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A History of the Philippines: From Indios Bravos to Filipinos
From ancient Malay settlements to Spanish colonization, the American occupation and beyond, A History of the Philippines recasts various Philippine narratives with an eye for the layers of colonial and post-colonial history that have created this diverse and fascinating population. A History of the Philippines begins with the pre-Westernized Philippines in the 16th century and continues through the 1899 Philippine-American War, the nation's relationship with the United States’ controlling presence, culminating with its independence in 1946 and two ongoing insurgencies, one Islamic and one Communist. Luis H. Francia creates an illuminating portrait that offers the reader valuable insights into the heart and soul of the modern Filipino, laying bare the multicultural, multiracial society of contemporary times.
368 pages, Paperback
First published May 13, 2010
336 people are currently reading
2112 people want to read
About the author
Luis H. Francia
19 books20 followersLuis H. Francia’s nonfiction works include the memoir Eye of the Fish: A Personal Archipelago, winner of both the 2002 Open Book Award and the 2002 Asian American Writers award, and Memories of Overdevelopment: Reviews and Essays of Two Decades. His A History of the Philippines: From Indios Bravos to Filipinos was published in 2010. He is in the Library of America’s Becoming Americans: Four Centuries of Immigrant Writing. He is the editor of Brown River, White Ocean: A Twentieth Century Anthology of Philippine Literature in English, and co-editor of Vestiges of War: The Philippine-American War and the Aftermath of an Imperial Dream, 1899-1999, as well as the literary anthology, Flippin’: Filipinos on America. His latest collection of nonfiction, RE: Reflections, Reviews, and Recollections, is being published by the University of Santo Thomas and will be released in 2014. Among his poetry collections are The Arctic Archipelago and Other Poems, Museum of Absences, The Beauty of Ghosts and Tattered Boat. His poems have been included in numerous journals and anthologies, the latter including Returning a Borrowed Tongue, Language for a New Century, Field of Mirrors, and Love Rise Up! In September 2012 Bindlestiff Studio in San Francisco gave his first full-length play The Strange Case of Citizen de la Cruz its world premiere. He has been a regular contributor to The Village Voice and The Nation, and was the New York correspondent for Asiaweek and The Far Eastern Economic Review. He teaches at New York University and Hunter College, as well as teaching creative writing at the City University of Hong Kong and writes an online column, “The Artist Abroad,” for Manila’s Philippine Daily Inquirer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
May 26, 2021
A well-researched and well-narrated history of the Philippines.
The first 60% was difficult to read because colonial history grieves me. It grieves me to see how much we lost, how much we suffered, and how much of our past and continued suffering now goes ignored by the modern world. Or worse, we are told that we deserved it, that we were better off having been colonized. Already, I see that sentiment being echoed by some reviewers here on Goodreads, no doubt by those embittered by the revelation of the atrocities committed during the American occupation of the Philippines. On the contrary, I didn't find Francia's account of the American colonization any more ruthless than his account of the Spanish and Japanese occupation (in fact, I found his retelling of the Japanese occupation most brutal). He focuses on the effects of American imperialism because of its continuation into modern times.
(Note: I see some reviews criticizing the author for living in the U.S. given his stance against American imperialism, which I think is absurd. First of all, Francia never criticizes life in the U.S., nor its general populace. His criticisms were directed at the U.S. government's destabilizing support for corrupt and anti-democratic forces in other nations -- the Marcos dictatorship as a prime example -- in order to further American economic and military interests (ironically under the banner of democracy and free market). In that case, living in the U.S. is probably *the* smartest choice to avoid the U.S. government's interference in other nations, and to live a relatively stable life. Also, Francia spends not an insignificant section explaining why the Filipino exodus is happening, an exodus that he happens to be part of. Instead of criticizing the author, perhaps take a moment to appreciate that the comfortable western lifestyle is built on the backs of nations suffering from proxy wars, and let's not begrudge some Filipinos for wanting a taste.)
I was very interested in the latter 40% that elaborated on the complex political machinations by various players after the Philippines gained independence. I never really quite realized it, but we were under a dictatorship not long ago. I used to think, "Oh, it's the 70s. That's before my time." But viewed from the lens of modern history, it's quite recent. My parents grew up under this dictatorship. I was born a handful of years after its end. It's no surprise we are still reeling from its economic and political disaster.
I'm a little disheartened to see how entrenched corruption is in the government. I feel for those advocating for land reform, a cause 500 years in the making, and unfortunately one that is unlikely to be resolved any time soon. There are a lot of things that will leave the reader feeling frustrated, like reading a really good story whose many threads were left dangling. But I think that's also partly because we are given wonderful glimpses to the strength and resilience of the Filipino people, and those glimpses demonstrate that we are capable of so much more. In this respect, the book is ultimately a hopeful one.
I would recommend this book to other Filipinos, first and foremost, because I think it really sheds a different perspective on our culture. Colonialism is still regarded as a blessing by many Filipinos who are unaware of how much our ancestors suffered. I have relatives who routinely say things like, "I'm so glad the Spanish conquered us, otherwise we'd mostly be Muslims" (yeah, there's a lot to unpack there), or who wish that we would become the 51st state of America (er, take a peek at Puerto Rico and the natives of Hawaii, please). I think this book gives us a rooted sense of where we come from, of which foreign aspects we have made our own, and how we can forge a national identity that is beneficial for all the nation's inhabitants. (In the past few years, "nationalism" has become somewhat of a dirty word, but I think whether or not nationalism is a bad thing depends on context. In the case of the Philippines, mustering nationalism in the right amount in the right way will greatly benefit a country that often sees "foreign" as "better.")
The first 60% was difficult to read because colonial history grieves me. It grieves me to see how much we lost, how much we suffered, and how much of our past and continued suffering now goes ignored by the modern world. Or worse, we are told that we deserved it, that we were better off having been colonized. Already, I see that sentiment being echoed by some reviewers here on Goodreads, no doubt by those embittered by the revelation of the atrocities committed during the American occupation of the Philippines. On the contrary, I didn't find Francia's account of the American colonization any more ruthless than his account of the Spanish and Japanese occupation (in fact, I found his retelling of the Japanese occupation most brutal). He focuses on the effects of American imperialism because of its continuation into modern times.
(Note: I see some reviews criticizing the author for living in the U.S. given his stance against American imperialism, which I think is absurd. First of all, Francia never criticizes life in the U.S., nor its general populace. His criticisms were directed at the U.S. government's destabilizing support for corrupt and anti-democratic forces in other nations -- the Marcos dictatorship as a prime example -- in order to further American economic and military interests (ironically under the banner of democracy and free market). In that case, living in the U.S. is probably *the* smartest choice to avoid the U.S. government's interference in other nations, and to live a relatively stable life. Also, Francia spends not an insignificant section explaining why the Filipino exodus is happening, an exodus that he happens to be part of. Instead of criticizing the author, perhaps take a moment to appreciate that the comfortable western lifestyle is built on the backs of nations suffering from proxy wars, and let's not begrudge some Filipinos for wanting a taste.)
I was very interested in the latter 40% that elaborated on the complex political machinations by various players after the Philippines gained independence. I never really quite realized it, but we were under a dictatorship not long ago. I used to think, "Oh, it's the 70s. That's before my time." But viewed from the lens of modern history, it's quite recent. My parents grew up under this dictatorship. I was born a handful of years after its end. It's no surprise we are still reeling from its economic and political disaster.
I'm a little disheartened to see how entrenched corruption is in the government. I feel for those advocating for land reform, a cause 500 years in the making, and unfortunately one that is unlikely to be resolved any time soon. There are a lot of things that will leave the reader feeling frustrated, like reading a really good story whose many threads were left dangling. But I think that's also partly because we are given wonderful glimpses to the strength and resilience of the Filipino people, and those glimpses demonstrate that we are capable of so much more. In this respect, the book is ultimately a hopeful one.
