Abstract

Sometimes dangerous and chaotic but always lively and cosmopolitan, Buenos Aires attracts tourists from all over the world. The largest city in Argentina, this South American capital crackles with passion for tango, soccer, art, and food. In this handy travel guide, Buenos Aires local Jason Wilson provides a window into the city’s history while also exploring its streets today.
 
Wilson offers a history of Buenos Aires’s beginnings as a Spanish colony in the sixteenth century, describing how it evolved from a port city for European trade to a booming, multicultural regional capital that became the leading destination for European immigrants. He examines the many swings between authoritarian and democratic governments the city has experienced during its history and sorts out the urban myths from the real story of the monuments, buildings, and people of Buenos Aires. The book also includes essays on present-day Buenos Aires—its parks, cemeteries, museums, and bookshops—to reveal what makes the city tick. Illustrated throughout with contemporary photos and compelling historical images, Buenos Aires provides useful references for travelers looking for restaurant, hotel, and itinerary ideas.
 
One of the first titles in Reaktion’s new CityScopes series, this social and urban history is an authoritative introduction and intimate guide to this vibrant, alluring city, past and present.
“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. Wilson’s 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 Borges’s Fiction
Jason Wilson is professor emeritus in the Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies at University College London. He is the author of many books on Latin American culture and literature, including Jorge Luis Borges, also published by Reaktion Books. He lives in London and Buenos Aires.