Buenos Aires
Jason WilsonAn authoritative introduction and intimate guide to the past and present of Argentina's vibrant, fascinating city: Buenos Aires
Whether for tango, football or art, passions in Buenos Aires run high. The largest city in Argentina, it is chaotic and lively, dangerous and cosmopolitan, and presents seemingly unlimited attractions for tourists. This book provides a view into the city today, and into its past.
Europeans colonized Buenos Aires in the sixteenth century, and from this modest start it had boomed by the end of the nineteenth century. Its history is one of excesses and of swings between authoritarian and democratic governments. By examining Buenos Aires’s past we can appreciate what remains as story, urban myth or reality.
In this book, Jason Wilson explores the history behind the monuments, buildings and people of the city. Essays on present-day Buenos Aires – its parks, cemeteries, museums and bookshops – reveal what makes the city tick, while listings provide handy references for the traveller. A well-illustrated overview of the city's past as well as a focused look at its present, Buenos Aires is an authoritative introduction and intimate guide to the past and present of a vibrant, fascinating city.
An authoritative introduction and intimate guide to the past and present of Argentina's vibrant, fascinating city: Buenos Aires
Whether for tango, football or art, passions in Buenos Aires run high. The largest city in Argentina, it is chaotic and lively, dangerous and cosmopolitan, and presents seemingly unlimited attractions for tourists. This book provides a view into the city today, and into its past.
Europeans colonized Buenos Aires in the sixteenth century, and from this modest start it had boomed by the end of the nineteenth century. Its history is one of excesses and of swings between authoritarian and democratic governments. By examining Buenos Aires’s past we can appreciate what remains as story, urban myth or reality.
In this book, Jason Wilson explores the history behind the monuments, buildings and people of the city. Essays on present-day Buenos Aires – its parks, cemeteries, museums and bookshops – reveal what makes the city tick, while listings provide handy references for the traveller. A well-illustrated overview of the city's past as well as a focused look at its present, Buenos Aires is an authoritative introduction and intimate guide to the past and present of a vibrant, fascinating city.
-
'
Cityscopes new guides take a different tack, weighted towards in-depth social and urban history. Its Beijing and Buenos Aires guides will fully arm visitors with context as well as must-sees.
'Wanderlust
-
'
This beautifully written book is more than a guide. It is a history, a compendium of must-see places, and a biography of some of the main players over the centuries, catering not just for the tourist but for bookworms, lovers of art, music and architecture. Wilsons words are given life and colour by excellent illustrations, while the inserts in each chapter are an additional surprise and delight.
'Evelyn Fishburn, author of Hidden Pleasures in Borgess Fiction
Prologue
History
1. The Two Foundations of Buenos Aires, 1536 and 1580
2. The Colonial City and the English Invasions, 1806 and 1807
3. Independence City, 1810 and Repercussions
4. The Civil War City and Rosas, 1829-80
5. Buenos Aires as the Capital, 1880-1930
6. The Infamous Decade, 1930-43
7. Perón, Evita, Peronism and Anti-Peronism, 1943-89
8. Into the Twenty-first-century City
The City Today
Gardel’s Smoking Statue
La Bombonera, Boca Juniors and Football
On the Trail of Jorge Luis Borges
The Greening City
The Labyrinth of the Recoleta Cemetery
The Fin de Siècle City: From Plaza de Mayo to Congreso
Gallery City
Bookworm Paradise
The Museo Larreta and Walled Garden
Listings
Chronology
Suggested Reading and Viewing
Acknowledgements
Photo Acknowledgements
Index
Jason Wilson is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies, University College London. His books include Octavio Paz: A Study of his Poetics (1979), Octavio Paz (1989), An A-Z of Modern Latin American Literature in English Translation (1989), Jorge Luis Borges(Reaktion, 2006), The Andes: A Cultural History(2009) and Buenos Aires: A Cultural History (1999). He lives in London and Buenos Aires.
