Here is a detailed review of just about all the buildings of any importance in Manchester, and how they got to be there. Coverage goes up to publication in 2000, and also discusses several buildings under construction or planned at that time, including the Imperial War Museum, Urbis, the extended City Art Gallery, and the Eastlands Stadium. Illustrated with over 190 black and white photos and drawings, plus 60 excellent colour plates, the book is organised in coherent sections, such as "Housing in the Nineteenth Century", and "Bidding for the Games and a Bomb". The relationships between historical periods, Mancunian commerce and industry, architects, developers, and city planners are explained throughout, and there is a wealth of intriguing anecdotes, facts and figures. The only disappointment is the lack of maps, both to illustrate the development of Manchester and also as a guide to the reader, who is surely going to want to get out into the city with this book in hand (probably in both hands). The gazetteer listing the important buildings street by street is a partial recompense.