When the Manic Street Preachers burst onto a bemused music scene back in 1990, they quickly became both the most loved and the most hated band around. With their androgynous punk rantings and preposterous all-conquering ambitions, they bewildered, fascinated and outraged both the music press and their fans, and have continued to do so ever since. Author Martin Clarke attempts to cut through the swathes of rumour and hearsay with an incisive and factual portrait of a complex, multi-layered and frequently self-contradictory band, whose compelling music makes them one of modern rock's most remarkable talents.
