Elvis : Word for Word (Hardcover)

by Jerry Osborne (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"A terrific idea and a badly needed book. Bound to be one of the half-dozen most essential Elvis books ever." -- Mary Hancock Hinds, author of "The Elvis Bibliography," 1999

"Anyone interested in Elvis Presley would have to get this book! It's an exceptionally fine work with a beautiful cover and some extraordinary photos." -- MSNBC-TV, 1999

"If you can own just one book about Elvis Presley, this is the one!" -- ABC-TV, 1999

"Pure and simple, people will learn more about Elvis Presley by reading this book than any other way I can think of." -- Singer, Ronnie McDowell, 1999 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
Elvis Presley never did get the chance to write that book, but accumulated in these pages are the words and phrases he may have chosen if he had. Elvis -- Word for Word leaves behind all the hearsay and rumors to get down to the essence of the man.

What you'll read are Elvis's words and only Elvis's words. From his first minor radio appearance to the last letter he wrote before his death, Elvis -- Word for Word includes only what can verifiably be traced back to Presley. You'll see the actual letters he wrote to fans, lovers, and friends as well as photographs, many rare or unknown, that chronicle his meteoric rise to fame. You'll experience the voice of Elvis at the beginning of his career -- youthful and naïve -- and you'll hear this voice grow and mature, becoming tired and jaded as the years progress. This is the story of Elvis that has never been told. A story in his own words, word for word.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Harmony; 1 Rev edition (November 7, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0609608037
• ISBN-13: 978-0609608036
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #706,619 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Elvis-Word for Word - glad The King could sing!, November 19, 2000

By	Rebecca Brown "rebeccasreads" (Clallam Bay, WA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

What he said, exactly how he said it... From his first minor radio appearance to the last letter he wrote before his death. Verifiable Elvis Presley telegrams, letters to fans, his lovers & friends as well quips with a slew of rare & unknown photographs.

Elvis & Jerry became friends in 1967, when they both lived in Memphis, Tennessee. Jerry was a deejay then & played The King's disks the most. For more than two decades, when someone calls Graceland asking about Elvis collectibles, they are routinely referred to Jerry Osborne & his series of Presley reference books.

Elvis was not noted for his conversational skills however, I have a feeling we didn't know how funny he actually could be. He cracked some deadpan, off-the-cuff quips that you can just hear him drawl

This has to be for dyed-in-the-wool devotees who want to know every "Thank you" & "Oh Yeah!" & "Yes sir" The King ever uttered or his simple, polite Thank You Notes, congratulatory telegrams & holiday greetings. Sometimes I get the distinct impression that The King just didn't understand what all the fuss was about nor why anyone would want to ask some of the innane questions they did. When he was asked about music, however, he waxed positively poetic!

In his letters, Elvis did quite well, even has a lilt that comes through & it's surprising to see just who he wrote to. There is also a fascinating photographic history of this Legend's public life - a who's who of show business & movies!

If you know any Elvis fans & want to give them the ultimate present, then Jerry Osborne's Elvis-Word for Word is as good as it gets! For my full review do check out [my website].

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Through Elvis' eyes, May 7, 2000

By	Mark van Hout (The Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Elvis - Word for Word (Hardcover)

Through the years, lots of books have been published with Elvisquotations such as: "And then he said/He said something like...etc. Never before has there been a book, that wrote exactly what Elvis said about what. No interpretations from writers, friends, family, producers or any other person except than those of Elvis himself.

The book chronologically writes down Elvis' words, from the interviews in Shreveport Louisiana (October 1954), several phonecall conversations while he was in the army (1958-1960), a very long speech from Las Vegas in 1974 (as released at the bootleg CD "Desert Storm") and letters.

About 130 black and white pictures can be found inside this book, including a picture of the last letter Elvis wrote (5 August 1977) and copies of several telegrams. In a way, this book can be considered as Elvis' autobiography, because the main focus of this book is what Elvis thought, said and wrote (and you can trace all the words Elvis said yourself, because every time the source is mentioned---mostly tapes, LPs, CDs, handwritten letters etc.)

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Straight from the horse's mouth!, November 19, 2000

By A Customer

The thing about Elvis is he never wrote an autobiography, so for too long "the real" Elvis had to be revealed by "those who knew him."

Finally here's a comprehensive collection of things Elvis really said.

In this book are transcriptions of press conferences, concerts, and letters.

The biggest thrill for me was the publication of the letters Elvis wrote Anita Wood while he was in the Army. As far as I know, she hasn't allowed them to be shown previously (in the P.S.'s Elvis tells her to never show them to anyone).