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Pride
of Manchester United Books |
The
Iain McCartney Books selection. |
Elsewhere in our 'Books'
pages we've referred to Iain McCartney as our favourite,
and the best, writer on the subject of Manchester United.
His books have become so influential in telling the history
of United that we've decided to devote an entire page to
showcasing the many volumes that he's penned.
Anybody who is looking
for a crash course on where United came from, the peaks
and troughs along the way and the things which have made
the club unique should look no further than the list of
books detailed on this page.
Iain is a fanatical
Red, who commutes from his home in Scotland to watch every
game and fulfil the various roles he has taken on over the
years. For well over twenty years he has run the Manchester
United Review Collectors' Club, an invaluable source of
information and a central connecting point for collectors
of every kind of United memorabilia. He has become well-known
as 'an expert' and, for example, he contributes to the fanzine
"United We Stand" on the popular feature "Ask
the Anorak", where supporters throw a myriad of questions
at him, rarely stumping him.
Most of his books
are his own projects but he is often asked by United and
publishers to produce books on specific subjects.
What we like most
about him is that he is first and foremost a fan, who has
shared and lived the experiences and emotions that many
of us treasure. He writes in a lively, enjoyable style,
even when the subject requires encyclopaedic information.
His books include many which have become the principal reference
point, or indeed, the only significant reference point on
specific United topics.
We doff our Mancunian
caps to the man who has produced the following selection
of brilliant books:
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Having
previously covered the post-Munich years and the difficult
period after Sir Matt Busby's retirement, Iain now takes us
further back in time with Building
the Dynasty, Manchester United 1946-1958.
This gives us an informative account of the pre-war period
followed by a detailed look at: (1) Matt taking the reins
at a bombed out Old Trafford (2) the cobbling together and
shaping of the team which won the 1948 FA Cup and 1952 League
Championship (3) the building of the youth system and the
blooding of the Babes and, finally, (4) the successes of that
great team .. This impressively researched book is highly
readable and covers a seminal period in United's history.
(Pitch Publishing 2015) |
The years
following the Aircrash have been covered patchily until now.
There are many excellent books out there which include passages
on the post Munich Busby Years and there are books such as the
famous David Meek series of annual books which give part of
the story. Iain McCartney's Manchester
United 1958-68 Rising from the Wreckage
is the first book of its' type, bringing us the story
of the period in its' entirety, covered in 351superb pages.
An excellent companion to "Building the Dynasty" and
"Busby's Legacy" and very highly recommended. (Amberley
Publishing 2013) |
Manchester
United; Busby's Legacy
covers, in detail, a period which has until now been neglected
by writers: the turbulent years after Sir Matt Busby's retirement.
The short reigns of Wilf McGuinness, Frank O'Farrell and Tommy
Docherty are the backdrop to a story which includes the demise
of George Best, the humbling relegation to Division Two, unrully
supporters and countless comings and goings of players. Definitely
not United's finest hours but a fascinating period to look back
on and as usual McCartney gives us the story in a very readable
style. Highly recommended.
