In the 19th century, tango developed from European, Andalusian-Gaucho, and African influences, and became famous through its representations by Hollywood and dramatizations in dance halls throughout the world. Offering an erudite yet refreshingly unconventional history, Robert Farris Thompson shows us tango not only as brilliant choreography but also as text, music, art, and philosophy of life. Photographs appear throughout, and former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne penned the foreword.