I would recommend this book to other Filipinos, first and foremost, because I think it really sheds a different perspective on our culture. Colonialism is still regarded as a blessing by many Filipinos who are unaware of how much our ancestors suffered. I have relatives who routinely say things like, "I'm so glad the Spanish conquered us, otherwise we'd mostly be Muslims" (yeah, there's a lot to unpack there), or who wish that we would become the 51st state of America (er, take a peek at Puerto Rico and the natives of Hawaii, please). I think this book gives us a rooted sense of where we come from, of which foreign aspects we have made our own, and how we can forge a national identity that is beneficial for all the nation's inhabitants. (In the past few years, "nationalism" has become somewhat of a dirty word, but I think whether or not nationalism is a bad thing depends on context. In the case of the Philippines, mustering nationalism in the right amount in the right way will greatly benefit a country that often sees "foreign" as "better.")
December 21, 2017
On my journey to read a history of every country in the world, I read some stinkers and sometimes find a few gems. This would be a gem, a perfectly serviceable and lay-accessible history of the archipelago. Not too complex, not too confusing and, unlike many histories these days, it doesn't lose its steam until it gets to the modern era. True, that period is dominated by the hilarious (not for Filipinos, I guess) machinations of the shitty Marcoses and all their almost-just-as-awful successors.
Much is given over here to the Philly's relations with the US in all its gruesome glory (lessons here, people) and the role of the church, too. Sadly only one map and the illustrations are a little off, but overall excellent.
Much is given over here to the Philly's relations with the US in all its gruesome glory (lessons here, people) and the role of the church, too. Sadly only one map and the illustrations are a little off, but overall excellent.
January 15, 2025
Filipino history is depressing
I no longer wish to learn about Filipino history
Sorry Reina
I no longer wish to learn about Filipino history
Sorry Reina
January 24, 2023
didn't think I would be able to get through this (a history book :o), but I'm glad I did. this book gave me context to the names/places/events I grew up hearing about, which was, for some parts, as fascinating as it was terrifying. I loved reading about pre-colonial Philippines in particular – the babaylan and the largely matriarchal social structure. much much more to learn, but this was a good start.
March 7, 2011
Excellent general survey of Philippine history. Francia begins shortly before Spanish colonization and end at the beginning of 2010. He discusses the Filipinos’ struggle for independence first from the Spaniards, from the U.S., and finally from the Marcoses. Post-Marcos, the Philippines still struggles with political corruption and social inquity. Though sometimes it’s hard to keep track of all the agency and organization acronyms, the book is very accessible. Also, there are glossaries at the end that define some of the Filipino and Spanish terminology.
April 23, 2018
A depressing, very dry narrative of colonialism, enslavement, imperialism, and corruption endured by the Philippine people. If you want to read a history of the Philippines by a much more engaging writer, I recommend In Our Image: America's Empire in the Philippines by Stanley Karnow, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1990.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
May 25, 2013
A well-written survey of Philippine history highlighting the country's unfinished project of attaining independence from the colonial rulers of its shadowy past. A must-read for those hoping to correlate post-colonial thought with a country whose very identity is formed by its colonial contacts.
