Book excerpt: There was never a band like The Smiths. Formed at the coalface of a depressed England in 1982, their mix of wit, realism and a wry self-awareness would take them to heights young Morrissey could only dream of from the confines of his dull education, a brutal Manchester upbringing, and the horror of cleaning up body parts as a hospital porter. Climaxing with the release of their first ever single; using interviews and reviews, imagined conversation and peerless artistry; visiting every influence from the New York Dolls to Nico, from Bowie and The Sex Pistols to Patti Smith, Con Chrisoulis brings to brilliant life the troubled teenage years of the unique artists that are Morrissey, Marr, Rourke and Joyce. With a foreword by Si Wolstencroft and an introduction by Johnny Rogan, this is the story of the birth of The Smiths, one of the most influential UK bands, ever. It’s time the tale were told…