Editorial Review
A meticulously researched biography, this story profiles "The Colonel" Tom Parker, the man behind Elvis Presley, in a compelling new light. Filled with startling material found in never-before-seen documents, including Parker's army records, psychiatric evaluations, and police reports, this investigation challenges even the most familiar aspects of the Presley saga. Parker, who handled every aspect of Elvis Presley's career and much in his personal life, is revealed as an overwhelmingly selfish man who sought to hide his own illegal alien status rather than further the art of a great musician. Astonishing and impeccably written, this entertaining book proves that the only figure in American popular culture as fascinating as Elvis Presley is Colonel Tom Parker, the man who shaped Elvis, and in turn shaped music history.
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Customer Reviews
Illegal Alien 
2008-03-21
Such a strange,obnoxious and fiercely independent man with an unbelievable story that is told in scrupulously researched details, but is as readable as a novel.A BIG piece of the Elvis puzzle and an inside into southern americana circa first half of the twentieth century.
Highly recommended!!
Was the Colonel truly good for Elvis as a man? 
2008-01-23
Truly this book has great research in it, and it is valuable as a resource for anyone seriously interested in Elvis. Tom Parker, no doubt, did something really bad in Holland (maybe murder) as he never even communicated with his family after the late 1930's. Parker also did possess a certain power over Elvis that probably depressed Elvis to some degree, and Elvis knew of some of Parker's gambling habits (as one can hear in the 9-2-74 closing show, for example), and Parker lost nearly 90 million dollars in gambling (as estimated). That is truly incredible, but this book doesn't speculate into the nefarious nature of these habits or analyze what drove Parker to gamble, and we may never know. For its reluctance to analyze, I give the book 4 stars instead of 5.
The best rock management biography ever written 2005-01-29
The title including the word "Extraordinary" is fully justified. I thought this book would be a "dishing the dirt" epic on Parker but it turns out to be a very well researched lifetime biography of the Colonel's life and not just his involvement with Elvis.
The well told story is of a man who from poor beginnings in Holland was involved in a murder there and forced to flee to the USA at an early age. He then spent his life as an illegal immigrant with that dark secret.
His early struggles with poverty in the 1930s and 1940s including being discharged from the army with mental illness, sets the scene for a man who revitalised his childhood fascination with fairs and carnivals, which were a major circus in the Americas of that period. All the man's later business cunning and marketing skills were learnt in that "carny" environment of deceit, overstatement, advance promotion and getting the cash in any deal as soon as possible to survive. He clearly retained a soft spot for this teaching ground all his life.
His first major music involvement came with country star Eddy Arnold who he fell out with when Arnold found him doing personal side deals. With no real appreciation of music ever, he became aware of the early Elvis and the storm he was creating in the South and took control under an initial contract that fully reflected Parker's approach all his time in managing Elvis of keeping it simple and balanced in his favour.
The view established by the book is that while the Colonel (a title obtained by politial hucksterism and not from his army days) always looked after Number One and was continually doing side deals that personally benefitted him not his client, the usual Elvis fan's view of the Colonel being a parasite is certainly challenged-
- the fan mania developed across 1956 and subsequent years including manipulation of the RCA label and TV was unprecedented and owed a lot to the flair of Parker to do things differently in the face of others historic approach to how to promote pop stars;
- Elvis's enlisting into army service and his "protected" life in Germany plus a controlled keeping in the public eye across those years may owe more to the manipulation of Parker;
- the much derided series of Elvis movies in the 1960s together with their hit singles and dross LPs may in retrospect have actually protected Elvis from live performance and a decline in popularity esp. with the advent of the Beatles plus given his lifelong poor approach to financial matters kept him earning a steady stream of income in that period;
- the return to live performance while driven by Elvis was taken to a new level by Parkers' approach to concert promotion, both in Las Vegas and across the USA.
