The Colonel and the King: Tom Parker, Elvis Presley and the Partnership that Rocked the World
€20.38
In early 1955, Colonel Tom Parker heard that an unknown teenager from Memphis had just drawn a crowd of more than 800 people to a Texas schoolhouse, and headed south to investigate. Within days, Parker was sending out telegrams and letters to promoters and booking agents about the man who would become a global icon and legend: Elvis Presley. The close personal bond between Elvis and the Colonel proved impossible for outside observers to understand – not during their lifetimes, and not in the decades since. It was a long-standing, deeply committed relationship, founded on mutual admiration and support. From the outset, the Colonel defended Elvis fiercely against RCA executives, Elvis’ own booking agents, and movie moguls. But in their final years together, the story grew darker, and the relationship strained, as the Colonel found himself unable to protect Elvis from himself or to control growing problems of his own.
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INCLUDED IN TIME'S 100 MUST READ BOOKS OF 2025
The concluding volume of Peter Guralnick's critically acclaimed Elvis Presley biographies
'Guralnick knows the intricacies of this story more than anyone, except perhaps the Colonel and Presley themselves' GUARDIAN
In early 1955, Colonel Tom Parker discovered a teenage Elvis Presley and declared him destined for greatness. What followed was one of the most extraordinary partnerships in music history and the creation of a bond built on loyalty, ambition and an unshakeable belief in each other.
From the meteoric rise that reshaped popular culture to the struggles that shadowed their final years, this concluding volume of Peter Guralnick's acclaimed trilogy reveals the full complexity of their relationship.
Drawing on previously unpublished letters and telegrams from Parker's own archives, it offers an intimate, unflinching portrait of two American originals: the visionary manager who invented the modern superstar and the artist who became one. Brilliant, flawed and inseparable, Elvis and the Colonel changed the music world forever.
'Guralnick's view of Parker is both clear-eyed and sympathetic, but best of all, it's persuasive' TIME
'A riveting and revelatory read' SUNDAY INDEPENDENT
Additional information
| Weight | 458 g |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 19.6 × 13 × 3.6 cm |
| Book_author | Guralnick, Peter |
| Publisher | White Rabbit |
| Imprint | White Rabbit |
| Cover | Paperback |
| Pages | 624 |
| Language | English |
| Dewey | 782.421660922 (edition:23) |
| Readership | General – Trade / Code: K |
