Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Preview
  • From Manchester with Love

  • The Life and Opinions of Tony Wilson
  • By: Paul Morley
  • Narrated by: Paul Morley
  • Length: 22 hrs and 47 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (95 ratings)

£0.00 for first 30 days

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

From Manchester with Love

By: Paul Morley
Narrated by: Paul Morley
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £26.99

Buy Now for £26.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Summary

THE TIMES & UNCUT MUSIC BOOK OF THE YEAR

Critically-acclaimed and bestselling author Paul Morley's long-awaited biography of Factory Records co-founder and Manchester icon Tony Wilson.

A BOOK OF THE YEAR SUNDAY TIMES, NEW STATESMAN, MOJO, LOUDER THAN WAR

'Compelling . . . befitting its extraordinary subject.'
BRIAN ENO

'Bracing and often surprisingly tender . . . the perfect monument.'
SUNDAY TIMES

'Via Morley's magical prose Tony Wilson comes back to life . . . inspiring.'
RICHARD RUSSELL

Tony Wilson was a man who became synonymous with his beloved city. As the co-founder of the legendary Factory Records and the Haçienda, he appointed himself a custodian of Manchester's legacy of innovation and change, becoming a cultural pioneer for the North. To Paul Morley, he was this and much more: bullshitting hustler, flashy showman, inventive broadcaster, self-deprecating chancer, publicity seeker, loyal friend. It was Morley to whom Wilson left a daunting final request: to write this book.

From Manchester with Love is the biography of a man who changed the world around him through sheer force of personality. In the cultural theatre of Manchester, Tony Wilson broke in and took centre stage.

'An immersive experience . . . very moving indeed.'
MIRANDA SAWYER, OBSERVER

'Not just a "biog" but the story of a city's history and culture and a unique and disappearing figure.'
STUART MACONIE, NEW STATESMAN

'Morley's biography is as illuminating on Wilson's strange ability to hold others in his orbit, even after his death, as it is on the story of his life.'
THE SPECTATOR

'The man/myth Wilson died aged 57 in 2006, but here he burns on fantastically bright.'
UNCUT

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2021 Paul Morley (P)2021 Faber & Faber
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

Record Play Pause cover art
Creation Stories cover art
How to Be a Rock Star cover art
William S. Burroughs and the Cult of Rock 'n' Roll cover art
Fingers Crossed cover art
Tenement Kid cover art
Good Pop, Bad Pop cover art
I Wanna Be Yours cover art
England's Dreaming cover art
The Sound of the Machine cover art
God Only Knows cover art
Buzzin' cover art
Exit Stage Left cover art
Clean Living Under Difficult Circumstances cover art
Animal House cover art
Verse, Chorus, Monster! cover art

Critic reviews

"Reading From Manchester With Love I feel I understand the times we've lived through differently, better and from new angles. The writing is compelling and musical, befitting its extraordinary subject. I never met Tony Wilson, but now I feel as though I knew him well - and I'm sorry that I didn't." (Brian Eno)

What listeners say about From Manchester with Love

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    67
  • 4 Stars
    14
  • 3 Stars
    6
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    4
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    59
  • 4 Stars
    14
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    7
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    62
  • 4 Stars
    9
  • 3 Stars
    7
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    4

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A fantastic book

A moving literary monument, captures Wilson, Manchester, life, art, philosophy, death, music and humanity with great skill.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great biography

The author has written a superb biography of Tony Wilson, and by extension, the story of 20th Century Manchester as well. Very well researched and performed. A real joy to listen to. Thanks.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Way better than I expected

I was never a fan of the pretentious writings of the NME, and hence Morley, but I've always been intrigued by the contradictory personalities of Tony Wilson so this bio presented a bit of a dilemma. Initially I didn't buy it, but later decided to give it a go. I'm glad I did.

I think what Morley needs is an editor to remove some of his flights of fancy and to cut down some of the irritating streams of adjectives. Then he'd have a five star book rather than a four.

But the important thing here is that I felt I finally got to understand Tony Wilson because the way Morley put it all across on the whole was excellent. Aside from just a couple of chapters that I skipped, because they went off on obscure tangents, I enjoyed this book very much. I might even be tempted to buy another Morley book now. Yikes.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Decent 😎

Whilst the story can flick quickly between years and lose itself a little, it's still very enjoyable and worth the concentration to continue listening 😎

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A travesty..,

…that I was able to listen to all 20+ hours of this excellent audiobook for the measly price of a monthly Audible subscription. Someone tell Paul Morley he’s been robbed!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Mr Manchester

To Paul What a great book mate Thank you To Tony, the man who help shape my early life with his part in the amazing creation FAC51. RIP. You will always be Manchester, of The North.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

From Manchester with Love

love this book,really sad in parts but a great insight well done Paul Morley

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

An unconventional account of an unconventional man

I think Tony Wilson would have liked this book. It plays to his pretentions. Those who want a straightforward retelling of the Factory saga will be disappointed. When the story finally winds around to Joy Division and New Order, the details become sparse. There is only limited discussion of their music, but this is deliberate. There have been enough accounts of this. This is an investigation of the tumbling words and schemes of a man. If you want to read a lot about situationism this is for you. If you don't. It might not. At times the portrait provided is not flattering, but Morley writes beautifully about his passing and I found myself wiping away the tears. Tony Wilson comes across as infuriating and endearing. Horrible to his partners, but the father of two great kids. In summary, I think Tony Wilson would have liked this book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

FAC Totem ;o)

Wilson writ large, as seen from various viewpoints, by an author whose insider perspective alternately enlightens then annoys. Unashamedly biased in Wilson's favour but no less of a representation of him for all that. A valuable companion to the books by Hook, Morris et al.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

So It's Gone.

WHAT A POTATO of a story... I wish I was there and for 19 hours I was.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful