Manchester and Salford boast an extraordinary historical legacy. In particular, nowhere has a better claim to be regarded as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, and it has an equally important place in transport history, with pioneering canals and one terminus of the world's first fully-fledged passenger railway. The area saw the collaboration of Marx and Engels, and the birth of what became the Suffragette movement. Much of the groundwork for the modern computer revolution was laid here and more recently it saw the discovery of graphene - a form of carbon. All this and much more is reflected in the two cities' rich heritage of great architecture and urban landscapes. The bulk of this is from the nineteenth century onwards, but there are important buildings and remains dating back to Roman times.This book of exceptional photographs reflects the area through the lens of award-winning photographer Jon Sparks. Here are the locations and buildings, old and new, that define the essence, identity, contrasting scenes and vibrant spirit of Manchester and Salford.

From industry to sport, leisure to worship, culture to transport and listed to modern buildings, this is a stunning portrait of two eternally fascinating cities.