Mancunians: Where do we start, where do I begin?

by David Scott

In the late 1990s, Manchester was a city in upheaval. The devastation of the IRA bomb and the closure of the infamous Haçienda nightclub were seismic events that rocked the city’s confidence at a time when identikit bands were flooding its clubs and bars, fuelled on anthemic guitar rock and swagger. Stereotypes were everywhere, while the spirit of Manchester was silently suffocating.

Where do we start, where do I begin? is the story of those who didn’t fit the the musicians of colour, the football fans alienated by rampant commercialism, frustrated public figures, optimistic developers, and ambitious artists.

Through a mixture of memoir and interviews with well-known Mancunians such as Guy Garvey, Tunde Babalola, Sylvia Tella, Badly Drawn Boy, and Stan Chow, David Scott portrays the city at the turn of the century in a way never seen before.

264 pages, Hardcover

Published April 25, 2023

Reviews

[Andrew Guttridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who grew up in South Manchester and is only a year or two older than the author, the recollections within this book, could be my recollections.

It is beautifully written and I found the bits from other commentators fitted in perfectly.

This is a book I will return too, again and again.

[Jack Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

Roan and I attended the book launch and give insight into the authors life and his reasonings to write this book - to show there is more to Manchester than the typical tropes.

“We are colourful, dull, irregular, sharp, dangerous, and ill-fitting pieces that… somehow manage to accompany one another”

“We don’t do things differently. We each live differently here. Manchester is a mosaic.”

Manchester is rich, built on the triumphs of working and middle-class heroes, with diversity being celebrated and I am proud to be Mancunian. Mancunians are confident, cocky, arrogant but also thoughtful, kind and loving.

I never saw Manchester in the nineties and I don’t remember Manchester in the naughties, but through all the change and growing international presence Manchester has undergone, Manchester is a welcoming and loving place, and my own personal core emotions are shaped by the core emotions of Manchester and Mancunians themselves.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book I have read about Manchester ever

[Shan✨🪩 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve lived in this city my entire life and I’ve learned so much from this book. I suppose that was the author’s point in bringing a voice to those who have never traditionally been represented when the history books on Manchester were written.

[Ipswichblade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book about several peoples views on Manchester and what it is to be Mancunian, interesting that its from the IRA bombing in 1996 rather than a lot of books about the city that discuss the seventies and eighties

[Alistair]

Author profile is the wrong author. Author of this book is David Scott @arghkid from Manchester - not the David Scott from USA you are profiling on this page!

[Paul Middle Name Lester · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written book. It is a refreshingly honest, warts-and-all account of the city in the 90s. And though it cuts through a lot of the myth and legend which surrounds the city at that time, the author's affection for Manchester and its people (both native and honorary Mancs) is apparent throughout. It's at once informative, funny and emotional.

As an exiled Mancunian, this took me back to my formative years, entering adulthood in a mad, exciting and sometimes scary city. I particularly liked the very real contrast between the vibrant, ever-changing city centre and the, let's say rough-around-the-edges, suburbs where love and affection are often expressed through insults and a bit of salty language. The array of great clubs in town and the tatty locals are both represented here.

While it was a walk down memory lane for me personally, you don't have to come from Manchester to enjoy this tremendous book. The music, the football, the crime and the revolutionary nature of this great city are all presented in the author's very readable style - with the help of a few other contributors.

Finally, I loved the passages dedicated to Caroline Aherne to whom not enough tribute can ever be paid. Queen Manc.

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mancunians starts in the late 90s.
I moved to Manchester in the late 90s.
This was a mini trip back to some bloody good times when a weekly mega rider on the 192 was a fiver. Too much to list which made me nod & smile. I worked in a massive secondary school in Gorton which definitely made the younger southern me, grow up. I stayed t’north for 16 years, brought a house and had a kid, then returned south. I bloody miss the place, reading this book made me bloody miss the place even more. Nowt better than Manchester folk. Cheers @arghkid for making me smile and capturing some brilliant memories. Big shout out to The Roadhouse for some ridiculously awesome nights of music with the best people in the world 🎵
Thank you @manchester_university_press for this. Blinking loved it

[Paula · Rating 2 out of 5]

Writes about a Manchester I don’t recognise and gets some pretty basic facts wrong (eg there’s never been a John Lewis store opposite Debenhams, any Mancunian knows that’s Lewis’s which is pretty iconic in Manchester)

[laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 rounded up. Enjoyed!

[Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, it was very nostalgic for me. I'm a little older than Scotty but I resonate with a lot in this book, it's a great piece on Manchester.

[Kamil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Madferit.

[Yasmin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall fantastic book on Manchester’s history. Real and earnest accounts of the city’s culture from those who existed in and helped produce it. Scott draws potent, true conclusions.

[Andy Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book explores how Manchester is more than the superficial stereotypes.

Funny, insightful, and honest with great personal stories not just from the author but all who contributed.

[James Ashcroft · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’d probably give this 3.5 stars if I could, only because I’m not personally enough of a fan of music to have been gripped by the proportion of this book reflecting on Manchester’s music scene. I also felt that the long-form quotes from interviewees spliced throughout the author’s text was at times a bit hard to follow. This approach contributed more than it took from the book, so I’m not sure I’d have done it all that differently, but I didn’t love it throughout, and especially when the topic wasn’t my cup of tea.

All of that having been said, this is a wonderful book. The final chapter and the closing “(there is no) conclusion” particularly moved me. My fondness for Manchester as a city and for the wonderful Mancunians who live there and elsewhere continues to grow.