Based on both archives and contemporary sources, this is the full story of Factory"s heroic struggles; its complex web of inventive, idiosyncratic, and tragic personalities; and ultimately, the acclaimed and much-loved music it produced. In 1978, when a "Factory for Sale" sign gave Alan Erasmus and Tony Wilson a name for their fledgling Manchester club night, they couldn"t have known it would be the launch of one of the most significant musical and cultural legacies of the late 20th century. The club"s electrifying live scene soon translated to vinyl, and Factory Records went on to become the most innovative and celebrated record label of the next 30 years. Factory introduced the listening public to bands such as Joy Division, whose "Unknown Pleasures" was the label"s first album release, New Order, Durutti Column, and Happy Mondays. Propelled onwards by cultural entrepreneur Tony Wilson, Factory always sought new ways to energize the popular consciousness, such as the infamous...