However, the book does not flinch from the downsides of the man's personality and approach to business, especially his endless paranioa, bullying and control by fear over all those who worked with him; his ensuring limited access and opportunities being shown to Elvis by others (notably his failing to allow his development as an actor in serious roles); his Las Vegas deals fuelled by his increasing addiction to gambling and not Elvis's best interests at the hands of the casinos, and due to his illegal immigrant status his unwillingness to ever allow foreign tours by Elvis which in the later years could have been major revenue earners for him.
The sad conclusion is that Parker given his personality always saw himself as the person in charge and Elvis his instrument and that Elvis's success and earnings were down to the Colonel's skills and negotiations not Elvis's talents. The reality demonstrated endlessly is that Elvis and his family (especially his father) were never going to challenge Parker, given their lack of financial acumen and extravangant spending laid them open to continual manipulation. Parker in turn given his personality was unable to help as Elvis's deline under drugs gathered pace and the inevitable happened.
The post Elvis years show a man who was still driven by the self benefitting deal and his manipulation of the Elvis estate, with the sad endgame as he gambled ceaslessly of a man who earned an estimated $100 million plus from his relationship with Elvis but at death had less than a million dollars in assets.
This is by far the best rock management biography that I have ever read.
A FASCINATING STORY OF A VERY FASCINATING MAN 2004-08-26
If you're interested in Colonel Thomas Andrew Parker, this is THE book for you. This story took years and many man-hours of exhaustive research to bring to fruition. By now, most Elvis fans are well aware that Parker was an illegal Dutch immigrant by the name of Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk. But until now, relatively little was known of his life in the 'old country.' We learn that a woman was brutally murdered in Parker's hometown in Holland on the very day of his disappearance. Did he commit the dastardly deed and abscond to America? Of course, we'll never know, but it's an interesting theory, nonetheless. It appears that the old boy may have been asexual. If so, this might explain his aversion to being touched. Though Parker earned mega-millions during his lifetime, he left behind a relatively modest estate. Of course, the same can be said of Elvis. Parker's addiction was gambling, while Elvis simply overspent on virtually everything.They were both masters at profligate spending. The Colonel seemed to possess a "Jekyll/Hyde" personality, displaying acts of kindness and generosity to loyalists and cruelty to others. The Eddy Arnold years are very interesting indeed. Parker and Eddy were opposites, and Parker's taste for ostentation sometimes clashed with Eddy's more conservative tastes. The story of Parker moving in with the Arnolds is hilarious. Alanna Nash is a very gifted writer and unless I'm mistaken, this is her third Elvis-related book. "Revelations" is still the best Elvis book I've ever read. I've never had the pleasure of reading the Alan Fortas book, which I believe she ghost-authored, though I hear it's excellent. Her latest book is an intriguing read which I finished in one day. I simply couldn't put it down. The phrasing, the meticulous research and the fascinating enigma that was Tom Parker all come together quite nicely. Buy this book. I promise you'll like it.
A must read for any Elvis fan!! 2003-12-10
I read this book a few days after receiving it. It was excellent. Nash has a very special gift. Having read just about everything about Elvis I could get my hands on over the years, I thought I knew it all. It seems most of the books I have read are saying the same stuff. THE COLONEL is full of thorough research and info I had never read before. I loved it. I knew Parker was different, but I had no idea how different. He sounds a bit twisted. He also sounds very misunderstood. And not very happy. Nash should should be very proud of what she's accomplished with the book. I
suspect she has enough material about her actual conversations with him for
another book. I hope she writes it.
A bit far-fetched, but an interesting read...... 
2003-12-02
A meticulously researched biography, this story profiles "The Colonel" Tom Parker, the man behind Elvis Presley, in a compelling new light. Filled with startling material found in never-before-seen documents, including Parker's army records, psychiatric evaluations, and police reports, this investigation challenges even the most familiar aspects of the Presley saga. Parker, who handled every aspect of Elvis Presley's career and much in his personal life, is revealed as an overwhelmingly selfish man who sought to hide his own illegal alien status rather than further the art of a great musician. Astonishing and impeccably written, this entertaining book proves that the only figure in American popular culture as fascinating as Elvis Presley is Colonel Tom Parker, the man who shaped Elvis, and in turn shaped music history.
