This book is terribly written, full of nonsense, and simply wrong about nearly everything. The author should go to Buenos Aires and see for himself just how far off he was when wrote this strange piece of work.

Please disregard the childish review filed from Miami. Historians have justly praised Moya's text as a product of broad and extensive research in Argentina and Spain. Relying on archival research, oral history, and cross-national investigations of families and communities across generations, Cousins and Strangers provides a clear explanation of the factors that shape the immigrant experience in Buenos Aires. There is no better book on the subject. It will influence and inspire future researchers who want to investigate the history of immigrant communities and cultures in the Americas for years to come.

This book is bold in conception, elegant in its execution, imaginative in its methodology. It should be read by anyone interested in the immigrant experience anywhere and in the craft of history in general. Others seem to agree with me. It has won five prestigious awards. Apparently, the taste of readers from Miami is as philistine as their politics.

Except for most of the Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego chapters, which show evidence of capable research and writing, this is a step backward from the previous edition. The coverage of northwestern Argentina is superficial and even naive, and the coverage of Iguazu falls missed the enormous changes that resulted from privatization of national park services over the past few years. It looks as if only one, perhaps two, of the five authors was really up to the job.

I used the guide in February 2003 to complete a trip in Argentina. The Lonely Planet guide was the best that I found, but none were up to par. I had Rough Guide to Argentina with me as well, and found it superior for the descriptions of points of interest. Lonely Planet, however, provided adequate descriptions and added travel information (75% correct) and local maps from time to time. Particularly unreliable were prices (of course, with the economic situation) and flight information. Pricing in any of the Arg. guides published for early 2003 is only good for comparison between like opportunities. Flights tended to be offered on different days or had been cancelled since publishing. The only notable information flaw I remember was in the El Bolson description, where they placed the cervezeria and associated campground on the opposite side of town. Everyone I met travelling to Uruguay or Paraguay had the Shoestring Guide to S.A. rather than this specialty guide, so I have no information on those sections of the book. All in all, the L.P. guide provided the best overall information, and I wouldn't have had as much time to enjoy my trip without it.

The first 'reviewer' has it wrong--this edition of Lonely Planet's Argentina book is a remarkable improvement over the 3rd edition, which at times is convolutedly wordy beyond belief. The review sounds like it was written by the previous author. Be aware that some competetive guidebooks, such as those put out by Avalon (or Moon) pay their authors based on the royalty system. In other words, on how many books they sell. Avalon may be putting out their own Argentina guide soon. Your best advice: run through the books at a bookstore and decide for yourself which fits your needs best.

An true insult to our Nation, our People and our History.

Surprisingly, Nicolas Shumway wrote on his book about a study named
"Jose Hernandez y sus mundos" written by Tulio Halperín Dongui:

"...albeit extensively documented and very informative, it seem to be
mainly aimed to destroy a favorite nacional icon"

Well, that seems to be BOTH the STYLE and the MAIN GOAL of his
book. Not about destroying one national icon on his case, but more
about destroying all of them at once.

I have read this book in 1993 for the first time and I have re-read it at different occasions since then. The topic of the book, the making of Argentina, follows the line open by many social scientists who, like Anderson, treat the origin of states as foundational and orientational myths. Nevertheless, far from vindicative or apologetic, the book itself implies a serious analysis of the historical development of third world nationalisms. On this line, Shumway permanently tries to indicate the implicit or explicit political purpose present in the philosophical, artistic and journalistic discourse of the nineteenth century local bourgeoisie. These three, together with the chronological sequence follown, are the core of the material used by the author. All in all, it might be said that, having been written by an American specialist on local affairs, the book has - from the view of an Argentine teacher of History in highschool - Ahumway has acchieved a remmarkable work. The freshness and the wit of the outsider observer together with the objectivity of the passionate researcher who tries - to the best of his capabilities - to resist the traditional biases that still characterize our political debates are the two facts that have impressed me the most..

