Few groups can claim to have aroused their fans' consciousness to the same degree as The Smiths, the Manchester quartet whose break-up in 1987 was as dramatic and mourned as any in eighties pop.
The book is both a detailed biography and critical comment on The Smiths which follows their career from early days at Manchester's Electric Circus to the rancorous rift between Morrisey and Johnny Marr which split the band amid confusion and lost ideals.
Along the way, the author examines Morrisey's diverse influences and lifestyle of celibacy and squeamish vegetarianism. Fully illustrated and including a comprehensive discography.