Charles Buchan's Football Monthly was Britain's first ever football 'glossy'. Packed with hand-tinted photographs and celebrity articles, its arrival on the bookstands in September 1951 brought colour and glamour to the nation's football-hungry public after years of wartime deprivation and austerity. At its peak in the late 1960s, the magazine was selling 254,000 copies a week. The Best of Charles Buchan's Football Monthly was one of last year's best-selling Christmas annuals; this year Charles Buchan's Manchester United Gift Book promises similar treats.
After an introduction by Simon Inglis, editor of the Played in Britain series, Manchester United historian Mark Wylie sets the scene: Old Trafford lies in ruins after the Blitz; United are renting their neighbour's ground; they have a young and untried Scottish manager, Matt Busby, soon to sign the Dudley wonderkid, Duncan Edwards...
As the years go by and the hairstyles change, the stars emerge: Edwards, Roger Byrne, Tommy Taylor, all to die so tragically at Munich in 1958; Bobby Charlton, Denis Law, Nobby Stiles, George Best... triumph and tragedy in Europe, losing Cup Finalists in 1957 and 1958, winners at last in 1963. From the Busby Babes to European Champions in 1968, Charles Buchan's Football Monthly spanned almost the entire Busby era, watching the legend grow...The book also reprints for the first time since 1958 the magazine's poignant post-Munich tribute.
Simon Inglis, editor of the Played in Britain series, has many titles to his name. Engineering Archie (English Heritage) was runner up for the William Hill Sportsbook of the Year Award in 2005. His earlier book, The Football Grounds of Great Britain (Harper Collins), was selected by the Guardian's Frank Keating as the best sports books of the 20th century.
Mark Wylie has a deep understanding of Manchester United. He is the curator of the Manchester United Museum at Old Trafford and the author of dozens of articles and papers on the club.
ROYAL MAIL TRACKED 48
Price: £12.99 £19.99
Hardback: 144 pages
ISBN-13 : 978-0954744540
Lavishly illustrated
like new In very good condition