The Colonel and the King: Tom Parker, Elvis Presley, and the Partnership That Rocked the World

The Colonel and the King: Tom Parker, Elvis Presley, and the Partnership That Rocked the World - Hardcover

$38.00
$38.00
Skip to product information
The Colonel and the King: Tom Parker, Elvis Presley, and the Partnership That Rocked the World
  • The Colonel and the King: Tom Parker, Elvis Presley, and the Partnership That Rocked the World
The Colonel and the King: Tom Parker, Elvis Presley, and the Partnership That Rocked the World - Hardcover

The Colonel and the King: Tom Parker, Elvis Presley, and the Partnership That Rocked the World - Hardcover

by Peter Guralnick
$38.00
$38.00

Book Overview

TIME's 100 Must Read Books of 2025 Publishers Weekly's Best Books of 2025 Variety's Best Music Books of 2025 Rolling Stone's Best Music Books of 2025

"Outlandish, tension-filled and brimming with a mystery that lingers long after the last page has been turned."--The Wall Street Journal

From the award-winning biographer of Elvis Presley, a groundbreaking dual portrait of the relationship between the iconic artist and his legendary manager--drawing on a wealth of the Colonel's never-before-seen correspondence to reveal that this oft-reviled figure was in fact a confidant, friend, and architect of his client's success

In early 1955, Colonel Tom Parker--manager of the number-one country music star of the day--heard that an unknown teenager from Memphis had just drawn a crowd of more than eight hundred people to a Texas schoolhouse, and headed south to investigate. Within days, Parker was sending out telegrams and letters to promoters and booking agents: "We have a new boy that is absolutely going to be one of the biggest things in the business in a very short time. His name is ELVIS PRESLEY." Later that year, after signing with RCA, the young man sent a telegram of his own: "Dear Colonel, Words can never tell you how my folks and I appreciate what you did for me.... I love you like a father."

The close personal bond between Elvis and the Colonel has never been fully portrayed before. It was a relationship founded on mutual admiration and support. From the outset, the Colonel defended Elvis fiercely and indefatigably against RCA executives, Elvis's own booking agents, and movie moguls. But in their final years together, the story grew darker, as the Colonel found himself unable to protect Elvis from himself or control growing problems of his own.

Featuring troves of previously unpublished correspondence, revelatory for both its insights and emotional depth, The Colonel and the King provides a unique perspective on not one but two American originals. A tale of the birth of the modern-day superstar (an invention almost entirely of Parker's making) by Peter Guralnick, the most acclaimed music writer of his generation, it presents these two misunderstood icons as they've never been seen before: with all of their brilliance, humor, and flaws on full display.
ISBN9780316399449
Author Peter Guralnick
PublisherLittle Brown and Company
GenreBiography
FormatHardcover
PublishedAugust 2025
LanguageENG- English
Pages624
Weight1.0 lb
Target AudienceAdults
Print SizeStandard Print

Related Subjects

Biography & Autobiography Music Nonfiction

1% fer Each of the Seven Seas

Every purchase sends 7% of our profits to The Ocean Cleanup. No fine print, no opt-in — just how we sail.

Whoever Ye Be, Welcome Aboard

Queer lit, music, art, philosophy, fiction — stories for every kind of soul. Come as ye are, matey.

More by Peter Guralnick

The Colonel and the King: Tom Parker, Elvis Presley, and the Partnership That Rocked the World

The Colonel and the King: Tom Parker, Elvis Presley, and the Partnership That Rocked the World - Hardcover

The Colonel and the King: Tom Parker, Elvis Presley, and the Partnership That Rocked the World - Hardcover

By Peter Guralnick

About Peter Guralnick

Peter Guralnick's books include the prize-winning two-volume biography of Elvis Presley, Last Train to Memphis and Careless Love. He is a recent inductee in the Blues Hall of Fame. Other books include an acclaimed trilogy on American roots music, Sweet Soul Music, Lost Highway, and Feel Like Going Home; the biographical inquiry Searching for Robert Johnson; the novel, Nighthawk Blues, and Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke. His most recent book is Sam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock 'n' Roll.

You may also like