Angels with Dirty Faces - by Jonathan Wilson (Paperback)

About the Book

Argentina has produced Alfredo Di Stefano, Diego Maradona, and Lionel Messi--some of the greatest soccer players of all time. The country's rich, volatile history is by turns sublime and ruthlessly pragmatic. A nation obsessed with soccer, Argentina lives and breathes the game, its theories, and its myths. Jonathan Wilson lived in Buenos Aires, in an apartment between La Recoleta Cemetery--where the country's leading poets and politicians are buried--and the Huracaan stadium. Like his apartment, Angels with Dirty Faces lies at the intersection of politics, literature, and sport. Here, he chronicles the evolution of Argentinian soccer: the appropriation of the British game, the golden age of la nuestra, the exuberant style of playing that developed as Juan Peraon led the country into isolation, a hardening into the brutal methods of anti-fabol, the fusing of beauty and efficacy under Casar Luis Menotti, and the emergence of all-time greats in Maradona and Messi against a backdrop of economic turbulence.

Book Synopsis

The masterful, definitive history of Argentinian soccer, focusing on its dominant sports culture and unsurpassed ability to consistently produce champions.

Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona, Alfredo Di St'fano: in every generation Argentina has uncovered a uniquely brilliant soccer talent. Perhaps it's because the country lives and breathes the game, its theories, and its myths.

Argentina's rich, volatile history--by turns sublime and ruthlessly pragmatic--is mirrored in the style and swagger of its national and club sides. In Angels with Dirty Faces, Jonathan Wilson chronicles the operatic drama of Argentinian soccer: the appropriation of the British game, the golden age of la nuestra, the exuberant style of playing that developed as Juan Perón led the country into isolation; a hardening into the brutal methods of anti-fútbol; the fusing of beauty and efficacy under César Luis Menotti, and the emergence of all-time greats.

Review Quotes

"A comprehensive, but immensely readable and wonderfully-researched history of a nation and its long-term love for the beautiful game... After reading this excellent history, you'll be as convinced as Argentina's football-loving population that it won't be long before the Carasucias add to their two World Cup titles." --News North Wales

"Argentina's narrative is complicated, and Jonathan Wilson mines all of it in Angels with Dirty Faces. What sets Wilson's book apart is the depth to which he goes to show how soccer weaves through Argentina's political and economic turmoil. He finds that the country's most celebrated moments and players are never as great as they seem."--Bloomberg Businessweek

"Mr. Wilson is the Lionel Messi of world football writing. Few writers in his genre are on the same literary pitch. His latest work is an integral read for those love the Argentinean style of play, its rich history and why football is the true soul of Argentina."--World Football Commentaries

About the Author

Jonathan Wilson is a columnist for The Guardian and the cohost of the football history podcast It Was What It Was. He has written thirteen books, including Inverting the Pyramid, and is the founder and editor of The Blizzard. He lives in London.