Rebuilding Manchester United: The DNA and Future of the World's Greatest Football Club

This compelling and moving story of Manchester United's rejuvenation after the Munich Air Crash revisits an era that is fundamental to the club's place in the modern game.

The 1958 Munich Air Crash that ripped the heart from one of Britain's greatest ever teams. The events surround the tragedy are well-documented, but until now, the devastating consequences, and incredible re-birth of Manchester United has escaped such scrutiny. In this book, Wayne Barton, author of 20 Manchester United titles and 'the pre-eminent writer' on the club (former owner Martin Edwards) has produced a forensic account of how those post-tragedy years forged the character of one of the world's biggest clubs.

Barton, who has already written acclaimed biographies of Duncan Edwards and Jimmy Murphy, focuses on the five years immediately after the tragedy, how the shattered ambitions of the club were revived and rejuvenated by recovering manager Matt Busby and his assistant Murphy.
The book looks at the tribulations and successes in the club's long journey back to glory; the grieving makeshift team's dramatic FA Cup campaign; the pressures exerted on young players thrust into the limelight; the survivors' battles to re-adjust; the lasting bonds made with Real Madrid and other European clubs; the transformative arrival of record-signing Denis Law; and how it all led to the reaffirming glory of their first post-Munich triumph.

This engrossing story is told through in-depth research and exclusive interviews with many players from the era. They include Harry Gregg, Jackie Blanchflower, Bill Foulkes and Albert Scanlon, who all survived the crash; Albert Quixall, David Herd, Pat Crerand, Wilf McGuinness and others who became stars of the rebuilt team; and supporters and back room staff who witnessed an extraordinary period at the club.

As Barton explains, the post-crash rebirth has become as significant in the club's history as the tragedy itself. It is a story full of despair and struggle, romance and ultimately glory that still resonates today. The scars of that fateful night will never fade, but in its aftermath a spirit of resolve, a belief in homegrown players and a never-say-die attitude developed and became essential elements of Manchester United's DNA.