TOPCast has a lot of interviews with historic pin people. PinRepair.com in general has a TON of historic information in addition to the tech info. I don't know where I'd be without this website. http://www.pinrepair.com/topcast/past.php
The Complete Pinball Book goes over history too. I believe this is the book that breaks the history down by playfield features (ie. chapter about flippers, then chapter about pop bumpers, etc.) http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Pinball-Book-Collecting/dp/0764337858
Pinball Magazine is another very good resource for interviews and information: http://www.pinball-magazine.com/
There is no single comprehensive book or documentary that touches everything. There are good old books and articles that don't cover anything from the past decade still worth reading. I don't know anything about the Manchester scene, finding a local tournament or forum is your best bet to connect with local players. Also yes, virtual pinball is a dirty word 
