Angels with Dirty Faces

How Argentinian Soccer Defined a Nation and Changed the Game Forever

By: Jonathan Wilson

Narrated by: John Sackville

The Masterful, Definitive History of Argentinian Soccer

Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona, Alfredo Di Stéfano: 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, a hardening into the brutal methods of anti-fútbol, the fusion of beauty and efficacy under César Luis Menotti, and the emergence of all-time greats.

©2016 Jonathan Wilson (P)2022 Bold Type Books

Critic reviews

"Argentina's narrative is complicated, and Jonathan Wilson mines all of it 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

"[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

Very good and interesting. Probably needs new chapters for the most recent World Cup and Copa America

This book shows you just how interwoven football is within Argentine history and identity. If you’re a football fan who doesn’t know a huge amount about Argentina or someone who knows the history of Argentina but not much about its football but are interested this is a good resource. It definitely needs an update for the most recent World Cup and Copa America. The book sort of leaves it at a place where Argentina’s international football was on an upwards trajectory but leaves the narrative about Messi a little open ended. I think us now knowing him to truly be the successor to Maradona, in my opinion honestly having a much better legacy then him with Messi bringing international glory back to Argentina, could be a good thing to cap off the narrative

Great for history buffs

I like learning about the history of the game in Argentina, the teams, and it’s players. It definitely needs to be updated with the 2022 World Cup final.

Very good. Definitely needs an update now after the 2022 World Cup

Would love to see Jonathan Wilson update the book. He’s an excellent writer and I would recommend any of his books.

I do have to point out what others also have, the narrator’s pronunciation of Spanish names and places is atrocious, and there’s clearly a lot of edits where they had to splice in a better version of a section, which can be a bit disconcerting.

A great read on Argentinian soccer/football

Jonathan Wilson did a great deal of research and interviews to come up this fascinating overview of soccer/football in Argentina, that also gives a good history lesson and sociology study of the country that gave us Maradona and Messi. John Sackville does a great job of narrating this book. I would recommend this to anybody who has an in interest in Argentina, soccer and South America. I really enjoyed this book.