Down at the End of Lonely Street: The Life and Death of Elvis Presley

This book is definitely a page turner. I couldn't put it down. It chronicles the life of Elvis from his birth to his very untimely death. It delves into his music, but mostly his life. The title " Down the End of Lonely Street " says it all. Elvis may have been a music icon and pioneer to a different type of music, but Elvis was a very lonely person. He never recovered from the death of his beloved mother Gladys. I truly believe that had she lived, the outcome for Elvis would have been much different. I had a hard time getting through this book and I was in tears half the time and I couldn't see the words on the page. I've been an Elvis Fan my entire life but never had the opportunity to see him in person. I read this in a day and a half. A fast and compelling read. A definite MUST for the Elvis fan or anyone who wants a great book to get into.

I picked this book of just to have something to read and it floored me. The book gives you ALL of Elvis's life and not just the sanitized versiion. I would highly recommend it to anyone seeking the TRUTH about Elvis. From his greatest moments to his lowest.

Others have been disappointed that this book doesn't discuss Elvis' music as much as his private life. But note the title! Taken this way, it is one of the best chronologies of his life. I have read. It was interesting to read it after having just read Guralnick's 2 tomes. In fact I was sorry Guralnick didn't have the latest info on Elvis' autopsy and cause of death. It is a great book for "beginners".

This book is wonderful from start to finish. It tells aboutElvis's stillborn twin, a line of heart trouble in his family, his sexlife, the REAL way he died, and everything in between. This book is so good it was actually hard to put down when I had to.

Yes, much of this biography has information covered in other books, but this book pulls ALL of that information together into ONE book. Plus,it adds interviews with those who knew Elvis to give a balanced perspective of the King. No, he wasn't an angel, but he wasn't as bad as Albert Goldman's (1980) sensationized bio made him out to be. If you're a fanatical Elvis fan, you will have probably already read most of the books this bio uses. However, if you are just starting out as a "casual" Elvis fan, this is THE book to read to get started knowing about the life of King, from superstar and philanthropist to a poor boy from a dysfunctional family, warts and all. It's a fast, easy read and a book I consider a MUST for all Elvis collectors. The book doesn't hide from Elvis' bizarre side, but also takes a balanced view of his life as the one and only KING of Rock and Roll.