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Baby, Let's Play House: Elvis Presley and the Women Who Loved Him
[Alanna] Nash belongs in the pantheon of great music writers, and [ Baby, Let’s Play House ] is a fascinating study.” —Rosanne Cash Just in time for Elvis Presley’s would-be 75th birthday comes a new book by Elvis expert, journalist, and Country Music Association Media Achievement Award winner Alanna Nash. Called "by far the best study of Presley I have ever read. . . Impressively researched written—and felt" by New York Times bestselling author Philip Norman (author of John Lennon and Shout! ) and “the most entertaining Elvis book ever” by New York Times bestselling author Jimmy McDonough ( Neil Young's Biography ), Baby, Let’s Play House is the first-ever Elvis book to focus solely on his complex relationships with women, including celebrities such as Ann-Margret, Linda Thompson, Mary Ann Mobley, Cher, Raquel Welch, Barbara Eden, and Cybill Shepherd. Featuring dozens of exclusive interviews and scores of never-before-seen photos, Baby, Let’s Play House is a must-have collector’s item for fans of The King everywhere.
704 pages, Hardcover
First published December 16, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
May 6, 2015
I found this a fascinating book. Having grown up in the Elvis Presley era, it is hard not to be a fan of some sort. Most people had no clue about his strange lifestyle unless they were involved in it in some fashion. His sexual habits were unusual and one could say that he was a sex addict first before he became a drug addict. His liking for 13-14 year olds would have made eyebrows go up if the general public had known. While he did not have full sexual relations with them, his actions were still inappropriate. His need for constant female attention, both sexual and emotional was life long. He couldn't be faithful to just one woman. Most of the women mentioned in this book felt that they loved him and that he loved them in return. I think the only woman he ever loved was his mother, Gladys. It was very sad that with all the people around him constantly, they could not get together and keep him from going into the hell his last years became. Col. Parker was only interested in the "cash cow" that Elvis became for him. Many of the people in his life were more interested in the life style than the man who lived it til that fateful night. Rest in peace wherever you are, Elvis for you surely did not have any while you lived.
August 20, 2020
This was a fascinating and some times troubling read about Elvis and his behaviors. While the book is built around his many “relationships” with women ( really mostly very young girls who were not yet women), the book does a nice job of tracking his career trajectory and demise. I knew enough about his abuse of drugs and sloppy and embarrassing behaviors but was under the impression those behaviors mostly came near late stages of his career. Not so. This guy was a very troubled individual from the start- beginning with the death at birth of a twin and a serious psychological enmeshment with his mother. The author does a great job of analyzing ( and supporting through psychiatric knowledge ) how those two matters effected most everything Elvis did. One has to wonder how Elvis would have gotten away with some of his exploits with underage girls in this “me too” era as at times he ( and his enablers) sound like a Jeffery Epstein lifestyle. So so many in his entourage - including his Dad and especially Colonel Parker - seemingly could have intervened to try and rehabilitate him. No mention of him ever seeking psychotherapy which he greatly needed. Book is a bit long at just over 600 pages but really not excessive in any of its time period coverage. Makes me wonder how he continued to perform in the tragic physical state and has me accessing YouTube videos of old Elvis shows. Author does good job of not judging so much as presenting factual account - which allows you as reader to judge the often times criminal and lascivious acts of his Doctors, managers, band mates , “lovers” , managers and Elvis himself. Tragic , regrettable and often a “train wreck” hard to look away from. Author Nash does a great job on this effort.
May 8, 2012
This book is an exhaustive look at the love life of Elvis Presley. The first third of this book is absolutely fascinating. The middle is a bit tedious, and the ending sad, as Elvis' ending was sad.
I am not sure how I felt about all of the psychobabble quoted in here, by docs that study the phenomenon of "Twinless Twins" (of which Elvis was). While that might explain some of his dysfunction, I have a hard time with it because Elvis was well, Elvis. No one's life was like his, the insanity of it all. I mean, who is more famous than Elvis was?
An interesting but long read.
I am not sure how I felt about all of the psychobabble quoted in here, by docs that study the phenomenon of "Twinless Twins" (of which Elvis was). While that might explain some of his dysfunction, I have a hard time with it because Elvis was well, Elvis. No one's life was like his, the insanity of it all. I mean, who is more famous than Elvis was?
An interesting but long read.
