Customer Reviews

The King, McQueen and the Love Machine

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My name is Joe Esposito. I worked for Elvis for 18 years. We were very close.
I was there the first day Elvis meet Barbara Leigh in Las Vegas.
When her first saw her, he could not take his eye's off of her. Either could I. They just connected. They got to know each other very close.
They had a wonderful relationship for a few years. One of the things I liked about Barbara's book is she was very honest about her life. She had some very hard times in her earlier years.

This is the first time she has really wrote about her relations with her special men.

I think she did a wonderful job writing this book on her life. I know it had to be hard on her. It's not easy writing a book about your life. I know.

I really enjoyed reading it. And I know it is the truth because I was there. I have recomended it to a lot of my friends.

It's a great story.

"The King, McQueen and the Love Machine" is certainly much more than a catchy title; Barbara Leigh takes you on a rollercoaster ride through the heady 70's as she juggles her relationships with three of Hollywood's most powerful and influential icons while pursuing her carrier as an actress and model.

For those of you who want to sample the `authentic' Hollywood lifestyle of the 70's this book will certainly satisfy your appetite, and yet it offers much more. This is the Barbara Leigh story: - from her difficult childhood through to the privileged lifestyle of a Hollywood starlet, coupled with life's unexpected challenges, Barbara has experienced more than most will ever experience in several life times.

The book is an easy read, reminiscent of a cool summer breeze or a favorite song that takes your mind back to people and events that shaped one's life. Throughout the book some truly beautiful pictures capture the free spirit and southern charm of Ms Leigh that also form an integral part of this autobiography.

We also get a rare chance to observe the `human' side of these legendary icons and how in their own way, coped with the burden of power and fame. It is clear that Barbara's affection for Elvis, Steve McQueen and James Aubrey was sincere and the fact that she did not use these men to advance her own carrier is a true testament to her class and dignity (a rare commodity in this day and age).

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would strongly recommend it to anyone.

I started reading this book to learn about the celebritys Ms. Leigh was meeting and within 50 pages became absorbed in her life and career.

Even though I'm a man, I felt like I was with her all the way as she juggles her career, dating and luxurious lifestyle with the planning of a time management expert. Men and women can learn a lot from how she concentrates and enjoys each situation for the moment. When reality jumps up at one point and responsibility hits her, the drama is intense.

I've read almost every celebrity biography there is and Ms. Leigh's is one of the best. It is a must read for women who want to know how to handle a career and love relationships as well as for men who want to know how to attract and hold a beautiful and exciting woman. Ms. Leigh mentions that even Elvis got into familiar and perdictable routines that weren't as exciting as other opportunitys. So men take note.

The book is also a must for any Elvis or Steve McQueen fan. I've read many books on them and this one sheds new and surprising insight on both men.

This book is about a beautiful actress/model who had affairs with three powerful men: Elvis Presley, Steve McQueen and James Aubrey. Intimate details of these affairs will keep you turning the pages as I could not put the book down. It is worth reading if you like tell-all books of this nature.

After purchasing this book immediately after it was printed, I was pleased to have a written history of a living icon. Notice I use the term "living". I'm not talking about the "King of Rock and Roll" (Elvis), or the "Cooler King" (McQueen) or the "Lion King" (Aubrey), I'm talking about a "Queen". Barbara Leigh had a career in the Hollywood spotlight that lasted a little over 10 years as an actress, a little longer as a professional model, and for a lifetime the role that she will always be remembered for "The Original Vampirella". She is now and will always be the most stunningly beautiful woman ever to grace this earth. What is best about this book is that looks are not the only graces she possesses. She has lived a tremendous life, fraught with ups and downs that are frankly and openly discussed. There's many books on Elvis, but only one on Barbara. I'll take "The Queen" over "The King" anyday!

While I am only 21, I am fascinated with the lives of the great pop/rock and roll/Hollywood icons. I picked up Barbara's book in an attempt to learn something new and was captivated by her story. I read it from cover to cover in 24 hours and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a wonderful story of love, romance, heartache and intrigue. Barbara Leigh is just fascinating and tells her story in a classy yet juicy manner. I loved it! It's an easy read that leaves you wanting more....

Anyone who saw "Junior Bonner", and was entranced by Barbara Leigh's performance as Charmagne, cannot help but find this partial autobiography absorbing and rewarding reading. Similarly, anyone who saw and enjoyed the best of Elvis and Steve McQueen will be immediately attracted.

