The Philippines

Buyer Beware

This is an extremely short history of the Philippines and unlike the title implies it isn't really applicable to modern issues in that region. There isn't anything in that is necessarily false, but there's a lot of selective reporting made easy by the briefness of the writing.

The narrative takes a heavy handed anti-colonial approach and was obviously written by Americans due the fact that it is preoccupied with US policy/involvement/interactions with that region while yet failing to understand the internal divides and societal issues there.

This book repeatedly condemns US intentions by cited ideals like Manifest Destiny (such things did exist but these were not the norm) and attempting to liken US actions to those of Colonial Spain. These are the symptoms of someone who either knows less they'd like the reader to think.

3 people found this helpful

not about the Philippines exactly

I listened to the first 2 minutes of this book. likely the quickest I've ever given up reading anything. it starts with the American conquest of the Philippines. I skipped around a bit hoping it would talk about the country itself but it was all centered around Europe and the Americans. if you are interested in these relationships this may be of use to you.

3 people found this helpful

Myopic

This is not really a history of the philippines, but rather a history of Philippine American relations. everything before 1900 is covered in two chapters everything after 1945 in one. There's a lot about what Americans thought about the philippines, and comparatively little about what Filipinos themselves thought.

brief history

it went over the history before the region being named to more modern time glossed over this histroy but stuck to milestones well.