December 11, 2017
Baby, let's talk dysfunctional relationships! I have read many books on EP, and I consider Guralnick's Last Train to Memphis and Careless Love the gold standard by which I judge every book on Elvis. Alanna Nash's serves as a great companion piece to those two volumes, and also stands alone as a compelling, empathetic portrait of a man who was loved by millions but never could find that love in a single person. Nash consulted doctors and psychiatrists to shed light on what can happen to a person whose twin sibling died at birth. Elvis forever felt the loss of his twin brother, and later, when his mother Gladys passed away, her death cast a shadow that he could never shake. Nash also provides many details of the women in Elvis' life. Although he slept with a TON of women, not all of the women he cared about were girlfriends. He had some platonic friendships with women, such as actress Barbara Eden. I loved this book--required reading for mega-fans!
December 28, 2014
This was such a fascinating book to read. It took me ages longer than it should have, because I kept on stopping to look up pictures (relating to the text) or for verification of what I was reading. This book is like everything you have ever read about Elvis and then some all contained in one place. And as an added bonus, with gorgeous pictures of him on the cover. I also loved all the pictures in the book (at the start of every chapter as well as a photo album section). My only complaint about them, is they are printed on ordinary book paper and not glossy photo paper, which I think affected the quality of the images. For anyone - like myself - who was astounded and perhaps a little skeptical about Claims regarding the number of Elvis' 'girlfriends', this book not only appears to validate this but is also explains how he did it - shocking behaviour Elvis! Its not all about his conquests though - it does a good job of telling and analysing the story of his life, beginning to end. The author really did her homework. This book must have taken years to compile, as she must have not only done hundreds of interviews, but also extensive reading/researching. The story of him and the 'dog' on stage made me laugh until I cried. I so hope that bit is true - HILARIOUS!
Random note: it's taken me along time to get round to journaling this book. In the mean time I have read 'Is Elvis Alive?' By Gail Brewer-Giorgio. In that book, she claims the Alana Nash is a firm believe that Elvis faked his own death. However reading this, she left no doubt in my mind that she considers he did die in 1977. Interesting...
Random note: it's taken me along time to get round to journaling this book. In the mean time I have read 'Is Elvis Alive?' By Gail Brewer-Giorgio. In that book, she claims the Alana Nash is a firm believe that Elvis faked his own death. However reading this, she left no doubt in my mind that she considers he did die in 1977. Interesting...
November 26, 2016
Perhaps the title and the marketing of this book does injustice to author Alanna Nash, because it might suggest cheap sensationalism, where in fact the book is dark, chilling and often very disturbing cautionary tale about effects of fame, money and success. Nash wrote the book with the help of the whole army of passionate aficionados, historians, and fellow authors but her chief inspiration was clinical psychologist Peter O. Whitmer, Ph.D. who provided her with knowledge about psychological motivations and how the medical science explains it.
A good decade earlier, Peter Guralnick wrote his masterful two-volume Presley biography ("Last Train to Memphis" and "Careless Love") still considered to be definite and for many critics, last word about the subject. For me, Nash is the other side of the coin, a perfect mirror image of Guralnick's work - where Guralnick focuses exclusively on Presley professional life and occasionally overwhelms the readers with detailed lists of recording dates, concert tours and tiniest details, Nash goes the other way around and meticulously researches every single aspect of Presley's private life, including long-forgotten letters, private photo collections and interviews with people who were there at the very beginning of phenomenon. If you think this book is cluttered with details, you should check out Guralnick - his books are results of borderline obsessive research, with description of every parking lot Presley ever visited.
Surprisingly, Nash is not mean spirited but cautiously clear eyed - her mission is not to tarnish the memory of the King - to set the record straight, she turns to clinical psychologist for explanation how the mind works and examines not only Presley's obsession with his dead twin brother, but his connection with the women as well. As she puts it so eloquently, at the beginning and at the end, Presley had women around him: "Gladys and Ginger, bookending his life. One watched too closely, the other not at all."
A good decade earlier, Peter Guralnick wrote his masterful two-volume Presley biography ("Last Train to Memphis" and "Careless Love") still considered to be definite and for many critics, last word about the subject. For me, Nash is the other side of the coin, a perfect mirror image of Guralnick's work - where Guralnick focuses exclusively on Presley professional life and occasionally overwhelms the readers with detailed lists of recording dates, concert tours and tiniest details, Nash goes the other way around and meticulously researches every single aspect of Presley's private life, including long-forgotten letters, private photo collections and interviews with people who were there at the very beginning of phenomenon. If you think this book is cluttered with details, you should check out Guralnick - his books are results of borderline obsessive research, with description of every parking lot Presley ever visited.
