Elvis Presley

Penguin Lives Series

Penguin, 2003.

Bobbie Ann Mason

When Mason first heard Elvis Presley on the family radio, she recognized him as "one of us . . . a country person who spoke our language." She understood the roots of his powerful, startling music. This biography captures all the vibrancy and tragedy of the mythic figure, Elvis.

With a novelist's insight, Mason depicts the amazing life of the first rock-and-roll superstar, whose music shattered barriers and changed the boundaries of American culture. Elvis the charismatic, impassioned singer embraced the celebrity brought him by a host of hit records and movies. But Elvis the soft-spoken, working-class Southern youth could not be prepared for the unprecedented magnitude of his success--or for the fiery controversies he would arouse. His riveting story lies close to the heart of the American dream.