A Universal History Of Infamy

A Universal History of Infamy (1975) by Jorge Luis Borges – Sold by Crappy Old Books

Before true crime was a Netflix genre and villainy had PR teams, there was A Universal History of Infamy — Jorge Luis Borges’ devilishly clever dive into the world’s most elegant scoundrels, murderous mystics, and poetic liars. First penned in the 1930s and reprinted here in this 1975 Penguin edition, these short, sharp sketches blur the line between biography, myth, and outright fabrication.

With his usual blend of razor wit and labyrinthine logic, Borges reimagines the lives of infamous figures from every corner of the globe. Pirates, prophets, and professional cheats parade through these pages, each more outrageous and improbable than the last — and somehow, utterly believable. It’s history, sort of. It’s fiction, mostly. But it’s Borges, so who’s keeping score?

Condition: Some wear to the cover and pages that smell faintly of revenge and dusty libraries. Marginalia may include the musings of a previous owner who fancied themselves a misunderstood genius.

Crappy Old Books: For readers who like their literature with a bit of moral decay.

Keep browsing: See more Fiction books Other books by Jorge Luis Borges