Surprisingly, Nash is not mean spirited but cautiously clear eyed - her mission is not to tarnish the memory of the King - to set the record straight, she turns to clinical psychologist for explanation how the mind works and examines not only Presley's obsession with his dead twin brother, but his connection with the women as well. As she puts it so eloquently, at the beginning and at the end, Presley had women around him: "Gladys and Ginger, bookending his life. One watched too closely, the other not at all."
January 17, 2016
Baby, Let's Play House: Elvis Presley and the Women Who Loved Him by Alanna Nash, a Kindle book I began reading on August 17th. I chose this book because, dur, I was in the mood for another biography, but also because it has the light tone of an expose (expo-zay, mind you) and because the title sounds deliciously naughty and very Elvis.
I was very thankful that the format of this book was not setup as a literal to-do list of girls and women; a dossier of who did what for how much when over the course of Elvis' life and career. It was more written as a chronological timeline of Elvis with women who had starring roles and influence over him popping up amid the biographical woodwork. Granted, that makes for a much more longer of a book, but it leaves alot of room for detail and psychological explanation (which is a big yay for me, anyway).
That being said, Elvis is an interesting duck. I've always known he had particular habits (my least favorite being that he requests any kind of meat he eats to be cooked to the point of being almost burnt), but didn't know that his ideal age for girlfriends and lovers is 14, nor the eccentric antics of him and his Memphis Mafia.
I was very thankful that the format of this book was not setup as a literal to-do list of girls and women; a dossier of who did what for how much when over the course of Elvis' life and career. It was more written as a chronological timeline of Elvis with women who had starring roles and influence over him popping up amid the biographical woodwork. Granted, that makes for a much more longer of a book, but it leaves alot of room for detail and psychological explanation (which is a big yay for me, anyway).
That being said, Elvis is an interesting duck. I've always known he had particular habits (my least favorite being that he requests any kind of meat he eats to be cooked to the point of being almost burnt), but didn't know that his ideal age for girlfriends and lovers is 14, nor the eccentric antics of him and his Memphis Mafia.
May 20, 2010
This was SO UNBELIEVABLY LONG. And monotonous. It's basically "and then he slept with this teenager. Then he slept with this teenager. And then this one." For 600 pages. With some pseudo-psychologist "he liked uniforms, for he was a TWINLESS TWIN" stuff thrown in with basically zero context.
November 22, 2023
Эта книжка - своего рода companion piece к вершине элвисоведения, двухтомнику Питера Гуральника. Того, при всей его тщательности и любви к мельчайшим подробностям, в первую очередь интересует Элвис-музыкант - песни, концерты, туры, записи альбомов. О дисфункциональной личной жизни героя он пишет только, когда деваться уже совсем некуда, например, когда тот решает жениться или впадает в спиритуализм. Алана Нэш заполняет эти пробелы, и тоже в подробностях, далеко не всегда приятных. Никто не забыт, ничто не забыто - ни одна школьная подружка, ни одна «серьезная» герлфренда, ни одна партнерша по съемкам, ни одна вегасская стриптизерка, ни одна восторженная поклонница, имя которым легион (окей, в последней категории некоторых приходится пропускать, иначе это был бы 80-томник). Чтиво это, конечно, желтое, но чо уж там, увлекательное. Поменьше бы еще экскурсов в диванную поп-психологию (все проблемы, комплексы и завихрения Элвиса тут сводятся к тому, что он был twinless twin) и внутренней мизогинии в главе про Присциллу. Про остальных Нэш пишет вполне уважительно/сочувственно, как и про саму Присциллу по мере ее взросления, но глава про 14-летнюю школьницу прямо мерзкая.
March 1, 2014
This book absolutely distressed me! I grew up in an environment where Elvis was the ONLY singer in the world. That's the only records played, all year long. He was KING. I can remember how upset my mother was when he died. So, I decided to read this book.
Obviously, I know Elvis was a player. His sexuality, presence on stage, and charisma left no doubt. But I had no idea that he slept with the entire female population of the United States and Germany! The worst part was he'd be in a committed relationship with a woman or two or three, profess they were the only love of his life, all while sleeping with young girls. AND the girlfriends knew it!!! And accepted it. "After all, it was Elvis" WHAT?
he was a psychological MESS. growing up as the surviving twin, suffering from lost twin syndrome, having a inappropriate (not sexual, emotional) relationship with his mother, and an unfaithful father, it's no wonder he slept his way across the country looking for love.
