What Were Elvis’ Favorite Books?
Elvis has long been known as a big reader (and not just of his fan mail) — Graceland has numerous displays of books from his personal library, which included tomes covering everything from spiritual matters to the finer points of karate (of course). Here are some titles that made the King take off his jumpsuit and pop on his reading glasses. Each of these titles was found in his collection at Graceland, given to a loved one as a gift, or both.
The Bible
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Elvis was well-known for maintaining a large collection of Bibles, in a wide variety of editions; in fact, one of his Bibles, with his favorite passages underlined, just sold for $120,000 at auction in May 2024. He also had a number of books of Biblical analysis, including Bible Mystery and Bible Meaning by Thomas Troward, and Certain Women: A Study of Biblical Women by Zona Bays Marshall.
The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran (1923)
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Elvis was known to give away copies of this prose-poetry book — in fact, one copy, hand-inscribed and given to his friend Ed Parker, was sold at auction in 2021 and priced at more than 19,000 pounds. The book covers the titular prophet’s spiritual conversations with a group of strangers about life, family, work, joy and other issues of the human condition.
The Impersonal Life by Joseph Sieber Benner (1949)
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This spiritual self-discovery guide, which stresses the average person’s connection with the Divine, was known to be one of Presley’s true favorites — he gave away hundreds of copies through the years to friends and family.
Advanced Karate by Masutatsu Oyama (1970)
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It wasn’t all spiritual wonder and religious pondering on the King’s bookshelves; there were also books related to slightly earthier matters, like martial arts. This volume, written by the founder of the Kyokushin style of karate, is the third in a series explaining the basics of his discipline. And if you’re lucky enough to have a first edition on your hands, it’s worth over $1000.
Other books that Elvis kept on hand to refine his moves included Karate Kata Heian 5 and Dynamic Karate, both by M. Nakayama, and Asian Fighting Arts by Donn F. Draeger and Robert W. Smith.
Vince Lombardi on Football Vol. 1 and 2 by Vince Lombardi (1973)
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Elvis was an enormous football fan who loved the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers, and his collection of football-related books rivaled his karate library in terms of size. This two-volume book teaches the the fundamentals of football as laid out by the legendary Green Bay Packers coach.
Other football titles in his collection included The History of Pro Football by Harold Claassen and Rebel Coach by John Vaught.
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (1936)
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Elvis was far more interested in nonfiction than fiction. Though his collection focused on spiritual books, examples of almost every kind of nonfiction could be found; however, novels were in shorter supply. One exception: Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind, which Graceland archivist Angie Marchese mentioned in a 2021 livestream tour of Elvis’ jet, the Lisa Marie. Mitchell’s blockbuster novel follows the fortunes of the O’Hara family through the Civil War and Reconstruction.
The Warren Report (1964)
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This volume collected the findings of the President’s commission on the assassination of President Kennedy, who examined the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. A copy given to Memphis Mafia member Marty Lacker by Elvis went up for auction in 2023; Lacker noted that “It was a sad day when President Kennedy was assassinated and we watched intently the proceedings for two days following his death on TV including when Oswald was shot by Jack Ruby.”
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1943)
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This brief book tells the story of a downed fighter pilot who meets a philosophically minded young prince in the desert. The prince, who claims to be from outer space, muses about adventures he had on his lonely home planet and while traveling the universe — each adventure metaphors for human struggles in life and love. Though it was given to him by a fan as a gift for Lisa Marie, the book’s themes of spiritual exploration make it fit in perfectly among Presley’s many religious and mystically-minded tomes.
Remind