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April 21, 2024A Review of The History of Philippines
By: Luis H. Francia
As the title implies this is a comprehensive history of the Philippines Island all the way up to the early 2000s. The first chapter is all about what the Philippines was like before the Spanish came. They were peaceful group of people that traded with other Asian countries, and they had their own Gods they prayed to and believed in. Then Magellan came giving the islands as a gift to Spain, who introduced Catholicism to the Philippines. Church and State were one in the same under Spanish rule, and Friars and Bishops were enforcing the law. The Spanish forced their own culture on the Philippines such as the Spanish language. When the Spanish-American war happened America “rescued” the Philippines and made the islands an American territory via “the Paris Treaty”. President McKinley even made a speech saying God told him to do this for the Philippines and that they needed to educate the Filipinos. Both countries saw them as savages that needed to be educated and colonized. Sound familiar? There intentions may have been to help, but they teased independence only to say it comes with stipulations. America owned them, meaning they weren’t independent and had to work with the Americas, but under their terms. The chapter covering what the Japanese did reminded me of what Hitler and Nazi’s did to the Jews. Francia also covers the Marcos regime, which was during the 1980s through the 1990s. He was President for a long time liking the power a little too much, and having a wife, Imelda who knew how to charm people and work the system. She was compared to First Lady Jackie Kennedy. When Francia starts talking numbers and money in the last chapter I became overwhelmed and confused by all the data. Despite that this was an informative and detailed account on Filipino history, which is organized in an easy to follow way.
By: Luis H. Francia
As the title implies this is a comprehensive history of the Philippines Island all the way up to the early 2000s. The first chapter is all about what the Philippines was like before the Spanish came. They were peaceful group of people that traded with other Asian countries, and they had their own Gods they prayed to and believed in. Then Magellan came giving the islands as a gift to Spain, who introduced Catholicism to the Philippines. Church and State were one in the same under Spanish rule, and Friars and Bishops were enforcing the law. The Spanish forced their own culture on the Philippines such as the Spanish language. When the Spanish-American war happened America “rescued” the Philippines and made the islands an American territory via “the Paris Treaty”. President McKinley even made a speech saying God told him to do this for the Philippines and that they needed to educate the Filipinos. Both countries saw them as savages that needed to be educated and colonized. Sound familiar? There intentions may have been to help, but they teased independence only to say it comes with stipulations. America owned them, meaning they weren’t independent and had to work with the Americas, but under their terms. The chapter covering what the Japanese did reminded me of what Hitler and Nazi’s did to the Jews. Francia also covers the Marcos regime, which was during the 1980s through the 1990s. He was President for a long time liking the power a little too much, and having a wife, Imelda who knew how to charm people and work the system. She was compared to First Lady Jackie Kennedy. When Francia starts talking numbers and money in the last chapter I became overwhelmed and confused by all the data. Despite that this was an informative and detailed account on Filipino history, which is organized in an easy to follow way.
June 3, 2023
An excellent history and stunning accomplishment, marred only by the authors devolution into personal politics, and the points of view at the end. At that point, it becomes more of an essay on what he thinks needs, and should happen rather than reporting on history itself. But up till that point despite the occasional editorial comments, it was excellent history. Highly recommended.
August 24, 2025
This was interesting! I haven't read a book about geopolitics in a long time and it made me feel like I was in college again.
May 15, 2021
An excellent read, would definitely recommend to new learners who want a critical, thorough but broad overview of the history of the Philippines. Francia writes history with the slightest narrative tilt so the writing isn't entirely textbook, though not (in my opinion) hyperbolic and skewed. This is the first book I've read on Philippine history, admittedly I am (or I was) entirely ignorant of most of the material covered in this book, but it was a wonderful introduction.
Francia gets a ton of bonus points from me for writing from an anti-imperialist, anti-colonial, anti-capitalist perspective, with consideration of the impact of class difference, sexism, the fluidity of religion, and criticism of Islamaphobia within the Philippines. Of course, this is an overview, and as Francia says himself at the beginning, this is an incomplete history. I have many more questions now than when I started, which is awesome.
History can be intimidating to read for me, my ADD makes it really hard to focus on, but I found no part of this book dry! There was occasionally confusion because there are tons of acronyms for various political/humanitarian/etc. groups, but they're not all listed in the index. And of the ones listed they don't give all the page numbers they're mentioned or introduced on, so it's sometimes hard to follow what group is what and who they stand for. But that can be supplimented with Google.
Would recommend to anyone and everyone. It was enlightening, sometimes incredibly sad as history is wont to be, but all the same, empowering.