Enter the controlling con man as his manager (that ruled him with an iron thumb), and the pressures of fame, Elvis turned to drugs to sleep, to wake up, to make it through the day.
This will change your perception of one of the greatest entertainers.
Obviously, I know Elvis was a player. His sexuality, presence on stage, and charisma left no doubt. But I had no idea that he slept with the entire female population of the United States and Germany! The worst part was he'd be in a committed relationship with a woman or two or three, profess they were the only love of his life, all while sleeping with young girls. AND the girlfriends knew it!!! And accepted it. "After all, it was Elvis" WHAT?
he was a psychological MESS. growing up as the surviving twin, suffering from lost twin syndrome, having a inappropriate (not sexual, emotional) relationship with his mother, and an unfaithful father, it's no wonder he slept his way across the country looking for love.
Enter the controlling con man as his manager (that ruled him with an iron thumb), and the pressures of fame, Elvis turned to drugs to sleep, to wake up, to make it through the day.
This will change your perception of one of the greatest entertainers.
October 24, 2017
It is so difficult to write a biography on this man and find a new angle. Nash gives it a good effort, and the book is very well-researched. For those who are new to the Presley biography world, it manages to include just enough details to be revelatory and feel as though the curtain is being pulled back, while still allowing the sweet side of the man to remain. To say that Elvis juggled multiple relationships is an understatement, but the redeeming quality is that in most cases they were just that: relationships. There's not a lot of one-night-stand stuff going on here. Nash relies heavily on theories concerning Elvis' psychological issues, and her expert's comments are interspersed throughout the book. The relationship that Elvis had with his mother looms large in Nash's treatment, and its affects bleed into all the other relationships she describes. A decent read for the genuinely interested, but one that will leave the reader feeling melancholy.
August 2, 2018
A compilation of the many women of Elvis's life, none more important than his mother Gladys. The superstars of any field much less entertainment often deal with the plague of excess. The lesson being, be careful what you wish for, you may not be able to handle it. Elvis certainly was not.
From his inability to commit to a relationship to surrounding himself with those that fueled his eventual destruction. Elvis is a textbook case in the struggles of super fame and celebrity. His early success seemed to be his happiest time especially with his mother still alive. But even then you could see what was to come. Though he died young it was almost merciful as the level of desperation he was at was truly sad.
From his inability to commit to a relationship to surrounding himself with those that fueled his eventual destruction. Elvis is a textbook case in the struggles of super fame and celebrity. His early success seemed to be his happiest time especially with his mother still alive. But even then you could see what was to come. Though he died young it was almost merciful as the level of desperation he was at was truly sad.
June 29, 2010
Have you ever found yourself wondering how normal Elvis's bedroom demeanor was? Well this book is for you. And not to spoil anything, but the answer is, not very normal! The hard part of any Elvis bio is when you get to the last few years and he just cracks up. You have to try not to feel like a bad person when you call up your friends to let them know Elvis wore diapers for a few years. Oh well.
And I am taking off one star for the teensy teensy type and rambling paragraphs. That's really not cool especially when a book has 600 pages with a constant rotating cast of a few hundred teenage girls.
And I am taking off one star for the teensy teensy type and rambling paragraphs. That's really not cool especially when a book has 600 pages with a constant rotating cast of a few hundred teenage girls.
February 28, 2011
A bizarre look into Elvis's "mommy-complex" and "Madonna complex" with women and the close relationship with his mother, Gladys.
What makes this Elvis biography a cut above, is that it also consults psychologists to get at the heart of Elvis' complicated view of women.
The sheer VOLUME of his many affairs and girlfriends is a bit dizzying. You wonder where he ever had time to write songs.
Still, it's an excellent biography, and you feel so badly for him and how he was taken advantage towards the end.
What makes this Elvis biography a cut above, is that it also consults psychologists to get at the heart of Elvis' complicated view of women.
The sheer VOLUME of his many affairs and girlfriends is a bit dizzying. You wonder where he ever had time to write songs.
Still, it's an excellent biography, and you feel so badly for him and how he was taken advantage towards the end.
October 3, 2015
What a book! If he would have lived in current times, he probably would be in prison for some of his behavior....definitely a male version of a nymphomaniac. Great read, though. I couldn't put it down!