This book is written from the heart; it is devoid of both the taint of the popular media and casual hype. The style is almost conversational, as the writer follows different related paths in recounting her various adventures with the three titular protagonists. From her tough childhood to the loss of her son, and the failure of her marriages, you cannot help but respond; if you can keep that lump out of your throat you are a better man than I, Gunga Din.

It provides new insights into the worlds of movie-making and top-class entertainment; legendary director Sam Peckinpah needed a lot of convincing that Barbara was right for the role of Charmagne, and treated her abysmally , whilst Elvis' treatment of his lady friends and his entourage will no doubt surprise many of his fans.

As a London-based Francophile, I would have been interested to hear more of her life in Paris with Roger Vadim, and in London with her husband, but these were all incidental to the title of the book.

But be warned - this is no kiss-and-tell lurid account of an aspiring actress/model's encounters with three of America's successful men. As I said earlier, it is a candid review of part of Barbara's life which will provoke a response in the heart and spirit of any reader. I want to read it again, but my eldest daughter, a devoted Elvis fan, decided she wanted to read it first. OK, I can wait.

Thank you, Barbara Leigh, for sharing your experiences with us.

As a die-hard Elvis fan for the last 40 years, I bought Barbara's book solely to read about her relationship with him. But I was quickly captured with her entire life story, from her first recollections of her traumatic childhood, to the death of her beloved son, through her overcoming spirit of today.

I easily have 30+ books on Elvis and without a doubt, this is in the top two or three. I was riveted by her memories of Elvis and her relationship with him. Barbara was blessed to know him and she often speaks of what a good heart he had. She writes about Elvis with love, loyalty and admiration. At the same time, she does not sugar-coat the drug use, mood swings and other human frailties.

Beyond her physical beauty, one can readily see why Elvis was attracted to Barbara. One comes away with the clear sense that she is a loving, kind and nurturing person. The fact that Elvis kept in touch with her through the years is a testament to that fact. There are undoubtedly only a handful of women in his life who can make that statement.

As the title of my review states, I bought this book because of Elvis but ended up loving the entire story. I invite all Elvis fans to do likewise. Barbara writes with candor, emotion and detail, the good and the bad, the bitter and the sweet. But she is never bitter. I felt as if I were right there with her through her entire story.

As the other reviewers noted, this book focuses on a few years in Barbara's life in the 1970's when she was a young Hollywood starlet making movies with actors such as Rock Hudson, Steve McQueen, and Tom Selleck. and modeling for all the big companies. She tells of her fast-paced work and romantic life involving some of the most powerful men in the entertainment business: Elvis Presley, Steve McQueen, and Jim Aubrey.

While she shared with the public a side of all three men that was unique to the public hungry for personal information about celebrities, she did so in a way that I found to be respectful and loving to these men, without intent to trash their memories. I came away with the feeling that she still cherishes each one and her time with them. I'd bet she's a classy lady.

I remembered watching Barbara in movies in the early '70's simply because of her stunning beauty. I was happy to read her book and learn more about her and her life. There were some beautiful photos of her in this book, and I'd love to see a book published of nothing but photos of her, in larger sizes. (For the record, don't take this wrong--I like men!!)

When I started reading this book I could hardly put it down. It was well-written, as well has having interesting subject material. I highly recommend it, even if you don't generally read books of this type.

This book ROCKS! I really enjoyed reading this autobiography of Barbara Leigh for many reasons...She easily possesses the uncanny abilility to project her heart & soul onto the printed page like no one else...As soon as you open this book, Barbara takes your hand, & you actually feel as though you are right alongside here, through all her exhillerating triumphs, as well as her many heartbreaks. From her early povery-stricken childhood, to her incredible relationships w/ Elvis Presley, Steve McQueen, & James Aubrey, it's as though you are her best friend, along for this amazing rollercoster, hearing all this from her own mouth. I especially loved the the chapters dealing with Elvis, & actually felt the hairs on my arm stand on end, as Barbara tells of being with The King Of Rock N Roll, like no one else has ever revealed. The photos of Ms. Leigh are absolutely breathtaking, & she has actually become more beautiful, inside as well as out, as time has passed. Somehow, she has managed to stay the same lovely, charming , "Southern Gal" she was, when she had nothing, to ...Barbara Leigh, celebrity extraordinaire, which is a gift that money just can't buy...When you finish this book, the most amazing factor to remember is that all this happened to just one very fascinating lady...The book also details her rise to Playboy, where she now works, to being the living incarnation of Warren Magazine's sultry Vampirella...To put it bluntly, I'm very jealous of Elvis, Steve, & James, because Barbara is that rare lady, that's truly "One In A Million"...Continued success, darlin'...