An unprejudiced look at the history of Argentina. Based on his theory of the "guiding fictions" which (true or not) usually provide the basis for the spiritual development of nations, Shumway shows that no such paradigms stood at the beginning of Argentina's history; in fact, contradictory guiding fictions developing along the way produced irreconcilable differences which still haunt today's society - Unitarians against Federalists, Liberals against Nationalists.

Rather than analyzing the chronology of battles and governments (which, when the moment comes, are rather entertainingly disposed of), Shumway prefers to obtain his amazing insight from the writings of Argentina's national heroes, politicians, theoreticians and poets. The result is a history of histories which throws a new light on the country's evolution, its relationship with the United States and Europe and on its mysterious incapacity to fully belong to the first world. It even provides the interested reader with the method to keep reasoning on long after the book has ended (it only goes as far as the 1880's; the author has to be encouraged to write a second volume soon!).

Highly recommended to anyone who wants to better understand Argentina and Latin America, especially the brainwashed by generations of "official" textbooks.

Say the word Argentina to the average Englishman and what does he think of? Beef and grain: the vast treeless plains of the pampas and the brave caballeros: General Galtieri and the Falklands War of 1982; the tango with its passionate and provocative dance steps: the Lloyd Weber musical Evita and the haunting song "Don't Cry for me, Argentina"; and last but not least, the incredible Argentine football team and the infamous Maradona 'hand of God' goal which knocked England out of the World Cup. Now here is a book which amplifies and set the record straight. It is Argentine Tapestry beautifully crafted by Mario Ahrens whose love of his country shines trough every page. It is the story of two families the Orellana and the Villegas families and the interaction between them. But for me, it was not the story so much which captured the imagination but rather the historical backdrop, the contrast between the sophistication of the city and the wide open spaces of the pampas, and the culture against which the tale unfolds. Dr. Ahrens certainly has a way with words amply demonstrated in his lyrical descriptions of the pampas and his acutely drawn characters. I liked particulary his treatment of a naive boy and his reaction to the big city. The analogy ofthe elevator and the bird -cage brings home the country boy's fears most effectively. Ahrens' powers of description are excellent and his graphic description of the more exciting episodes can transport the reader right into the scene, for example an ostrich hunt, or a violent confrontation. "The two men stood ten feet apart, each measuring each other. The Indian untied the boleadoras from his waist and held them by the center splice. The powerful weapon could reach ten feet with a blow. With a low grunt Catrielito said, "Huinca dying," and twirled the boleadoras over his head. Inocencio saw it coming and leaped sideways, avoiding the blow. The balls hit the dirt with a thump. Now he had the advantage." How well this book wuold sell to the general public, I am not sure but I should think it would definitely find a market in Argentina itself. The actual production of the book is first-calss and hearty congratulations are due to the publishers, Pampa Publishing of Olympia, WA, USA for their outstanding technical skill.

Dr. Ahrens has a natural style very much like James Michener's, and Argentine Tapestry reads like a three-generation slice out of a Michener novel. The history of Argentina unfolds through the moving accounts of two families who start out on different economic planes but become increasingly close through the years. At times tragic, at times hilarious, but always fascinating.

This book will generate yearnings in the traveler for a guidebook like the Frommers series or Rick Steves individual country guides. That is, a book that "guides" the traveler to lodging, major sites, transportation options, interesting side trips, brief restaurant recommendations and brief shopping suggestions. At times I felt that I was reading Conte Nast. Conte Nast is not a guidebook -- it is a travel magazine. There is an important difference. What a traveler needs are the facts.

This book also lacks complete information demonstrating a lack of investigation of details on the part of the author. For example, a small chapter is devoted to Iguazu Falls. The book states that Aerolineas Argentinas has several flights daily for approximately $370. This is true. It does not mention other cheaper airlines. We were able to get a package deal from a local travel agent using LAPA airlines. The package included round-trip air, four nights at a four-star hotel in Brazil which included breakfast and dinner, and transportation to and from the hotel in Brazil and the airport -- all of this for $297! Also, the book never mentioned that U.S. citizens must have a visa to enter Brazil. The travel agent and the U.S. Embassy confirmed this. The book also stated that travelers should leave sweaters in Buenos Aires. It was 40 degree F. when we arrived!