September 17, 2016
Ik verwachtte me eerlijk gezegd aan een droog overzicht van de belangrijkste relaties in het leven van EP maar ik kreeg een eerlijk, genuanceerd portret. Ik leerde hoe zijn rare relatie met zijn moeder na het verlies van zijn tweelingbroer de blauwdruk werd voor alle relaties die hij nog zou hebben.
Ik had al veel bewondering voor EP maar nu heb ik vooral veel compassie.
Ik had al veel bewondering voor EP maar nu heb ik vooral veel compassie.
August 11, 2016
I bought this book after reading Nash's compilation of Revelations from the Memphis Mafia. I wasn't disappointed, here, either.
The format is biographical, but Nash's twist on the regular biography is that his main story happens in the background while the author moves Elvis' life forward chronologically through the women he dates. She is very thorough, and digs up lots of names even major Elvis biographers (such as Peter Guralnick) do not mention.
My only gripe with the book is that she references Peter O. Whitmer's "The Inner Elvis" (a book about Elvis' psychology and what made him tick) as the sole source of insight into Elvis' psyche and motivation. I own the Whitmer book, but I haven't been able to finish it because it reads like bull. I get that the guy is a licensed psychologist, but some of his theories are seriously reaching and I feel like Nash buys into that. Other than that, no complaints.
The format is biographical, but Nash's twist on the regular biography is that his main story happens in the background while the author moves Elvis' life forward chronologically through the women he dates. She is very thorough, and digs up lots of names even major Elvis biographers (such as Peter Guralnick) do not mention.
My only gripe with the book is that she references Peter O. Whitmer's "The Inner Elvis" (a book about Elvis' psychology and what made him tick) as the sole source of insight into Elvis' psyche and motivation. I own the Whitmer book, but I haven't been able to finish it because it reads like bull. I get that the guy is a licensed psychologist, but some of his theories are seriously reaching and I feel like Nash buys into that. Other than that, no complaints.
October 26, 2012
I truly enjoyed most of this book. I have become somewhat of an Elvis fanatic, and I have been reading quite a bit on him lately. I gave this 4 stars and stated that I enjoyed "most" of the book because to be honest, it was a bit long. I've could've done without all the analyzing by the psychology experts. I just wanted to know all the juicy details of the sex-god that Elvis was! And to the other reviewer of this book - no where did I read that Elvis wore diapers - I was quite relieved, but also disappointed at the same time, because I wanted to know why. I would definitely recommend this book to any Elvis lover!
March 25, 2012
Although there exists a fascination with the life of Elvis Preseley this book fails to satisfy that fascination and has a prolonged tendency of being incredibly dull. I would not recommend this book to anyone. On a regular basis I fly through books even those that I am not completely enthralled with, however, with this book I failed to become even mildly enthusiastic about opening this book up during any available time in my day. Should you wish to learn more about the life of Elvis Presley I would recommend doing so with any other Elvis Presley biography.
December 17, 2014
Interesting book, but about 100 pages too long. I was turned off by the pseudo-psychological analysis of the "twinless twin", to be honest. I think the book describes someone who would fit quite well the criteria of an individual with a narcissistic personality disorder. The writing was confusing at time, and it didn't flow well in some chapters. I love Elvis, and I like books that keep it clean and balanced telling the story as it was. I give the author credit for that. Elvis' story is sad and complicated.
July 15, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There are two things that would've made it perfect. One is leaving out all the psychological comments about Elvis being a "twinless twin." I felt that was hammered home too many times and got redundant. Two is including an alphabetical list of all the women mentioned with a short description. Oftentimes a name would pop up again 50 or 100 pages later, and there'd be no reminder of who they were. There's so, so many women mentioned in this book that it would be impossible to remember them all.
February 25, 2013
Most Elvis books these days have little to say or say little that is interesting. Frankly, if it doesn't talk about the music as a legacy, then it is scarcely relevant. Alanna Nash is the exception, and each of her books on Elvis manages to talk about Elvis' inner world as a sort of clue about his creativity (or lack of it). Like Greil Marcus, she gets Elvis, sees his weaknesses, makes them relevant. Read it, then go away and listen to all the Elvis you can lay your hands on.
