The story of The Pogues is as vivid as the music they've been making for the last 20 years.

Author Carol Clerk interviews Shane MacGowan, Spider Stacy, Jem Finer, Andrew Ranken, James Fearnley and Cait O'Riordan, who tell their story where it all started, in the streets and pubs of London's Kings Cross. She also interviews the managers, agents, label bosses, film-makers, producers, promoters, PRs, journalists, friends and fans who tell of a fiercely loyal group of friends.

We read of their arguments and drunken spats, their love affairs, the marriage of Cait and Elvis Costello, the death of Kirsty MacColl, the illnesses, the drugs, the sackings, the legal actions and above all, the over-riding passion for music.

Carol Clerk is the former News Editor of Melody Maker. She now contributes to various music publications including Uncut and Classic Rock and has co-written various books including Hughie and Paula: The Tangled Lives of Hughie Green and Paula Yates, Inside the Firm and Getting It Straight, as well as writing her own books on Madonna, The New York Dolls and Hawkwind, all published by Omnibus Press.