AUDIOBOOK

About
Orson is a young boy whose mother works at the U.S. Army base in Germany in the 1950s. There, he becomes a fan of a G.I. stationed at the base, one Elvis Presley, whose music is played over and over on the radio. When Orson is caught stealing recordings of Elvis' tunes from the PX, the attendant publicity catches the star's attention, and he comes to visit his young fan. Thus begins a lifelong friendship. As Elvis' career rockets ever higher and his behavior becomes ever more erratic, the two share many adventures. The sixties explode, and Elvis becomes the icon of the nation, while Orson, a college demonstrator, drifts away from regular life looking for something of substance to believe in. Each man is an emblem of his times, as social conventions crumble, barriers fall, and the cultural landscape changes forever.
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Reviews
"Gripping, stylish, funny, and moving."
Oxford American
"[A] quirky look at the life of Elvis and at an American era."
New York Daily News
"Lloyd James superbly narrates the story of these two disparate yet bound lives. He doesn't imitate Elvis' voice but uses phrasing and tone to suggest it to great effect. Orson's gentleness and Elvis' vulnerability and occasional celebrity-induced hubris are conveyed through James' narration, which is always true and affecting. Listeners will be involved from the start."
AudioFile