Last Train to Memphis takes us deep inside Elvis' life, exploring his lifelong passion for music of every sort (from blues and gospel to Bing Crosby and Mario Lanza), his compelling affection for his family, and his intimate relationships with girlfriends, mentors, band members, professional associates, and friends. The book closes on that somber and poignant note. There was scarcely a cloud in sight through this period until, in 1958, he was drafted into the army and his mother died shortly thereafter. These were the years of his improbable self-invention and unprecedented triumphs, when it seemed that everything that Elvis tried succeeded wildly. This volume tracks the first twenty-four years of Elvis' life, covering his childhood, the stunning first recordings at Sun Records ('That's All Right,' 'Mystery Train'), and the early RCA hits ('Heartbreak Hotel,' 'Hound Dog,' 'Don't Be Cruel'). Based on hundreds of interviews and nearly a decade of research, it traces the evolution not just of the man but of the music and of the culture he left utterly transformed, creating a completely fresh portrait of Elvis and his world. Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley is the first biography to go past that myth and present an Elvis beyond the legend.

'Unrivalled.From the moment that he first shook up the world in the mid 1950s, Elvis Presley has been one of the most vivid and enduring myths of American culture. 'A wonderful book.Guralnick gives us an Elvis of real flesh and blood.the richest and most detailed protrait of Presely we have ever had.' ― SUNDAY TELEGRAPH Paperback Published 1 November 1995 592 pages The first of two volumes, covering Presley's rise to prominence up to his departure for Germany in 1958, LAST TRAIN to MEMPHIS will undoubtedly become the benchmark by which other biographies of him are judged. Aiming instead to portray in vivid, dramatic terms the life and career of this outstanding artistic and cultural phenomenon, it draws together a plethora of documentary and interview material to create a superbly coherent and plausible narrative. LAST TRAIN TO MEMPHIS is arguably the first serious biography that refuses to dwell on the myth of Elvis. The definitive biography of Elvis and an excellent slice of social history.

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