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Elvis Presley
- The Man, the Life, the Legend
- Narrated by: Anna Fields
- Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins
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Elvis Presley
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Publisher's Summary
"Elvis Presley is the greatest cultural force in the twentieth century," proclaimed Leonard Bernstein. The author writes, "His appearance on Ed Sullivan ripped the 1950s in half." By any measure, Presley's life was remarkable. From his modest beginnings in a two-room house to his meteoric rise to international fame, everything about his life, from his outsized talent to his car collection, clamored for attention. And he got it.
Keogh compellingly examines Elvis' life and style to reveal the generous, complex, spiritual man behind the 14-karat-gold sunglasses and answers the question, "Why does Elvis matter?"
What the critics say
"Before Elvis there was nothing." (John Lennon)
"Appealing....[An] intimate portrait of a man who was larger than life." (Publishers Weekly)
Editorial Review
When it comes to cultural impact and lasting legacy, few artists come close to Elvis Presley. They don’t call him “The King of Rock and Roll” for no reason, after all. This fascinating listen explores the life and career of Elvis, from the release of his debut single, “That’s All Right,” to his relationship with his wife, Priscilla Presley (née Wagner).
This unabridged audiobook, written by Pamela Clarke Keogh and excellently narrated by Anna Fields, is a warts and all deep dive into the life and times of Elvis Presley, arguably the most important cultural force of the 20th century. From his early days in Memphis to the bright lights of New York, Hollywood, and a sobering death at Graceland, Keogh asks the question on everybody’s lips; ‘Why does Elvis Presley matter?”
Because of the tunes, the style, the life, and the legend, of course. There was more to Elvis Presley than immediately meets the eye, and this excellent audiobook dives deep into the cultural legacy of a truly iconic artist. Elvis Presley has influenced practically everyone to follow in his rock and roll footsteps, from Bruce Springsteen to John Lennon and the rest. Elvis Presley: The Man, the Life, the Legend is a must-listen for Elvis fans and newcomers alike. Anna Fields brings her usual excellence to the narration, detailing a most remarkable life with verve and vigour. Get this on the wish list and get ready to rock.
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What listeners say about Elvis Presley
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Bunny Perno-Horne
- 2022-05-04
Could Not Finish
Terrible narration, rambling story line, uninteresting, irritating, jumped back and forth, too difficult to follow.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Janice G.
- 2023-06-27
Not able to buy more credits whenever I want to
I certainly enjoy listening to the Elvis Presley books. I would like to buy more credits and not have to wait.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- sheryl
- 2023-02-03
Was Disappointed
I thought this would have been so much more interesting, I forced my way through to finish it , the narration may have been my biggest problem though ! wow
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Langer MD
- 2022-09-07
Acceptable Biography.. If A Bit Gossipy
To her credit, Journalist & Lifestyles Author Pamela Clarke Keogh is very effective at incorporating direct quotes into the text (lending the book an admirable air of authenticity) and does not shy away from controversy (discussing The King's promiscuity and drug addiction, for example).
Less fortunately, Keogh betrays her background - spending an inordinate amount of effort discussing Elvis's style, fashion, and celebrity (she actually goes into mini-biographies for his various tailors, hairstylists, "Memphis Mafia" posse members, and Television/Movie influencers that capitalized on his popularity).
An example of the focus: "The Colonel actually scheduled a Press Conference after Elvis and Priscilla's marriage. But first.. their outfits:" - followed by a five minute description of their hair, makeup, shoes, and accessories 🙄
Additionally, (in combination with the "gossip column" approach), the overly-colloquial delivery is straight-up baffling. This reads like an 'Esquire' exposé.
It does, however, cover the major events in Elvis Presley's life nicely (upbringing, first recording with Sun Records, 'Ed Sullivan' appearance, Military service, Marriage, 'The '67 Comeback Special', Vegas contracts, etc).
Reader Anna Fields contributes to the "Meh" impression I got from the audiobook. She definitely turns in a professional performance - delivering creditable diction, timbre, and cadence (backed up by capable technical support from Blackstone Audio Inc).. and does a suitably subdued and accurate impersonation of Elvis where it's called for.. but she reads at a plodding pace (playback at 1.15X sounds most natural) and with a generally unspectacular/uninterested tone.
Altogether, this 5/10 star effort is a reasonable download if you can get it as a 'Plus' selection.. but if they ask for a Credit, much better Biographies exist.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
- Jane
- 2006-09-05
An odd take on a complex man
In order to understand the odd facets of Elvis' life and style that the author chose to focus on (most disturbingly, constant comparisons of Elvis and Priscilla to Jackie and JFK), you must realize that her last two bios were on Jackie O and Audrey Hepburn. This is why she treats Elvis like a fashion plate to be examined in the same light as Coco Chanel rather than as a musical genius. Still, there is enough relevant facts on Elvis that it is worth the listen. You can tell that the author tows the party line on alot of subjects, but that is the risk you take when you have the cooperation of those who knew the subject. Not a gritty tell all by any means, but and interesting look at a man and an era.