Another weak point in this book is the woefully inadequate index. This is unforgiveable in any book considering the publishing techniques that have been available for over a decade.

There are other guides to Argentina, but this is the one I will take on my next visit. The author has visited Argentina more than 40 times, obvious from the wealth of information he gives you.

If you want to know every detail about diplomatic efforts and negotiations surrounding Las Malvinas (Falkland Islands) conflict, this is the right book. But if you are a hard core military history reader, this is not the book for you. The narrative doesn't have the magic to make you feel like you were there. It doesn't trigger the movie in your mind. There are no personal accounts of the soldiers who took part in the action. How they felt, what they saw and what they did. It doesn't have the details of the offensive and defensive actions for the battles. If you have read the books of Stephen E. Ambrose, you will understand what I'm talking about.

This book tells the history of the Malvinas Battle of 1982 between Argentina and Great Britain. The tale of what happened in Buenos Aires, London, Washington and New York as the conflict unfolded is very interesting. Must be read by anyone who wants to have a clear understanding of the Battle and of the political motives behind the actors (Argentina's military junta, Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government and the Reagan Administration).

Eduardo Archetti's book, Masculinities: Football, Polo, and the Tango in Argentina, is the anthropological study of generalizations in Argentine society and how those are used to build a nationality. The theme of hybridization runs throughout his book as he examines how through the mixing of different cultures, a unique identity could be formed. He looks at sporting as an example of this.
His conclusion is that through each activity Argentina was able to give something to the world or to themselves. Through Football Argentineans created their own style; In Polo, they were able to export their ponies; and through the poetry of the Tango they were able to embody the Argentine man's moralities.
The bulk of his research was done through conversations with informants and historical references such as newspapers and men's magazines. He desires to focus on the masculinities of the nation, but does not draw any concrete conclusions to the questions he asks. Overall, one gets a sense of nationalism and Argentinean identity through the book

This book examines the historical role of the male in Argentina, a country of tradition and immigration, the combination of which Archetti terms "hybridization." Filtering these themes through the examples of the man-man relationship in football, the man-horse relationship in polo, and the man-woman relationship in the tango, he tries to find the national identity of the Argentine man and establish his place on the international stage.
Archetti first introduces the idea of hybridization, tracing modern Argentine social makeup from the Spanish conquest in the early 16th century, which created the traditional Creole culture, through the European immigration of the early to mid 20th century, the environment in which football, polo, and the tango were all hybridized into something distinctly Argentine in style. Examining first football, he traces the "Argentine style" of creativity, especially dribbling, to the barrios, or small neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, where boys learn the game on the streets. This style matured into the individualistic football of the Argentinean national team, which came to be a world power, exportable to Europe. Polo, the game of the elite, is reviewed in similar terms. Archetti notes the importance of the Gaucho, the Argenine cowboy, in the development of polo jockeys and ponies. He then develops the idea of masculine moralitites in Argentine society, and ties them into the male-female relationship displayed in the tango, which developed in the early 20th century in Buenos Aires cabarets. Returning to football, the most important aspect of masculinity and nationalism in the book, Archetti looks at the male pride in the national team, especially their style and aesthetics inplay, and illustrates the individual's reaction to team performance. Using the example of Maradona, Argentina's most famous footballer, he asserts that the ideal male is a pibe, a boy, who through exceptional football skill, need never grow up on the field or off.
The book is the product of years of careful research, aided by several close "informants." Its focus on primary sources, with which the reader will not necessarily be familiar, and its insistence on quoting these sources at length, make for a sometimes dry read. Archetti succeeds in creating a better understanding of the male in football, polo, and the tango, as they developed in a country of hybridization and strong nationalism. The book is a success, then, in its academic aims, and excellent as a source for intense research, but tough to grasp and thick to wade through as a casual reader.

