Description
Book Synopsis Elvis Presley and Richard Nixon are two of the most important and controversial figures of the twentieth century. Although fame came to them in very different ways, they rose from very similar backgrounds of poverty to seek the American Dream. These two remarkable men both had to face falls from grace, but while Nixon rebounded from Watergate to regain a reputation as a distinguished elder statesman, Elvis was destroyed by the pressures of fame, only to have his image restored after his death.
Here, for the first time, the remarkable parallels in their lives are examined, balanced on the point of their historic December 21, 1970, meeting. Their similarities and differences as American icons are analyzed, and numerous photographs, including all those taken during their meeting, are included. Together, the stories of these two men form part of the essence of American culture.
Trade Reviewthis book compares the lives of two American icons, paralleling their climbs from poverty to fame, money, and power that may have peaked at the point of their meeting in 1970"" -
Reference & Research Book NewsTable of Contents
- Introduction 11
- From a Jack to a King 32
- Education Makes the Man 93
- A Watchful Eye on the Future 124
- Let the Games Begin 295
- The Shaping of a Hero 436
- The Survival of the Fittest 587
- The New America: Hippies, Drugs, and Vietnam 808
- The King Meets the President 899
- No Man Is an Island 9810
- The Cancer Within 11111
- My Way: The Lonely Road to Recovery 141
- Conclusion: Let the Record Show 169
- Appendix: Documents and Photographs Pertaining to the Presley-Nixon Meeting 173
- Notes 207
- Select Bibliography 215
- Index 219
