From Manchester with Love: The Life and Opinions of Tony Wilson

Paul Morley's long-awaited biography of Factory Records co-founder and Manchester icon Tony Wilson is a triumph, a book that has rightly earned accolades from publications like The Times and Uncut. Far from a straightforward life story, From Manchester with Love offers a compelling and multifaceted portrait of a man who became inextricably linked with his beloved city.

Brian Eno hails the book as "befitting its extraordinary subject," while the Sunday Times deems it "bracing and often surprisingly tender... the perfect monument." Richard Russell observes that "via Morley's magical prose, Tony Wilson comes back to life... inspiring." Wilson, as Morley portrays him, was more than just a music industry figure; he appointed himself a custodian of Manchester's rich heritage of innovation and change, evolving into a true cultural pioneer for the North.

Morley, to whom Wilson entrusted the daunting task of writing this biography, presents a complex and captivating individual. He was, by turns, a "bullshitting hustler, flashy showman, inventive broadcaster, self-deprecating chancer, publicity seeker, loyal friend." From Manchester with Love avoids simplistic categorisation, instead embracing the contradictions and complexities that defined Wilson's extraordinary personality. In the cultural theatre of Manchester, Wilson didn't just participate; he broke in and took centre stage.

Miranda Sawyer in The Observer describes the book as "an immersive experience... very moving indeed," and Stuart Maconie in the New Statesman sees it as "not just a 'biog' but the story of a city's history and culture and a unique and disappearing figure." The Spectator notes Morley's skill in illuminating "Wilson's strange ability to hold others in his orbit, even after his death," while Uncut declares that "here he burns on fantastically bright." From Manchester with Love stands as a definitive and deeply resonant biography, capturing the spirit of a singular man and the city he helped to shape.