dislike. Until I read this book, I was a casual Elvis fan. So when I say the Last Train To Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley (1994) is one of the best biographies I have ever read – maybe the best – that’s saying something. Aside from the subject of advertising, the largest category in my book collection is biographies.
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