A music history like no other, Manchester England comes complete with a recommended soundtrack for each chapter evoking aural memories as Haslam unleashes an assembled cast of artists, musicians, hooligans, writers, workers, students, entrepreneurs and poets playing out a unique history of a unique city.

Haslam is not the first to write on Manchester's musical heritage, but while many of his predecessors' overwhelming desire was to cry "me! me! me!", hoping to convince us that they were there and that, as such, they had something to do with the numerous mini cultural revolutions that have taken place in the city, Haslam's approach to Manchester is different. His meticulous style contrasts with the rough, eager spontaneity of his subject, yet the book works because of this. Mapping out the city's creative and industrial history from the early 19th century to the ecstasy-fuelled dance culture of the 80s and 90s, you begin to realise the profound extent to which the city has always been part of a cycle of cultural upheaval, innovation and desperation. A mix of immigrant cultures and classes at loggerheads: it's this cocktail of human influence that has enabled the city not just to survive, but to inspire its populous to innovate rather than imitate.

From "Immigrants, Merchants and Anarchists", via "Punk, Post Punk and the Punk Postman", to "Hard Times and Basslines", the headlines alone reveal the eclectic references uniquely brought together here, united not for the purpose of self-congratulatory navel-gazing but to enable an understanding of the city's past and its future. Haslam presents a completely holistic view of how Manchester has ended up, for better or worse, the city it is today. "We're living in an uneasy city in a very tough world ... but the so-called experts ... can't stifle the desire to break the silence", Haslam tells us, asserting that creativity in the city has always won out, not just in spite of, but because of the challenges that face it.

Manchester England is not simply about Dave Haslam flexing his academic muscle alongside his DJ-ing credentials. The book is absorbing, insightful and entertaining. There's been enough overblown hype surrounding this rainy Northern city. Haslam's earnest and intelligent approach betrays his quiet conviction that "on the third day", as the t-shirts used to shout, "God did create Manchester". --Tony Martin

Dave Haslam is an author and DJ. Originally from Moseley, Birmingham, and educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham, where the rumours were that Toyah Willcox was his girlfriend. Having moved to Manchester in 1980, he DJ'd over 450 times at the legendary Haçienda nightclub in Manchester, UK including Thursday's Temperance club night in the late 1980s. In the 1990s he also hosted the weekly night Yellow at the Boardwalk nightclub in Manchester.

More recently he has written a book about the Manchester music scene, called Manchester, England, a book about superstar DJs called 'Adventures on the Wheels of Steel', and 'Not Abba; the Real Story of the 1970s'. He currently holds an infrequent guest-only night, 'Sweet Sensation' at various venues in Manchester. He also presents 'The Weekender' on Xfm Manchester and has a weekly residency at South nightclub (Manchester) every Friday night. The night is called 'Another Planet' and Dave has regular guest DJs like Terry Hall, Chips With Everything DJs and more.

The www.davehaslam.com website [1] includes a 'gig-ography', information about the books, etc.

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