Bibliograph

Buenos Aires, a cultural guide, Nick Caistor

Type

Label

Buenos Aires, a cultural guide, Nick Caistor

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references and index

Illustrations

illustrationsplatesmaps

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Buenos Aires

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

882190913

Responsibility statement

Nick Caistor

Series statement

Interlink cultural guides

Sub title

a cultural guide

Summary

"The architect Le Corbusier once called Buenos Aires 'the capital of an imaginary empire.' From its foundation in the sixteenth century, Argentina's main city has been a place of the imagination as well as the scene of many striking historical events. This cultural guide looks at the impact of history and the efforts of men and women to build a city that would fulfill their dreams, as well as bringing today's Buenos Aires vividly to life for the visitor. From the new skyscrapers along the front of the huge 'river of silver' to the picturesque portside La Boca where hundreds of thousands of immigrants first faced a new continent, Buenos Aires has created its own legend, lived out today in tango bars, on football pitches, in cafés where intense debates take place, or where people simply watch the ever-changing parade of passers-by. Nick Caistor takes the reader to the insider's Buenos Aires. He shows how the past has shaped its streets, how Argentine politics has left its mark on almost every corner, how each wave of new inhabitants has added to the city's cultural mix. He explores the complex legacy of Spanish colonialism and Peronism as well as considering the city's representation by writers from Darwin and Humboldt to Borges and Cortázar. Analyzing the foundations of Porteño culture, he reveals a city obsessed by nostalgia yet rich in music, dance and spectacle"--Provided by publisher

Table Of Contents

Topography : river and plains -- The urban map : growth and development -- Landmarks : building and styles -- Rulers and ruled : a brief social and political history -- The written word : the city in literature -- Visual images : art, photography, and cinema -- Tango : the sound of the city -- Leisure and pleasure : pastimes and popular culture -- Changing faces : migration and social change -- Consuming passions : money and shopping -- The dark side : crime, vice, and terror -- Surroundings : the city's hinterland

Classification