In his book, Eduardo P. Archetti uncovers how the national identity of Argentina is displayed through males participating in football, polo, and the tango. Archetti, along with being a native of Argentina, is an anthropologist. He chose to search out the answers to all of his questions simply by asking them to other Argentinean males. Archetti then puts this book together using the material he gained from the interviews he conducted. Besides piecing together the book by placing many of the actual interviews in it, he includes the histories of football, polo, and the tango, as well as a biographical account of Maradona, a former player on the Argentina national football team.
The book contains an introduction and two sections. Each of the three sections are divided up into approximately four parts. The introduction discusses the framework and the perspectives of the book. The first section focuses on how hybridization plays a key role in determining the national identity of Argentina. Archetti unveils in the later chapters of this first section the history of Argentinean football and polo. He then tells of how hybridity evolved within the realm of Argentinean sport and helped with the development of style and national image. The second section of the book is dedicated to the issue of masculinities and moralities in Argentinean football and the tango. Archetti talks about how the tango allowed for women to "step out" of their traditional roles, and how the lyrics of the tango express Argentina's national character. He finally tells of how Maradona, "the most famous contemporary Argentinean football star", had masculine tendencies and morals that depicted the ultimate Argentinean pibe (182).
Archetti's book was full of detail and quite interesting. However, he could have gone about presenting his material differently. He asked questions and did not answer them until further on into the book. As a reader, I found this method quite confusing. At the conclusion of the book, it was unclear to me if several of his questions were even answered. He should have answered his questions in a more orderly manner. Archetti did do a fabulous job explaining how the tango has evolved over time and has, in a sense, been a script for how Argentineans are feeling and what they are dealing with. This issue can therefore be further explored, and it can be discovered how the tango is currently evolving and how it continues to help shape the identity of Argentina.

The title "The Woman with the Whip" should be given to the author of this book- Mary Main (or Maria Flores, depending which version of this book you read), the woman (or at least one of the women) who I deem responsible for the "demoralization" of Evita's legacy.
This so called "historical" author explains Eva's life as if she had personally met Eva or had known her for several years. After all, she tells us what Eva WAS feeling at the time and what her TRUE motivations were- and according to Mary Main it was HATE and greed. The author so eloquently states how Eva suffered from megalomania and on the verge of insanity but luckily death did her in first.

It is a known fact now that Ms. Main used the opposition as her informants for this book, therefore her book is just a 283 page tabloid, loaded with all the malicious rumours that were later used by other historians of the 50's who disliked Evita and most recently used as the basis for the international hit musical "Evita" (Tim Rice has called this biography "Superb").
No one can really blame Time Rice or Andrew Lloyd Weber or anybody of that time period for getting the wrong impression of Eva Peron considering this book was probably the only MAJOR biography written about her in the english language.
It is my consolation that many recent biographies have denounced this work. Even other hostile biographer's such as Paul L Montgommery, author of "Eva Evita: The life and death of Eva Peron" has a discredit in his bibliography (although his work is just as one-sided and hostile).

Eva Peron was a legend during her lifetime. She was able to accomplish more in 7 years than any other political leader (male or female) accomplished in a lifetime. In response to Mary Main's accusations of megalomania or attention seeking, no one who is NOT sincere would work 15-20 hours a day for their cause. Eva's foundations built over 1000 schools, over 100 hospitols, thousands of homes for the under priviledged, Shelter's for the homeless and unwed mothers, orphanages and the list goes on and on. She also personally dealt with the people, kissing lepers (leprosy is contagious), the filthy, the old, and people with such diseases as cancer, tuberculosis and syphilis. Mortality rate amongst the poor and children improved considerably because they finally received FREE medical attention. After years of being ignored they were finally recieving first aid for their malnourishment, cholera etc. All this goes against the claims of being self centered. If Evita only wanted the credit for such good deeds, she could have paid someone else to do her job BUT STILL take the credit. Someone else could have been sitting in her office recieving the public while she could have been relaxing by the pool- enjoying the view from the lofty heights she had reached by that time.
As for Eva's sinful bed hopping, need I remind everyone that you can't name an actress (past or present) who did NOT have multiple bed partners. Marilyn Monroe, Jean Harlow, Elizabeth Taylor (and a ga-zillion others) have had several lovers, husbands and not to mention several abortions yet none of this hollywood "Legend" are classified as whore's or harlots by their public. Yet they are all glorified and idolized for simply having made movies. Even the American icon Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis is the subject of a constant "cult" but what did "Jackie O" DO for her nation- besides wear nice clothes and hats, that has made her such a legendary and saintly woman of her time. I am by no means trying to offend her many admirers or trying to diminish her impact on her country but it sickens me when a "latino" woman, who was just as charismatic and lovely, is constantly put under a microscope in order to find her flaws as a woman and as a human being. Ms. Main accusses Evita of being savagely ruthless and vindictive. She is held responsible for the attrocities committed by the state police during the first Peronist Period. But if you are going to accuse someone of murder and torture- have the evidence to back up your claims. But even Ms. Main states in her book.. "there is no proof."

