The Life of Elvis Presley
(Paperback)
Publishing Details
The Life of Elvis Presley
By (Author) Charles L. Ponce de Leon
Hill & Wang Inc.,U.S.
Hill & Wang Inc.,U.S.
7th August 2007
United States
Classifications
General
Non Fiction
Composers and songwriters
Musicians, singers, bands and groups
General and world history
Biography: arts and entertainment
B
Physical Properties
Paperback
256
Width 140mm, Height 210mm, Spine 18mm
252g
Description
Elvis Presley was celebrity's perfect storm. His sole but substantial contribution was talent, a fact Charles L. Ponce de Leon is careful to demonstrate throughout his wonderfully contextual Fortunate Son. Even as the moments of lucidity necessary to exercise that talent grew rarer and rarer, Elvis proved his musical gifts right up to the end of his life. Beyond that, however, he was fortune's child. Fortunate Son succinctly traces out the larger shifts that repeatedly redefined the cultural landscape during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, using Elvis's life to present a brief history of American popular culture during these tumultuous decades.
Reviews
"A vivid retelling of the Elvis Saga, and a deft assessment of its meanings." --Richard Wightman Fox
"A surprisingly worthwhile addition to the groaning shelf of Elvis books, emphasizing the historical and cultural context for his music and celebrity . . . A thoughtful synthesis of the most intelligent writing on the Presley phenomenon." --Kirkus Reviews
"A brief new life of Elvis Presley emphasizes his conservative political values." --The Atlantic Monthy
Author Bio
Charles L. Ponce de Leon teaches history at the State University of New York, Purchase, and is the author of Self-Exposure: The Emergence of Celebrity in America, 1890-1940.
