Customer Reviews

Elvis Day by Day

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I initially bought this as a gift, but ended up keeping it myself. This is not your typical rock star coffee book with the same rehashed Elvis tidbits regurgitated over and over again.

From the very 1st pages you will learn more about Elvis's family that has ever been told. The records are more than just accurate, their are TONS of factual pictures and documents that have been scoured up from all of the Presley family and elsewhere. It is outsatnding! For the devout Elvis fan, I guarantee you will learn new tidbits, especially his early life in highschool, how many times they moved, and ALL the odd jobs he had.

The day-to-day history is simple to read, and full of very amazing trivia. Short enough to keep you interested, yet very detailed. The only con I have with this book is that it lists many of his early booking dates, with no more than the location and those get a bit tedious after a while.

The pictures throughout the book are amazing. Never have I seen a collection of Elvis pictures, and I'm sure many of them have never been in print before. The occasional full page 'splash' pictures capture The King in all his splendor from different periods of his life, whereas this book can almost be considered an art/photography book. (I really liked his judo poses throughout the years in his different costumes backstage-amusing)

In addition to the life of Elvis, we see the corresponding day by day accounts of Col. Tom Parker, Priscilla, Vernon, Gladys, and tons of other characters that somehow would come to touch Elvis's life. Truly a treasure, you will not be disapointed with this book at this price! Now I gotta buy another one as the first gift I intended it to be.

Elvis Day By Day is not perfect. The depth of the book doesn't match say, The Beatles Anthology and it could have. It doesn't have the striking pictures that other books in the genre do. But let's not get to critical. Ernst Jorgensen has almost singlehandedly revitalized the music of Elvis into mainstream America and Guralnick, while not always perfect has presented an accurate image of Elvis. Many little things add interest to this book. These include the many photos of documents that Elvis signed. Also, some unreleased and rare photos.I could have suggested more quality photos and experiences from the 68-72 era. The day by day in these years could have been better chronicled, in my opinion. I thought the picture of Elvis on stage live with Tom Jones was quite neat and worth the price of the book. Overall this book is excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed it and any fan will be delighted to have it on their coffee table. Kevin Hogan, ...

This is a great book with lots of wonderfull pictures, If I could have only one Elvis book this would be it.ITs nice to be able to look and see what Elvis did on a particular date and there is so much more to this book than just that. Its that good and I am really Impressed with this, great job. thank you

From Elvis' foremost biographer, Peter Guralnick, author of the best-selling two-volume biography, Last Train to Memphis and Careless Love, and Ernst Jorgensen, the premier archivist and reissue producer of Elvis' recorded work, comes a unique chronicle of Elvis Presley's life and music. Granted unprecedented access to hundreds of thousands of photos, documents, letters, artifacts, and memorabilia by Elvis Presley Enterprises (it pays to be liked by Pricilla), Guralnick and Jorgensen present the King in greater personal detail than most authors. Elvis Day by Day is a complete account of Elvis' public, private, rare, forgotten, and renowned moments, captured with such detail and immediacy they read like diary entries in a life--from his first steps to the first time the young "hillbilly cat" stepped on stage; from the creation of a revolutionary new sound to the last days of a universally known, tragically misunderstood, drug dependent, and emotionally depressed entertainer.

The book contains more than three hundred color and black-and-white photographs and features such hitherto unknown details of Elvis' childhood in Tupelo as a father's touching postcards from prison and the family's backbreaking struggle to make ends meet. It includes Elvis' first work application at eighteen in which he describes his leisure-time activities as "sing[ing], playing ball, working on car, going to movies." At last, the complete story of how Elvis met his legendary manager, Colonel Tom Parker, is revealed in detail, and long-debated mysteries like Elvis's famous lost tryout for the Arthur Godfrey show are finally put to rest. In addition, the authors have provided a reference guide to every recording session, record release, song hit, movie, and live performance (including a number of shows not previously documented)--clearing up in the process many misconceptions and misunderstandings about Elvis' life.

All the facts are here--from Elvis's unlikely visit with President Nixon in 1970 to his spontaneous articulation of patriotism and pride in a 1957 telegram to a marine private (coincidentally named Nixon). Within these facts lies the great American tragedy of the twentieth century: a poor boy who rises out of poverty to become the best known entertainer in the world only to slip into a world of boredom, depression, insecurity, drug abuse and, ultimately, death by age 42.

From private moments to public milestones, this is a complete and an accurate chronology of Elvis' life, in a form that offers accessibility to Elvis expert and casual reader alike. Elvis Day by Day will become a piece of American musical history, bringing the life and times of Elvis Presley into dazzling focus.