A True Depiction of Andreas' Heart 2003-12-01
In all of my Elvis journeys I have been waiting for a long time for a book that depicts the true hidden world of Colonel Parker (aka Andreas) and his relationship with Elvis. The research and conclusions of Alanna regarding his inner secrets are extraordinarily accurate. As a professional singer myself I must admit I would give anything to have had such a dedicated and talented manager like Col. Parker; but, without having to pay the price that Elvis did. I'm certain that if Elvis had read this book he would have agreed with its conclusions. And in my opinion, Col. Parker would probably have never made a name for himself without Elvis Presley.
This book would also be a great read for those in power in the music industry, and the wannabees that litter the entertainment landscape.
Outstanding research and scholarship. Thank you Alanna!
Hurt how made monstruosities to Elvis.. 
2003-11-17
Elvis really is one person that tolerated, because to bear with person like his fans, is to be a hero.
But to be a prisioner of the system in the person of this killer, is really to be a saint.
Around Elvis I saw a criminal system of money that used his body and voice to make money.
And this book only make more powerful this criminal and made of Elvis only a piece of mockery for his own fans ...and for stranges that saw him for "older" people.
Is not extraordinary. Is the Elvis that every fan believe to see. Even if Elvis was seeing and knowing for his own fans. Even in the picture, this criminal is over Elvis like the perfect dangerous image because of the position of image of this criminal ( at left but in an important place ). And the image of Elvis in a little space near the rihgt.
Even the message of image is very clear: Elvis was only a fool for his own fans.
But if you want to made this system richer is your desition.
Excellent and serious journalism 2003-11-09
Elvis Presley is on the edge of everyone's consciousness. We all are aware, to varying degrees, of Elvis Presley, no matter what one's age or nationality. Personally, I never paid too much attention to Elvis because I was more a product of the Beatles era and thereafter and Elvis was for "older" people. But, I was given a copy of The Colonel and I began to read it. I couldn't put it down. It was fascinating, even for someone who is not a fan. (I'll say "wasn't a fan" ...I am quite interested now by Elvis, sparked by this book on the Colonel.) Here is excellent and serious journalism about the intriguing figure,the mysterious man behind Elvis Presley, THE icon of 20th century pop culture. Alanna Nash hooks you right in from the start on her journey to find the truth about Colonel Tom Parker. This book is carefully researched and presents the facts as fairly and objectively as possible. Ms. Nash gives the reader a 360 degree view and, at the end, she lets the reader make his/her own decision about the man. At the same time, the reader gets a different view of the whole "Elvis Story" which hard-core Elvis fans would appreciate as well.
A very enlightening and shocking book 2003-11-08
The book gives impressive detail into Parker's past before he signed on as Elvis' manager. There is enough detail and accounts from witnesses throughout the book to give the reader a personality profile of Parker as a man without a conscience. Read the contract details, the side contracts for Parker, the excessive control written into the contracts. Elvis was trapped, and he knew of no way out. The book goes into detail about how once Parker realized Elvis was not well, into drugs, and his career stalemated once again, Parker sets up the Boxcar company (15% to Elvis) to make money on souveniers. This contract would become a gold mine once Elvis was dead. This was in 1973. The book is shocking and sad to read. I highly recommend this book to get a better idea of what went on behind the scenes. This book seconds the findings of Dirk Vellenga, with Mick Farren, authors of the book "Elvis and the Colonel" published in 1988. The book also contains the story of how in 1980 a Memphis judge ordered an investigation of Parker's dealings with Presley-related income. Rather than rubber-stamp the contracts that were in place, the investigation took the agreements from Parker and put them back in the hands of the Presley estate. The findings of the court-ordered lawyer, Mr. Blanchard Tual, uses words like "in Parker's self interest, fraudulently obtained, unethical, against industry standards."
