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Life in the shadow of the King of Rock and Roll...
Orson is a young boy whose mother works at a U.S. Army base in Germany in the 1950s.
There, he becomes a fan of a G.I. stationed at the same base, one Elvis Presley, whose music is played over and over on the radio.
When Orson is caught stealing recordings of Elvis's tunes from the PX, the publicity catches the star's attention and thus begins a lifelong friendship.
As Elvis's career rockets ever higher, Orson and Elvis share many adventures. Elvis becomes the idol of the nation, while Orson drifts away from mainstream life searching for something to believe in.
Each man is an emblem of his time, as social conventions crumble, barriers fall, and the cultural landscape of America changes forever.
Elvis in the Morning is a riveting portrayal of a nation in change and of the effects of celebrity on innocence.
"Canny ... Sparkles with the borrowed allure of charismatic, real-life figures." - Book
"[A] quirky look at the life of Elvis and at an American era." - The New York Daily News
"A fanciful yet believable premise - a lifelong friendship that begins when an American teenager living on a military base in West Germany meets Pvt. Presley during the singer's well-known 1950s tour of duty in the Army ... Buckley uses his characters' lives to illustrate the times in which they lived and events ranging from university protests to the beginnings of the computer industry." - Houston Chronicle
"It's gripping, stylish, funny, and moving. Who knows? Rolling Stone might even have to acknowledge its excellence." - The Oxford American
"In Elvis in the Morning, Buckley has crafted a warm, endearing and surprisingly intriguing fable about the wages of fame and the forces that shape our lives If you're too young to remember the Cold War, this is an excellent way to discover how it felt. If you remember the Elvis era, you'll have great fun reliving it." - The News- Press (Ft. Myers, FL)
"It's a joyful read." - The Buffalo News
"The erudite Buckley concocts a charmingly sympathetic tale tracing the fictional relationship between a young boy and the King. Buckley captures the hope, the yearning, the magic and pathos of the '50s and '60s as few authors have in this "Almost Famous"- like reflection on two turbulent decades ... The well-worn contours of Elvis's story take on a fresh sharpness when subjected to Buckley's surprisingly tender treatment. This is a low-key pleasure of a read, a nostalgic tale that eschews mush and a heartfelt tribute to the tragic figure who touched so many lives." - Publishers Weekly (boxed)
"A breezy, Ragtime-style tale starring Elvis Presley, with cameo appearances by Richard Nixon, Barry Goldwater, Col. Tom Parker, and many, many more." - The Times- Union(Albany, NY)
William F. Buckley Jr. is the founder of National Review and was the host of television's longest-running program, Firing Line. The author of many bestselling novels, he lives in Connecticut.
Genre: Historical
Orson is a young boy whose mother works at a U.S. Army base in Germany in the 1950s.
There, he becomes a fan of a G.I. stationed at the same base, one Elvis Presley, whose music is played over and over on the radio.
When Orson is caught stealing recordings of Elvis's tunes from the PX, the publicity catches the star's attention and thus begins a lifelong friendship.
As Elvis's career rockets ever higher, Orson and Elvis share many adventures. Elvis becomes the idol of the nation, while Orson drifts away from mainstream life searching for something to believe in.
Each man is an emblem of his time, as social conventions crumble, barriers fall, and the cultural landscape of America changes forever.
Elvis in the Morning is a riveting portrayal of a nation in change and of the effects of celebrity on innocence.
Praise for William F. Buckley Jr.
"Canny ... Sparkles with the borrowed allure of charismatic, real-life figures." - Book
"[A] quirky look at the life of Elvis and at an American era." - The New York Daily News
"A fanciful yet believable premise - a lifelong friendship that begins when an American teenager living on a military base in West Germany meets Pvt. Presley during the singer's well-known 1950s tour of duty in the Army ... Buckley uses his characters' lives to illustrate the times in which they lived and events ranging from university protests to the beginnings of the computer industry." - Houston Chronicle
"It's gripping, stylish, funny, and moving. Who knows? Rolling Stone might even have to acknowledge its excellence." - The Oxford American
"In Elvis in the Morning, Buckley has crafted a warm, endearing and surprisingly intriguing fable about the wages of fame and the forces that shape our lives If you're too young to remember the Cold War, this is an excellent way to discover how it felt. If you remember the Elvis era, you'll have great fun reliving it." - The News- Press (Ft. Myers, FL)
"It's a joyful read." - The Buffalo News
"The erudite Buckley concocts a charmingly sympathetic tale tracing the fictional relationship between a young boy and the King. Buckley captures the hope, the yearning, the magic and pathos of the '50s and '60s as few authors have in this "Almost Famous"- like reflection on two turbulent decades ... The well-worn contours of Elvis's story take on a fresh sharpness when subjected to Buckley's surprisingly tender treatment. This is a low-key pleasure of a read, a nostalgic tale that eschews mush and a heartfelt tribute to the tragic figure who touched so many lives." - Publishers Weekly (boxed)
"A breezy, Ragtime-style tale starring Elvis Presley, with cameo appearances by Richard Nixon, Barry Goldwater, Col. Tom Parker, and many, many more." - The Times- Union(Albany, NY)
William F. Buckley Jr. is the founder of National Review and was the host of television's longest-running program, Firing Line. The author of many bestselling novels, he lives in Connecticut.
Genre: Historical
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