Gang War: The Inside Story of the Manchester Gangs

by Peter Walsh

For twenty years, the most intense and prolonged gang war in British history has raged on the streets of Manchester. Warring factions have left at least forty dead and made headlines across the world.
This best-selling account tells how vicious battles for control of drugs turf and protection rackets blighted the reputation of one of Europe's most dynamic cities and saw the coining of the sinister epithet 'Gunchester'.
By acclaimed investigative journalist Peter Walsh, GANG WAR is a powerful, disturbing account of an extraordinary crime phenomenon.

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime

320 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2005

About the author

Peter Walsh is a writer and publisher specialising in organised crime. After graduating from Manchester University with a degree in politics and modern history, he worked as a newspaper and radio journalist before founding Milo Books. His investigative journalism has appeared in numerous publications, while his non-fiction books have sold more than half a million copies and have twice been shortlisted for the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger award.

Reviews

[Carla Krueger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Astonished I'm only the second person to review this. Perhaps has something to do with the fact that the first reviewer said the book was 'tedious'! Respect the opinion – if you're not interested in the details of the rise of gang and gun crime in one particular city, there will be times you feel enough is enough – BUT I personally disagree. This is an excellent book: insightful, factual, fascinating, horrifying (at times) and pulls no punches in displaying the reasons behind the culture of the gangs in Manchester and how that legacy affected the city (and still does). The stories of the people who controlled (and tried to take back control) of social crime in the area are as interesting as the details about how gangs form, merge and in-fight. The levels of violence and the risks people took and the carnage it all created is stunning, shocking, saddening and still scary to anyone who lived within only a few miles of the city centre (as I did for much of my childhood). Manchester truly is a city of two halves.

Particularly enjoyed the opening sections – the history of the development of street gangs and how even young children used to group together and fight – the scuttlers and so on. Also enjoyed seeing how the style of the crimes changed with the times with the rise of the gun-toters, drug culture, the music scene and the way the Chetham Hill crews used their wealth and power so differently to the Salford lads, the supposed 'underdogs', some of who maintained their status as the most violent in the country by choosing to fight with their fists, the way they'd been taught by their 'role-models'.

I have, over the space of about five years, read Gang Wars around four times and dipped in and out regularly just to marvel at some of the facts and figures (and to gain inspiration for a story I wrote based on one of the gang leaders discussed). Appreciate the amount of research and determination that must have gone into writing it all in such an accessible, informative, direct style. Essential reading, if a book about gang wars is what you're looking for.

[Anna Blakey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very comprehensive - I believe you should know a bit about the history of where you’re living

[Ribhu Agrawal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative and comprehensive. Written in a style that is somewhere between fiction and non fiction yet all based on truth (as far as I know!)

I second another person's review as well where thankfully no races or groups were picked out in this which I didn't really think of but now quite appreciate

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

[Claire Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eyeopener did not realise the extent of gangs & gun crime in Manchester

[Accio Luna · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting read in the history of gangs in Manchester.

[Freya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ooooooh, fascinating. I grew up in Manchester and remember names and snippets of things happening at the time (for example being late for college because Chris Little got shot on the main road) so it's fascinating to find out about what was happening and how all the incidents tied in. In fact it was so interesting I might read it again...

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book exposing the painful gang culture of lower class Manchester. Projects, Drugs, Murders, Guns, and all-in-all...KIDS.
It's the nitty gritty. I liked this book as it provided a great background and story about how Moss Side of Manchester became "Gunchester" and a bad place to be in the 90's.
Def a fun read.

[Heather Burnside · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to know all the details about the escalation of gun crime in 90s Manchester then this book is ideal. It's full of information and the author must have carried out extensive research to obtain so many facts. There is also a handy list of further notes in the back of the book detailing some of the resources used.

[Dave Dutton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this. Then read the Gangs of Manchester that preceded this situation almost a century before. I guarantee you will be fascinated by the similarities. The more things change, the more things stay the same.

[Ian Rak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gang War : The Inside Story of the Manchester Gangs by Peter Walsh February 5 2005). Those were scary times, refreshing memories of the rave clubs and pubs around Manchester from the early 1990s

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[Damian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gunchester: tediously thorough guide to the rise of the Doddington, Gooch and Cheetham Hill gangs, enlivened by numerous instances of total ineptitude with firearms displayed by same

[Daz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book , and has a broad overview of the Manchester gangs, and I like the fact no one race is singled out as to blame for the emergance of Gang and Gun culture.

[Kazz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was living in manchester when I bought it. I never felt safe after reading it.