{"product_id":"the-colonel-and-the-king-tom-parker-elvis-presley-and-the-partnership-that-rocked-the-world-hardcover","title":"The Colonel and the King: Tom Parker, Elvis Presley, and the Partnership That Rocked the World - Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003ePeter Guralnick\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom 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\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 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.\" \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Featuring troves of previously unpublished correspondence, revelatory for both its insights and emotional depth, \u003ci\u003eThe Colonel and the King\u003c\/i\u003e provides a unique perspective on not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.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePeter Guralnick\u003c\/b\u003e's books include the prize-winning two-volume biography of Elvis Presley, \u003ci\u003eLast Train to Memphis \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eCareless Love\u003c\/i\u003e; an acclaimed trilogy on American roots music, \u003ci\u003eFeel Like Going Home, Lost Highway, \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eSweet Soul Music\u003c\/i\u003e; the biographical inquiry \u003ci\u003eSearching for Robert Johnson; \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eDream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Guralnick won a Grammy for his liner notes for \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSam Cooke Live at the Harlem Square Club\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e, wrote and co-produced the documentary \u003ci\u003eSam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock 'n' Roll\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003cb\u003eas well as writing the\u003c\/b\u003e scripts for the Grammy-winning documentary \u003ci\u003eSam Cooke\/Legend\u003c\/i\u003e and Martin Scorsese's blues documentary \u003ci\u003eFeel Like Going Home\u003c\/i\u003e. His 2015 book\u003ci\u003e Sam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock 'n' Roll\u003c\/i\u003e was a finalist for the Plutarch Award for Best Biography of the Year, awarded by the Biographers International Organization. His most recent book is \u003ci\u003eLooking to Get Lost: Adventures in Music and Writing\u003c\/i\u003e. \n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 624\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.86 x 9.36 x 6.36 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e August 05, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51987417137453,"sku":"9780316399449","price":35.39,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0938\/3185\/6429\/files\/X8yGM1up9Y9780316399449.webp?v=1776178580","url":"https:\/\/ishookbooks.com\/products\/the-colonel-and-the-king-tom-parker-elvis-presley-and-the-partnership-that-rocked-the-world-hardcover","provider":"iShook Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}