Angels with Dirty Faces: How Argentinian Soccer Defined a Nation and Changed the Game Forever

I used to be a frequent reader of Jonathan Wilson's columns on Guardian and ESPN FC. I know how good as a writer he is. Plus, his Inverting the Pyramid is one of the most mentioned books among football tactic enthusiasts. But with Angles with Dirty Faces, this was the first time I read one of his books, and it took no time to show why he is one of the best storytellers in football journalism. He digs into the past of Argentinian football and puts it in the context of the turbulent history of this nation. The book records the history that spans over a century and features hundreds of characters. There is so much information to put in. It really takes a skillful storyteller to keep track of all this, make sense of it, and make it interesting. He was able to do that, brilliantly. Highly recommended.

Jonathan Wilson is probably one of the best scholars of the game. This book is a comprehensive, time-spanning, and thorough look at Argentinian soccer. It doesn't seem to miss anything, and covers all of the most important aspects of the country's footballing history.However, the book lacks a bit of romance - Wilson tries often to tie the political scene of Argentina (often a contentious one) as it relates to football. While the two are undoubtedly intertwined, it never really feels believable in this book. It feels more like parallel events that overlap slightly, but it doesn't really capture the wholly intertwined aspect of football and politics, revolution, geopolitical events, etc. It feels a bit forced.Along the same lines, it often starts to read more like an encyclopedia or anthology vs. a story or historical literature. Many times I found myself zoning out because the book was just describing a relatively mundane match that didn't feel all that important in the long run of Argentina's football history.A great novel for those who wish to increase their knowledge of Argentinian footballing history, but not for those who are looking for a bit more flair or excitement.

It is impressive not only the knowledge, but the level the accuracy and understanding of local issues that Mr. Wilson shows.The book is able to unveil some information even to an old Argentine man, very fond of foot-ball, which is my case. It is a nice and funny experience to read some very local facts by the guy that writes at The Guardian!, with full accuracy ..., as if it were written in Spanish by a local journalist. Despite the huge barrier that a different culture and language is supposed to represent to grasp some facts, the book incredibly maintains the local flavor. Wilson also has a good understanding of Buenos Aires "lunfardo" (slang), and gets the deep meaning of some expresssions, which clearly helped him to write such an outstanding work.

This is a well told story that covers the history of Argentinian soccer both within - the Argentina league - and without - in international competitions - the country. It also integrates the broader story of Argentina such as the dictatorship's attempt to use the 1978 world cup to enhance Argentina's reputation on the international stage. Though the book is not extremely technical, those without at least an intermediate level understanding of soccer tactics may wish to have Wilson's other book, Inverting the Pyramid, on hand to provide some background on the evolution of soccer more broadly. Overall, well worth the effort, even for those whose love of soccer is based largely on the European game.

Jonathan Wilson can always be counted on to write about deserving, fascinating topics with the right depth of inquiry and a rare clarity of language - this Angels with Dirty Faces is no exception. The tale of football in Argentina, the role it has played in that country's modern history, and the sagas of the legendary clubs and players there makes this an incredibly rich, yet easy and enjoyable read.

Convincingly relates Argentine political and social history to the evolution of soccer in the country, and its impact abroad. Wilson is a superior writer, who marshalls voluminous facts in an a readable narrative.

Jonathan Wilson has done a magnificent job with this book. He has able to capture every nuance of modern Argentine soccer and explain who, what, why, where, and how it come to be part of today's football. As an Argentina deeply in love with this sport, I would highly recommend this book to anyone remotely interested in the sport or the politics of the region. Thank you Jonathan for one my of my new favorite books!

Enjoyable book.

Two topics I'm passionate about: Football and Argentina. Loads of context, politics, history etc etc etc. Love it!

The book was as expected

Fantastic

El libro genial, como casi todo lo de Wilson, pero tuve que comprarlo dos veces porque el primero venía en pésimas condiciones, arañado, sucio y bastante deteriorado.