Rex Mansfield and Elisabeth Mansfield live in Tennessee. Marshall Terrill is the author of Steve McQueen: Portrait of an American Rebel and Flight of the Hawk: The Aaron Pryor Story. Zoe Terrill is a pop culture historian. They live in Mesa, Arizona.

When the U.S. Army drafted Elvis Presley in 1958, it quickly set about transforming the King of Rock and Roll from a rebellious teen idol into a clean-cut GI. Trading in his gold-trimmed jacket for standard-issue fatigues, Elvis became a model soldier in an army facing the unprecedented challenge of building a fighting force for the Atomic Age. In an era that threatened Soviet-American thermonuclear annihilation, the army declared it could limit atomic warfare to the battlefield. It not only adopted a radically new way of fighting but also revamped its equipment, organization, concepts, and training practices. From massive garrisons in Germany and Korea to nuclear tests to portable atomic weapons, the army reinvented itself. Its revolution in warfare required an equal revolution in personnel: the new army needed young officers and soldiers who were highly motivated, well trained, and technologically adept. Drafting Elvis demonstrated that even this icon of youth culture was not too cool to wear the army’s uniform. The army of the 1950s was America’s most racially and economically egalitarian institution, providing millions with education, technical skills, athletics, and other opportunities. With the cooperation of both the army and the media, military service became a common theme in television, music, and movies, and part of this generation’s identity. Brian Linn traces the origins, evolution, and ultimate failure of the army’s attempt to transform itself for atomic warfare, revealing not only the army’s vital role in creating Cold War America but also the experiences of its forgotten soldiers.

"Elvis trained hard, partied hard, and won the respect of his comrades in arms. The author depicts this with poignant word snapshots from what were the happiest days in the life of this American Icon" ("Publishers Weekly"). "Taylor's anecdotal book shows Elvis as an excellent soldier and a respectful, sensitive, regular guy".--"Kirkus Reviews". Photos.

"A comprehensive examination of Elvis Presley's years in Germany as an American GI-with hundreds of never-before-seen photographs and revelations from Elvis intimates."--Book jacket front flap.