Francia gets a ton of bonus points from me for writing from an anti-imperialist, anti-colonial, anti-capitalist perspective, with consideration of the impact of class difference, sexism, the fluidity of religion, and criticism of Islamaphobia within the Philippines. Of course, this is an overview, and as Francia says himself at the beginning, this is an incomplete history. I have many more questions now than when I started, which is awesome.
History can be intimidating to read for me, my ADD makes it really hard to focus on, but I found no part of this book dry! There was occasionally confusion because there are tons of acronyms for various political/humanitarian/etc. groups, but they're not all listed in the index. And of the ones listed they don't give all the page numbers they're mentioned or introduced on, so it's sometimes hard to follow what group is what and who they stand for. But that can be supplimented with Google.
Would recommend to anyone and everyone. It was enlightening, sometimes incredibly sad as history is wont to be, but all the same, empowering.
July 7, 2018
The author has done his work and it is all together a good overview of Philippines history. Sadly, he is critical, cynical and over prone to commentary.
The book starts well, only hinting at the opinion that eventually becomes the primary content as the centuries explained pass.
By the time we learn about the modern era the book drifts from history to primarily commentary on that history. While every historian inevitably expresses opinion this author seems to have embraced that element wholeheartedly by the end of the book. It is odd to me that someone so critical of the USA has chosen to make it home for the last few decades. There are numerous valid reasons for any Filipino to be upset with the country but Francia sounds almost snobbish in his evaluation of both the USA and the Philippines. If he is really that upset with conditions in the country he should move back and run for office so he can do something about it.
The quality of the editing could be improved - multiple errors that are not the author’s fault were a distraction.
I learned a lot while reading and it makes me sad that it wasn’t more polished and less opinionated. An updated edition with less commentary would be of great interest.
The book starts well, only hinting at the opinion that eventually becomes the primary content as the centuries explained pass.
By the time we learn about the modern era the book drifts from history to primarily commentary on that history. While every historian inevitably expresses opinion this author seems to have embraced that element wholeheartedly by the end of the book. It is odd to me that someone so critical of the USA has chosen to make it home for the last few decades. There are numerous valid reasons for any Filipino to be upset with the country but Francia sounds almost snobbish in his evaluation of both the USA and the Philippines. If he is really that upset with conditions in the country he should move back and run for office so he can do something about it.
The quality of the editing could be improved - multiple errors that are not the author’s fault were a distraction.
I learned a lot while reading and it makes me sad that it wasn’t more polished and less opinionated. An updated edition with less commentary would be of great interest.
October 25, 2025
A very engaging historical account of the Philippines that also shines a light on the geopolitical forces that shaped the region and American foreign policy in the past 75 years. A very difficult read personally but one that was informative and liberating. Historical context is so important in understanding culture and this book definitely helped bring clarity to many cultural norms that I grew up with. Also shines a light on American hegemony, which is shameful at best and diabolical / evil at worst. Difficult, illuminating and strangely healing for an immigrant third culture kid like me.
September 22, 2015
A colonial and post-colonial political history, though with the US's continued meddling, that post could get a question mark. Colonial policies have scary parallels with right wing US politics, dump education and skip infrastructure and the ultra-rich and corrupt knows what's good for you. A great general read about the ugly story of the colonization of the Philippines.
Contains a bibliography and chapter notes.
Contains a bibliography and chapter notes.
March 22, 2019
Tidvis kjedelig og rotete bok. Den har mye interessant å si, men i blant blir Francia enten for tørr eller for uprofesjonnel. Han er ikke historiker, så jeg forventa ikke at han skulle skrive som en, men han blir litt ram på å sette ord i munnen på folk til tider. Og når jeg er enig i det han sier men likevel blir irritert funker det ikke. Vet ikke om jeg ville anbefalt det som inngang til landet, men jeg har ikke noen annen litteratur å anbefale.
