The Colonel and the King

INCLUDED IN TIMES 100 MUST READ BOOKS OF 2025

The concluding volume of Peter Guralnicks critically acclaimed Elvis Presley biographies

Guralnick knows the intricacies of this story more than anyone, except perhaps the Colonel and Presley themselvesGUARDIAN

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 Guralnicks acclaimed trilogy reveals the full complexity of their relationship.

Drawing on previously unpublished letters and telegrams from Parkers own archives, it offers an intimate, unflinching portrait of two American originals: the visionary manager who invented the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.

Guralnicks view of Parker is both clear-eyed and sympathetic, but best of all, its persuasiveTIME

A riveting and revelatory readSUNDAY INDEPENDENT