There is ONE credit I will give Mary Main and that is that her book is very well written. There is no doubt that she was a talented writer. Too bad her most famous work is a hateful attack on one of this century's most enduring legends. This book is recommended for the die hard Evita fan, just so you get the Anti-Peronist view of Peronism and of the Peron's. But it should not be taken seriously. It should not be taken as the difinitive biography it proclaims to be. Ignorance is not bliss and neither is hate. This biography is the perfect example of both.

Eva Peron was a woman from the slums, born out-of-wedlock, with very little formal education, with a degree of Indigenous Argentine heritage (Evita was born in the town of Los Toldos, which is Spanish for "The Tents"), who had become an actress. The treatment people of her background received in Argentina in the 1940-50s would be parallel to what African Americans were going through during that same time-frame in the United States.

Before the government of Juan Peron, Evita's husband, came to power, women could not vote, there was no minimum wage, and the poor and working classes were completely absent from the political process. This system worked well for those who were on the ruling side of it, and that is the side the author of the book EVITA: THE WOMAN WITH THE WHIP was on. The author, Mary Main, was of Anglo (English) heritage but was born in Argentina. When Mary Main was a teenager she moved to England for several years and then returned to Argentina to be stunned by what she found. Argentina was now being ruled by people who belonged to a culture she Ms. Main was not a part of and did not understand: the Peronist movement, made up of those from the Catholic Hispanic-Creole culture. EVITA: THE WOMAN WITH THE WHIP bears the brunt of that misunderstanding, and it channels all of the misunderstanding into hatred for the primary symbol of Peronism: Eva Peron. It was the first book to be published in Argentina that was hostile to Evita (originally published shortly after Eva Peron's death in 1952 under the pen name "Maria Flores"), it is a compendium of gossip and myth, but would often be used by Evita's opponents and cited as fact. It would later become the basis for the musical EVITA.

Mary Main's portrayal of Evita is quite dated in its prose, very much rooted in the conservative conventions of the 1950s. Surprisingly, however, Mary Main does concede that Evita had at least some positive effect on Argentine society, saying that Eva Peron flamboyantly challenged much that was obsolete in the structure of the past, "and for this Eva may be remembered long after the poor ghost of Santa Evita has been laid to rest."

EVITA: THE WOMAN WITH THE WHIP is interesting only for the fact that it is the first biography of Evita to become available in the United States, and it is the first time most in the Anglo/USA world heard of her. But for a more accurate, non-biased, and researched retelling of Evita's life, I would recommend EVITA: THE REAL LIFE OF EVA PERON by Nicholas Fraser and Marysa Navarro.

I read this book for my higher English coarse and As I read it I became more and more Fascinated with Evita this book has so much detail that only intense research could have been done to get it this perfect. Mary's art of writing shines through in this outstanding Biography.

The detail of every aspect of Eva's life is covered in this book some skimmed some in minute detail. My life has changed for ever after reading this book and as copies are in short supply I suggest you Find one and keep it forever. Or never fully live

This book is not as bad as some reviews says. May be is not entirely accurate, but you should keep in mind the period in Argentina (1993-1994, the highest point of the Menem era) and the kind of people she had met (upper middle class). Many observations are really true (bank employees smoking on your face, lng queues for everything, the "cafecito" tradition, the "desaparecidos" stuff, etc.).
Many argentine people could be upset by this book, but it had its moments. You can't take it as sacred word, but it's not "only a bunch of lies" as someone said.
Read it, and read another books on Buenos Aires. And if you can, come to experiment by yourself!!!