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9 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
- Fran
- 2007-08-16
Is Elvis just his clothes?
I realize that writing the biography of the King must be very difficult, given the complexity and richness of his life, but I must say I was disappointed by this book. There’s a lot of information imbalance...a whole lot is said about Elvis’s childhood and early years, (actually very interesting), we get a huge amount of details on his clothes (kind of boring, almost as if his beauty and looks were all there was to the King of rock and roll), while other aspects of his life go almost unmentioned. Above all, the writer dismisses the last 2 years of his life in about 20 minutes reading. If you’re hoping to find possible explanations or opinions as to why Elvis changed so much, and headed toward self-destruction, you won’t find much in this book. The best the author can say about this is that in his last year of life, Elvis was not himself, and nobody knows why.....
Some aspects are covered very nicely, like his childhood or his relationship to his Mom, but other important facts and people aren’t even mentioned, like his last girlfriend, singer Kathy Westmoreland (who was one of his closest friends), etc. His separation from Priscilla is also dismissed in a few sentences, as if it would have no big consequence on him or her... Lots is said about his promiscuous life, but the fact he was a gentleman, and many of his dates were actually only friends, is not even brought up, contrary to what I’ve read elsewhere.
Elvis’s spiritual side does come across well, but the long and repetitive descriptions of his clothes are twice as prevalent in the book.
One positive note: the reader is excellent!!
It can be a pleasant reading but don’t expect it to be even close to exhaustive. The book is very relaxing, as the author never goes into details about the things that actually bothered Elvis at the end, contributing to his early tragic death, facts that are certainly very sad to hear for those of us who love him.
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Heidi Poulsen-Lauritzen
- 2011-06-25
GR-8!!!!!.....
4 whatever this listen lacks it is properly THE best read I have done since my all time fave EP book; "Elvis & Gladys" by Elaine Dundy hit the shelves 16 years ago! I recommend Pamala Clarke Keogh and - Anna Fields! HP, Denmark.....
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
- Geff
- 2006-06-19
The BIG book of Elvis!
After wrapping up the excellent "Beautiful Mind" bio of John Nash I was so impressed with the narrator (Anna Fields) that I went looking for another bio from the exact same narrator, and found it with this fairly extensive portrait of Elvis' life. Fields does a good job with providing just the right amount of "twag" when required to keep it all moving, a tough job for book of this length. Punctutated with colorful backroom conversations recounted from various consorts to the King, and equal parts history and personal recollections, author Keogh captures a glimpse of the huge talent and inner clockworks of this amazing one-of-a-kind fellow whose life - and legend - seemed to outgrow even him.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Chris Basinger
- 2022-08-02
enlightening so enjoyable
I love this audiobook it was very informational and enlightening. pure enjoyment. thank you for all the time and effort that was put forth to make this book.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Martha Barquero
- 2022-12-24
Get your Elvis here!
After watching the Elvis movie I felt compelled to get more “Elvis”. This book didn’t disappoint. I enjoyed the humanizing anecdotes.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- The Entertainer
- 2022-12-01
An Original & Engaging Style of Narration
A well written book with edgy narration. A little different to many other Elvis biographies in the way it was told. The author, Pamela Clarke Keogh, obviously loves her subject, the narrator, Anna Fields (who was terrific), conveyed the same. A great job! The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars were the few timeline innacuracies and omissions. Although some interesting factoids I hadn't heard before were a huge plus. Rather Jerry Schilling and Priscilla-heavy in reference with no mention of First Cousin, Billy Smith who was very close with Elvis since Billy was a little boy (Elvis being 8 years his senior, claimed to have "Raised Billy.") Major kudos for exploring the obvious deep and lasting love between Elvis & Ann-Margret. I would recommend this book most definitely. Thank you for your hard work and research.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lisa M Sprague
- 2022-11-05
Delicious
A delicious insightful and calm look into EP's life's to short amazingly giving life work
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- LSnow
- 2023-06-27
Book is Worth a Listen
Overall, a really good book! The narrator was excellent! I only have one gripe about the narration, didn’t really like her “Elvis voice.” The author takes a chapter theme and then references Elvis’ life that could be at any time. The stories provide more detail about people associated with Elvis than I’ve read in other books. There were many JFK and Jackie comparisons as other reviewers have stated but I didn’t find them annoying. I can see why others might. I didn’t care for the last half of the last chapter. Seemed more the author’s opinion and not well researched by reputable sources, I enjoyed the descriptions of Elvis’ clothes and accessories! He had an incredible sense of what enhanced his already gorgeous self as well as his unique style! It also helped the listener picture the scene. This book is worth a listen.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Earl Noyan
- 2023-06-04
Excellent
Narrator one of the best. Must listen. Make you appreciate, revere and adore Elvis Presley
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