Tristram Hunt has written a readable book on Engels. He has also been a Labour MP and has on occasion been noted for crossing picket lines.
He has a letter in the Times (24th October) on new research by the historian Emily Chung on Engels 1844 study of the working class in Manchester. The research is published in the Historical Journal on open access
If the research leads more people to be aware of Engels work on Manchester it will serve a purpose, even if its findings may be argued about. Indeed Prof Ralph Darlington and myself are doing just that in the Guardian (25th October)
it seems a leap from identifying mixed dwelling areas to attempting to invalidate Engels work, but typical revisionism to make an academic name