By Ed Glinert
Out Now by Great Northern Books: Illustrated by Polyp: Design by David Burrill
Manchester: The Biography is a brilliant and wide-ranging account of one of Britain’s most influential cities, charting Manchester’s journey from its early origins through industrial dominance to its modern cultural identity.
Written by long-time journalist and tour guide Ed Glinert. He is clearly deeply embedded in the city’s history, and the book combines detailed research with a lively, opinionated narrative style.
The book’s greatest strength is its scope. It covers everything from canals, cotton mills and railways to politics, immigration, architecture, football, music and modern regeneration. Key figures such as John Dalton, Engels and Marx, the Pankhursts, and later cultural icons sit alongside stories of everyday Mancunians. The author’s passion for correcting historical myths and misconceptions is evident throughout, often making for engaging and sometimes provocative reading.
Rather than a dry academic history, the tone is conversational and often humorous, clearly shaped by the author’s experience as a storyteller on guided walks. Anecdotes and colourful detail help bring different eras to life, and the sections on industrial Manchester and the city’s musical and sporting impact are particularly compelling.
The author’s strong opinions and willingness to challenge established narratives are interesting. At times, his personal viewpoints can feel as prominent as the historical analysis, and the sheer amount of information is vast. The book is not light reading, but is superb, and therefore it certainly rewards patience.
Overall, Manchester – The Biography is a comprehensive and energetic tribute to a city that has repeatedly reinvented itself. For anyone interested in Manchester’s past, or in how cities shape modern life, it serves as both an informative reference and an entertaining journey through nearly two thousand years of urban history.
What makes this book stand out is its refusal to treat history as distant or dusty. Glinert connects key milestones from politics and industry to the explosion of Manchester’s iconic music scene, whereby the city emerges not just as an industrial powerhouse but as a creative and political catalyst.
Ultimately, Manchester – The Biography succeeds as both a definitive history and an entertaining exploration of how a gritty industrial town became one of the world’s most culturally significant cities. For Mancunians and anyone interested in how cities shape modern life, this is an essential read.
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The book is available Here: and at all leading booksellers. £25.00 Hardback 704pp.
More about Great Northern Books – Here:
All words by Claire Glover. More writing by Claire on Louder Than War can be found at her author profile here. You can also find her on Bluesky and Twitter
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