(Amberley Books 2014) |
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The
nicely illustrated The
United
Tour of Manchester takes the reader on a
tour of locations in the Manchester which have significance
in the story of United. The numerous places include the site
of Newton Heath's first pitch, the houses of Matt Busby &George
Best, the graves of the victims of the Munich Aircrash and
many more. Iain McCartney has co-written this book with another
of our favourite writers, Reds stalwart, Tom Clare, who is
an ex-pat living in the US. (Amberley Publishing 2013) |
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Usually
we find books featuring copious match reports to be dry, boring
and often lazy works. Not so with Sir
Alex Ferguson, Fifty Defining Fixtures. Iain
McCartney sets the scene for each of his choices with the
rationale for their inclusion, not always obvious, and he
gives a well written account of what was happening at the
time. The match reports themselves are highly readable and
the book is a real page turner, covering all of the great
man's career not just the United years. (Amberley Publishing
2013) |
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We
haven't yet seen this book but the publishers blurb says that
The
Official Manchester United Players A-Z
covers every one of the 840+ players who have worn the
United shirt and is the definitive A-Z listing, with statistics
and biographies. We have no doubt that Iain McCartney will
have done his usual impeccable job. (Simon & Schuster
2013) |
Manchester
United, The Forgotten Fixtures is a remarkable
book. Painstaking research has enable Iain McCartney to produce
400 pages which cover 60 years of United matches which don't
usually feature in the records. Friendly matches all over
the globe are featured in this beautifully illustrated book,
which on its' publication in 2009 filled a big gap in the
written history of the Reds. Now quite hard to find and not
cheap but a real tour-de-force. (Breedon 2009)
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There
are a couple of very creditable books on the subject of United's
ground and Old
Trafford; 100 Years of the Theatre of Dreams by
Iain McCartney is one of them. Last updated in 2010, it tells
the full story of the development of Old Trafford from inception
to its' modern state-of-the art facilities. We wonder when
the next chapter will need to be written? (Empire 2010) |
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A
pair of books tell the story of key matches from one of the
great periods in United's history and Manchester
United, Thirty Memorable Matches from the Fifties, is
the first of them. In his usual style, Iain McCartney sets
each match in its' historical context and consequently the
book is a very readable journey through the incredible decade
that saw the formation, rise, devastation and aftermath of
the magnificent Busby Babes. (Derby Books Publishing 2010) |
The
second in the pair of books covering two of United's greatest
decades, Manchester
United, Thirty Memorable Matches from theSixties
tells the story of key matches involving the team which picked
up the torch from the Babes to become United's first European
Cup winning side. Coupled with it's twin about the '50's and
the book about Ferguson's Fifty Defining Matches and Iain
McCartney has covered the past half a century in fine style.
(Derby Books Publishing 2012). |
Roger
Byrne deserves to be widely recognised as a great captain
and a great player and full credit to Iain McCartney for enlightening
us about this strong willed individual who' played such a
key role in one of the greatest chapters in the United story.
The Busby Babe and England stalwart sadly died at Munich but
he will always be a United legend. Roger
Byrne, Captain of the Busby Babes is now
out of print but definitely worth seeking out. (Empire Publications
2001) |
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Reds
from North of the Border have played a huge part in the history
of United. (Denis Law will always be our personal King!).
Iain McCartney, as a Scot himself, has written an authoritative
account of the many Scottish players who have worn the shirt
with pride.
Tartan Reds was written quite
a while ago but can still be obtained easily and is a worthy
addition to the bookshelf. (Britespot Publishing 2002) |
A
companion book to Tartan Reds is
Irish Reds which needs no explanation.
Think of Ireland and names such as George Best, Jackie Blanchflower,
Roy Keane and Harry Gregg spring to mind and this book brings
you the full story of the many players who have crossed the
Irish Sea. (Britespot Publishing 2002) |
Duncan
Edwards has become the most iconic player in the entire history
of Manchester United, even to many thousands of fans who may
have never seen even a short film clipping of the great player.
Duncan
Edwards, the Full Report, is Iain McCartney's
biography and tribute to the superb player who died so young,
in the Munich Aircrash.
(Britespot
2001 and 2004) |
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The
United Review Collectors Club
has been run by Iain McCartney since
1990 and is a great source of information for all memorabilia
relating to Manchester United. Until 2017, newsletters were
sent to members six times a year but Iain has now gone digital, which has increased the scope considerably. His excellent newsletters are sent out 10 times a year and can run to 25 or more fact-packed PDF pages, in glorious technicolour. On the insistence of members who greatly appreciate his work, an annual subscription of £10 is payable but it's great value for a superb service.
To
join or for further details click here |
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Manchester
Utd History Books |
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United
Players & Managers Books |
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Manchester
United Fans Books |
There's
been many books written by the fans for the fans.
United isn't just a football team, it's a religion to some
people. As the famous banner reads, "United - Kids -
Wife - In That Order!" summonds up how die-hard Reds
feel about their club. We've put together all the United books
we know of written by fans...
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United
Facts
& Figures Books |
Are
you a bigger Statto than Angus Loughran? Well this is the place
you'll need to be to find books covering United's facts and
figures. We've listed all the Manchester United encyclopedias
and statistic books we know of. In this section, you'll also
be about to find illustration and photo books.
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Other
Manchester Utd Books |
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