Alanna Nash’s third (fourth if you count Alan Fortas’ book) Elvis related book was – beforehand - the least attractive in my opinion. What do I care about Elvis’ girlfriends? Well, since we got a review copy I decided to give it a try and got pretty surprised.

Design

No comments here, it wouldn’t be fair since our review copy was a proof. But despite the fact that the paper didn’t do the pictures justice, it looked pretty neat already. A book carrying a picture of one of the greatest photo series ever is one step ahead!

Content

To come to the point immediately: the book did surprise me since it is much more than the title suggests a bit. It is not a book about the women he loved, but an extensive biography in which the women have their place. Okay, they have a bit more room than in the usual biographies that focus more on the career, but it is mainly about the man. A huge part is about the early days, were the human being was formed (nearly halfway we are still only in 1956). Obviously the book is very well researched, and all sources are named. The highlights in his career are very well documented too, so it’s not just about the human being, but also the artist.

Alanna Nash has a pleasant style, which encourage to read on. Sometimes it’s nearly too lively, especially the part on Gladys’ death is a pretty tough read… I was almost mourning with the Presleys.

Only the psychological waffling about his missing twin half got a bit boring every now and then. Not that I think it isn’t important, but it just doesn’t interest me and it is a bit too much of an “open door” (but that is my opinion about psychology in general). Some of the facts I just don’t want to know, or call for question marks, like the suggestion Elvis did ejaculate during the first sit down show in 1968.

The last part of the book was a struggle, but not because the quality suddenly declined. It is just hard to read about a pathetic, sad man who totally lost control… as a matter of fact I was glad he finally died in the book too.

Conclusion

Did the book change my view? No. Did it give me new insights? Partly, there are some nuances in my opinion that changed a bit while reading the book. Do I recommend it? It depends, if you like to read and want another view on Elvis’ live… this might be a nice addition to your library.