For those of you who cannot wait until the September 1999 release, order P.J. Pierce's: Ultimate Elvis-Day by Day at this web sight. It, too, is a must for Elvis fans who crave details about the King's daily existence.

Thank you, thank you very much.

My first thoughts on seeing this book concentrated on the pure beauty of the layout and design (with over 300 pictures, many never seen before), yet as I read the book further, I realized that the content was even more awe-inspiring. This biography defines Elvis' life using not only the important, earth-shaking events, but rather the small, intimate details that seem trivial at times. This book is definetly a must for any Elvis fan.

A previous reviewer questioned how the writers could know what Elvis was doing from day-to-day. Just a clarification...the authors had full access to the Elvis archives that house artifacts from the entertainer's life, including 60,000 photographs, 4,000 pieces of wardrobe, stacks of furniture, and more than a MILLION pieces of paper.

The archives are located in 5 warehouses not open to the public and the authors were granted rare access to the archives.

The public usually only sees the "hot" items such as the flashy outfits and gold records. But the housed artifacts include items such as grocery receipts from Tupelo, Army leave papers for some R&R in Paris, casual notes, canceled checks, furniture invoices from when Elvis decorated Graceland and other odds and ends.

Obviously, no one person is going to know exactly what Elvis did everyday of his life but with as many items that have been archived, the authors give a more fuller picture of Elvis' life than you might expect.

Ernst Jorgensen and Peter Guralnick have really out done themselves. Thanks should go to the Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. for being cooperative and allowing this precious book to be made.
You can almost literally follow all the living days of Elvis. This book covers his family history, and from the day of his birth a day by day listing (like a diary) of what Elvis did in his personal life leading to his destined professional life.
Whom he made friends with, movies he would stay up to see all night, when a certain song was recorded and released, what TV shows he appeared on and where he performed before making it big, his movie deals, it's all here. Every account of his life.
Now you can follow the 16,217 days of his life. 42 years and 220 days of his wonderful life and the entertainment he gave to us. There are 487 photos inside this book with 337 of Elvis Presley.
The two most interesting "unknown" facts in this diary that I enjoyed reading and certainly raised an eyebrow were the two dates of April 17, 1963 and November 22, 1963.
On April 17, 1963, for a party at Graceland, what did Elvis order for food and beverage?
On November 22, 1963, whom was Elvis with and what were they doing on that tragic, historic day?
Here are some more intersting facts!
Elvis sees Graceland Mansion for the first time (Page 99).

This film (Page 108) was the only film Elvis thought he could not see due to the untimely death of Judy Tyler.

What did Elvis purchase for $1000 (Page 109) for each side of the steps leading to the front door of Graceland.

July 13, 1959 was a day of destiny for Priscilla Beaulieu in Germany that would change her life forever (Page 140).

July 17, 1962 would be an important time for Priscilla to see Elvis. Read Page 178 to find out why.

Elvis Presley spends Christmas Day 1963 with... ? (See page 192)

As Elvis was filming "Paradise Hawaiian Style", this pussycat of a male singer (Page 209) dropped by to met Elvis.

February 1, 1968 made Elvis very proud and full of joy (Page 238).

Did you know Elvis Presley never "performed" in Las Vegas until 6 years after VIVA LAS VEGAS (1963) was filmed? What happened to Elvis on July 31, 1969 before he walked on the Las Vegas stage for the first time? (Page 259

On January 14, 1973, Elvis said "Aloha" to the whole world via satellite in Hawaii from the Honolulu International Center Arena (Page 319).

What was the last known movie Elvis Presley saw (Page 377). Read this book to find out and buy it for your very own home book shelf.

I purchased this book because I am a collector of Elvis things and like to read about what people had to say about Elvis. Not everything you read is believable, I take that as someone getting bad information from someone else and passing it on. That's called a rumor, you tell one person they tell others and they...etc, etc, etc. The book was received in the conditon as it was advertised and was shipped promply.

Aahhhhh finally my favorite!
A wonderful personal daily diary on Elvis!

I have just a few questions:
Just how would these two "Elvis wonders" know what went on EVERYDAY of Elvis life?
Were they there with Elvis every moment?
Were they a fly on the wall in a past life?
Did a psychic tell them EXACTLY what happened to Elvis and when?
Maybe they were Elvis reincarnated?

If these men knew Elvis' daily happenings, they would have to be at least 10 years old in 1935, to remember anything ... and that would make both men around 76 in age, right?

ONLY ELVIS CAN WRITE HIS DIARY --- NOT THE MASTERS OF THE ELVIS UNIVERSE!