December 2, 2017
To people who are obsessed with the image of Elvis, I think this is a must read. Gaining insight into his mental state of mind and learning about his fascination with young teenage girls paints a clearer picture of his odd dating habits and behavior. There was way more strange behavior than I had ever imagined. It's an eye opener for those of us who are obsessed with his music and the image we created.
March 31, 2010
You don't have to love Elvis to find this book interesting and entertaining. I learned a little trivia and a whole lot of psychological weird stuff about him. Great interviews with family members and former employees, and especially his women. He was a serial womanizer - Tiger Woods is an amateur compared to Elvis.
May 11, 2019
I found some of the stories hard to believe and feel a lot was embellished. I believe he was with a lot of women and consistently unfaithful in his marriage but I didn’t believe the stories of some of the women interviewed. If you want an “Enquirer” or “US Weekly” approach with little substance, this is it.
Read
February 18, 2011I've read maybe 30 Elvis books, and this one has lots of bonus information that the others don't have. Even though it is advertized to be about 'Elvis and his women', it's actually a very detailed and good biography.
October 15, 2010
Who knows how much of the book is factual but it was a fun and sometimes quite sad read, for Elvis fans. Tiger will never catch this guy if all is true! And Priscilla? Well wonder about all that too!
January 3, 2021
Must read for any Elvis fan.
Just when I thought I knew everything I could possibly know about Elvis. I really enjoyed this
Just when I thought I knew everything I could possibly know about Elvis. I really enjoyed this
June 2, 2023
I am a big Elvis Presley fan and since the release of the Elvis film starring Austin Butler I have been even more interested in the life of Elvis Presley.
Reading this book was such an eye opener to me. I always knew that he was far from perfect and that he did some very questionable things but I admired him as an artist and as a performer above anything else.
As I was reading this book all about his various flings and relationships I was shocked to discover how many he really had throughout his life and that he could never stay faithful. In his early career he had at least 6 girlfriends and even in his marriage to Priscilla he still kept seeing other women. However what was one of the most interesting things to learn about was his relationship with his mother and the guilt he felt in his twin brothers stillborn death.
Elvis' twin brother died at birth and that made Elvis a twinless twin which opened him up to a number of psychological issues and made him search high and low for a woman in which he saw himself so he would feel he had his duplicate back. His brothers passing also caused an odd relationship with his mother. His mother was extremely over protective and would not let Elvis do anything essentially because she was worried something would happen to him, this essentially caused Elvis to never fully emotionally mature so he was very emotionally like a teenager essentially.
Overall if you want to know more about Elvis to understand him as a human being and gain more knowledge and understanding of what he could really be like this is the perfect place to start.
You learn about his relationships and flings, his Psychological issues and how they linked with his relationships, there is so much interesting information in this book.
Reading this book was such an eye opener to me. I always knew that he was far from perfect and that he did some very questionable things but I admired him as an artist and as a performer above anything else.
As I was reading this book all about his various flings and relationships I was shocked to discover how many he really had throughout his life and that he could never stay faithful. In his early career he had at least 6 girlfriends and even in his marriage to Priscilla he still kept seeing other women. However what was one of the most interesting things to learn about was his relationship with his mother and the guilt he felt in his twin brothers stillborn death.
Elvis' twin brother died at birth and that made Elvis a twinless twin which opened him up to a number of psychological issues and made him search high and low for a woman in which he saw himself so he would feel he had his duplicate back. His brothers passing also caused an odd relationship with his mother. His mother was extremely over protective and would not let Elvis do anything essentially because she was worried something would happen to him, this essentially caused Elvis to never fully emotionally mature so he was very emotionally like a teenager essentially.
Overall if you want to know more about Elvis to understand him as a human being and gain more knowledge and understanding of what he could really be like this is the perfect place to start.
You learn about his relationships and flings, his Psychological issues and how they linked with his relationships, there is so much interesting information in this book.
July 26, 2023
First off, this book is way too long and has far too many "characters" to keep track of. But that is a testament to how thorough and well researched this book is. While many might read this book to learn about Elvis's love life, I was most interested in learning about his early years-I hadn't read much on that before. What I didn't like was all the psychoanalysis. The author frames all of Elvis's behavior as being the result of being a "twinless twin". (his twin brother died at birth) While that certainly could have affected his behavior, I think it is a stretch to say things like he dated women whose names started with the letter J because his brother was named Jesse, or that he liked stewardess because of the sameness of their uniforms. No one in this book comes off looking good, but sadly, I don't think that is the fault of the author. 3.5 stars
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