Elvis in Vegas

Reviews

“Las Vegas is among the most American places in America, Elvis Presley was among the most American Americans ever, and the era chronicled here was the giddiest stretch of the American Century by far. Thank you, Richard Zoglin, for this brilliantly imagined, deftly written, perfectly delicious book about our perfectly weird country.” “Zoglin perfectly captures a seismic moment in 1969 when Elvis tore the roof off the International Hotel and ended the reign of the Rat Pack. This is the story of a spectacular head-on collision.” “If you love Vegas-era Elvis — and who does not? — you will love this book. It’s packed with juicy stories — about The King, of course, but also about Frank and Dean and Sammy, Wayne Newton, Liberace, Sonny and Cher, Barbara Streisand, Howard Hughes, the mob and dozens of other outsized characters who played roles in the incredible transformation of a sleepy desert town into the glitziest city on Earth.” “Zoglin paints a vibrant picture of Elvis’ thrilling, electrical presence… An enthusiastic portrayal of an iconic performer.” “Zoglin is such a slick pop writer that his prose goes down like rainwater.” “The author retraces the events that transformed Elvis into the sequin-jumpsuited hunka-hunka burning love we know today... [but] the real achievement of the book... is how Zoglin traces the evolution of Vegas itself.” “Fascinating entertainment history.”
  “Separates the myth from the man, and examines how both Elvis and Vegas evolved together.” “A thoroughly enjoyable and fascinating tale of the many stages of Vegas.” “[Elvis’s] spirit lives on in Las Vegas and in the pages of this enjoyable book.” “A smart and zippy account of the watershed moment when the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll came to Sin City to reclaim his squandered talent... Mr. Zoglin is in his element.” “Zoglin’s smart and entertaining book… combines genuine affection for its subject with a keen sense of show-biz history and a lively style... [Elvis in Vegas] has snap and verve... This is outstanding pop-culture history.” “[A] fascinating tale of how the king got his groove back and Las Vegas refreshed its own image... Blending new interviews with top-drawer research focusing on how Las Vegas evolved as the pleasure capital, Zoglin produces a gem of pop culture history.” “Pizzazzy… [Zoglin] is among the best showbiz chroniclers… Elvis in Vegas is the story of American industry, but also a canny look at the price of commercial glory.” Expand reviews