Are You Lonesome Tonight? The Untold Story of Elvis Presley's One True Love and the Child He Never Knew [Hardcover]

Dary Matera (Author), Lucy de Barbin (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 294 pages
• Publisher: Villard; 1st edition (April 12, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394558421
• ISBN-13: 978-0394558424
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,983,183 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars WHAT A LOAD OF CRAP, November 20, 2004

By 

Mary (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Are You Lonesome Tonight: The Untold Story of Elvis Presley's One True Love and the Child He Never Knew (Hardcover)

Gimme a break.......people, this book is nothing but the result of some woman in need of some cash--end of story.

First of all there are a number of "facts" in her book which are verifiably not true. During one of her supposed secret meetings with Elvis (during his trip to meet with Richard Nixon), she describes him as being dressed "wildly" in a purple suit. She obviously lifted this piece of info from Albert Goldman's book, because both Elvis' bodyguards at that time and photos clearly show that he was dressed in black, not purple.

Secondly, she writes that one day in 1953, she rode a rented horse up to the mountains in Memphis and lo and behold here comes Sir Lancelot (Elvis) riding up behind her where the spend the night together up there. Uh, the only place you could rent a horse in Memphis in 1953 was the local fairgrounds and the horses were NOT allowed off the property.

Plus, it is a well-known fact that Elvis had a major problem having sex with a woman who had had children. Something inside him, just turned off. This subject was dealt with in the books "Elvis, What Happened"? by his bodyguards, and in "Elvis and Me" by Priscilla Presley. Elvis was greatly attracted to innocent young girls, not women who looked like they had been run through the mill. Sorry, but that was just his way.

what really nailed her coffin is when she was on a talk show several years ago with her daughter Desiree. Someone asked what colour Ms. Barbin's eyes were. She said "brown". She was then asked what colour Desiree's eyes were. She said "green". It's a well known fact of course, that Elvis had blue eyes. What's not so well known is that it's genetically impossible for someone with brown eyes and someone with blue eyes to have an offspring with green eyes. When this fact was presented to Lucy de Barbin on national TV, she stumbled and stuttered over her words, tried back tracking and said "well, her eyes are really blue." Can you say: 'Liar'?

Another problem with Lucy de Barbin's "story", is that not one single person who was close to Elvis all those years can verify anything about what she claims. Elvis was rarely alone and if he indeed had an affair with Ms. de Barbin, SOMEONE would have been able to say "yep, I remember all those times when E was meeting with Lucy." Guess what? Not one single person remembers her.

Plus, Elvis couldn't keep his mouth shut---about anything. He would blab to his bodyguards about anyone and they knew about all the girls he was fooling around with. Guess what? He never mentioned her ONCE to anyone.

Seeing as this book was written before DNA testing was around, I would be very interested to see if Lucy de Barin's daughter would be willing to submit to a DNA test, and compare it with Lisa Marie Presley's to see if it's a match. I guarantee that it won't be.

Overall, this book is ridiculous and if you believe the nonsense that Ms. de Barbin tells, then I've got some swamp land in Florida to sell you.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Romantic, August 21, 2001

By 

RainyAlaska (Southeast Alaska) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Are You Lonesome Tonight? The Untold Story of Elvis Presley's One True Love and the Child He Never Knew (Hardcover)

Elvis Presley was just eighteen when he fell in love with a beautiful 16-year-old French dancer - his first and only true love. They kept their passion secret from the world for 24 years. Now Lucy de Barbin breaks her silence and reveals all: the secret meetings, heartbreaking love scenes, tears and tenderness - and the beautiful daughter that Elvis never knew he had. Controversial and moving, this is the bittersweet true story that every Elvis fan will cherish forever. A compelling tale of star-crossed love, as tender and soulful as a song.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sweet and endearing...a true love story!, June 18, 2002

By 

Barbara Bell (San Carlos, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Are You Lonesome Tonight (Hardcover)

This is a touching story about two people who loved each other. Matera's journalistic style is fresh and wide-eyed, and the reader is pulled in from the beginning. Putting it down once started is not an option. It compels the reader to find out when they are next able to meet. Their joys and sadnesses are shared so vividly that they become real. This is not a book to be taken lightly. Curl up on a Saturday morning and spend the day reading.