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No One Taught Me To Tango

No One Taught Me To Tango

£20.00

By Trevor Grove

No One Taught Me To Tango is Trevor Grove’s love letter to his Argentine childhood and the sexy, subversive moves of that infamous dance, the tango. Grove recounts his Anglo-Argentine upbringing in Buenos Aires in the troubled time of Juan and Evita Perón, explores the history of tango and chronicles his own belated attempts to master its moves. However, the book strikes a darker note as Grove details the story of his father’s kidnapping by guerrillas in the 1970s and subsequent ransom for a million dollars. Later, he experiences conflicting loyalties during the Falklands War and meets some of the Anglo- Argentines forced to fight against their own parents’ motherland. Ultimately, though, these are cheerful recollections – filled with schoolboy antics, dashing characters and nostalgia for a far-off Latin land.

Trevor Grove is a renowned journalist and best-selling author. Born in Britain, raised in Buenos Aires, he now lives in London. He has edited The Sunday Telegraph and was launch-editor of a newspaper in northern Argentina. His books include The Juryman’s Tale and The Magistrate’s Tale: A Frontline Report from a New JP.

 

impeccably selected, immensely enjoyable memoir- THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

A chattily, charming memoir. Grove is a born raconteur. - Miranda Seymour, The Literary Review

"The most marvellous book, perfect in every way. Not only beautifully written, the heart behind it leaps off every page. Moving and very, very funny. I was enchanted by it" - Carmen Callil

"I’ve just finished in two gulps this lovely homage to Argentina. Its lightness of touch is both deft and charming. The tango is the supreme dance of nostalgia and unquenchable longing, and so perfect for a return voyage of this kind." - Nicholas Shakespeare

"I read this book at a sitting and loved it. The tango structure is brilliant... devastating social detail and eye for a telling point. A vivid lens through which to see Argentina in a ramshackle era. Chatty and intimate." - Roy Foster

"I loved the tango threading through it like a distant drum-beat. A warming, exotic read. Riveting stuff, very atmospheric, especially his father’s kidnap, the hair- raising birth of an Argentine newspaper, plus recipes. I could have done with more of those." - Deborah Moggach