I have not lived in Buenos Aires, I lived in Sao Paulo and Bahia Brazil. I decided to read this book however because I wanted to see if some of the experiences the author had were similar to mine. And many certainly were! I can understand about the bureauracracies, the corruption, the obsession with appearance esp. as it pertains to women, the sometimes shallow interests of people who live in the city, and the sentimentality displayed at the most mundane things.

Reading this I felt that I was not alone in my feelings. But the thing to remember is that this is an outsiders point of view so it is not gospel. If I wrote I book by no means would it be a definitive study of Sao Paulo or Brazil. Some things are comming from the preconceptions we have as foreigners.

But despite some of the bad experiences I had in Sao Paulo and Bahia. I also had many wonderful ones which I will cherish forever. I think that was the best thing about the book, that despite her problems, France still found the good in her friendships, the rhythm of the city, and the people.

Miranda France's first book is a neat, informative and sometimes amusing introduction to Buenos Aires: its history, culture and people. Whilst I started off with only a general curiosity for Argentina, my interest has been much awakened by the author's vivid and thoroughly researched accounts. France takes the reader through her experiences in Buenos Aires by focusing on a series of different aspects of the city and its culture: Evita, the Falklands, the 'Dirty War' and the preoccupation with self analysis provide several examples. This approach is made interesting through the way France depicts the time she spent there, shown through meetings with many different people. These range from neighbours, to workers in cafes and stalls, to more prominent members of Buenos Aires society - with a chilling revelation made by one person that she talks to featured towards the end of the book.

However, what comes across more than anything is the sadness which seems so deeply built into Buenos Aires: the 'disappeared', the story of Evita, the origins of tango, and Argentine 'bronca' all reflect an unsettled culture which, ultimately, France herself becomes caught up in. In the end, it is this that wills her back home, though she must now look back with much affection.

This is a fascinating first picture of a city and country many of us do not know much about. 'Bad Times in Buenos Aires' is a treat to read, and despite what the title suggests, may even encourage one or two readers to go and experience it for themselves. Definitely a recommended book for anyone who enjoys good travel writing.

LP guides are usually complete and thorough. so why is the section on buenos aires in this one so carelesly researched? is it because LP wants us to buy their book on buenos aires or because their researchers didn't visit the city at all? i've been to buenos aires countless times. reading the LP guide, one would think that it is just a hamlet not worth wasting your time on. buenos aires is one of the most exciting and mysterious places in the world; a european outpost in south america, full of chic decadence and a lot more than just beef and tango. entire districts are overlooked by the guide, descriptions are misleading or incomplete and uninviting at best. one wonders why. if you're looking for a guide to buenos aires, buy yourself a plane ticket and a map. once in the city, meet the locals. this is one city you need to explore and understand rather than just see. as jorge luis borges once said: ''it would seem that buenos aires has existed forever.''

It's true, this book is not the best LP has to offer, with somewhat pedantic, bone-dry descriptions and overly-detailed town histories your average traveler could care less about. It still offers your basic traveler's information, though, and you won't miss much with this complete tome in your hot little hands.
A promise, however: the next edition will arrive spicier and cutting-edge fresh, with beefed up entertainment sections and wittier town introductions to boot. It will also be more fun to read (same goes for the Buenos Aires guide). I personally guarantee it.

Used this guide for all three countries - Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. The information for the latter two countries was the most detailed and reliable (maybe because things don't change there as fast as they do in B.A.). It was especially good for hotels/restaurants in Montevideo; the region around Igauzu Falls (including Foz de Iguacu and Ciudad del Este); and Bariloche. Travellers going exclusively to Buenos Aires might want to get a more cosmopolitan book (it is impossible to distinguish good hotels from bad, good cultural events, etc. using this book). The whole lonelyplanet shoestring/adventure "feel" doesn't mesh well with a city as culturally rich & refined as Buenos Aires.