August 5, 2021
This is a great book. It is a topic I am quite familiar with but there are several things that were new to me. For one, the story of Douglas McArthur's underage Filpino girlfriend which was a rumor only (it was proven when I was in graduate school in the 1980s), and "The Laguna Copperplate Inscription" only briefly mentioned was discovered in 1989. I will check out more books by Luis H.Francia. I highly recommend this book.
January 11, 2012
I thought the first 300 years was the most educational. During the more recent history (say, the author's life time), the author freely used acronyms and nicknames (and Spanish terms!) without defining them or bothering to keep me informed. Maybe he didn't expect to be writing for a totally naive audience?
July 1, 2014
It's OK as a brief introduction to the history of The PHilippines. But nothing more. It's written by a non-historian, and the content reflects that. You should look other places if you want a more in-depth, analytical text on the topic.
January 20, 2016
Great read. A nice intro to first time dabblers on Philippine history. Even for guys peeps more historically-inclined, there are a lot of gems here that would make you go "I did not know that!" or even "WTF?!?!?!"
July 11, 2023
Well researched and interesting. This book is exactly as advertised. As I’m no expert on the contents (this is the only piece of Philippine history I’ve read) I can’t comment the quality of the research or other accuracies but there is not much that makes me doubt the authors credibility. His bias is certainly there, as a center left historian (if he is further left than that, he did a better job of hiding it than I thought!) just as an example, the author discusses the current policy’s and his beliefs about their effects. One of these is the issue of smuggling. His main concern seems to be with the failure to levy taxes for social programs and the harm to local industry due to this “unfair” foreign trade. I would argue that competition helps the average consumer, but fair enough. There are a few times where I felt like the author would say, when discussing some free market solution, “X policy had Y positive effects and here is the data that shows the positive effects but actually it also has negative effects that are a,b, and c” but won’t have data to back up the negative parts. Ultimately those are minor nitpicks as everyone has bias and you can’t include every data point. I’m not going to argue the effects of policies with the expert historian here, I just want you to understand his perspective and where you may agree or disagree.
The reason I gave It three stars was not an ideological difference but rather the authors writing style. It’s mostly engaging but frequently I found myself feeling like he either over repeated himself or had a few fluff words that should have been removed in the editing phase. I don’t have a specific example but he’ll write something like “every since 1943, as previously mentioned, when I mentioned it a few pages ago, 30 years ago, as mentioned before, the Philippines had a 30 year long policy, that lasted 30 years. It had an effect, well it had a prominent effect, though some disagree with this” so on and so forth. This is obviously a hyperbolic example but there is too much repetition and too many caveats. To me, a good writing style says “X policy has Y effect because of A, B, C” or “X event happened because of A, but also some of B and C.” When you say “X lead to Y because of A, but some say B, and others C, and there’s also this discredited theory D, and a few dissidents that Say E” this can sometimes be relavant in the historical context but if it’s a claim you’re making just make it with your chest. Let the ready understand this is a claim you’re making. A conclusion you came too. “Y thing happened in X year” is obviously a statement of fact and we should trust you. “y thing happened BECAUSE of x thing” is a judgement you’re making, trust the audience to understand that it isn’t a universal truth claim. Let us think critically about it. Ironically, when he was making those center left remarks I mentioned earlier he was at his best. Those were the highlights.
Ultimately, I doubt there is a more accessible yet academic book on this topic (though I’d be happy to be proven wrong) and I’d recommend it to anyone interested in the subject.
The reason I gave It three stars was not an ideological difference but rather the authors writing style. It’s mostly engaging but frequently I found myself feeling like he either over repeated himself or had a few fluff words that should have been removed in the editing phase. I don’t have a specific example but he’ll write something like “every since 1943, as previously mentioned, when I mentioned it a few pages ago, 30 years ago, as mentioned before, the Philippines had a 30 year long policy, that lasted 30 years. It had an effect, well it had a prominent effect, though some disagree with this” so on and so forth. This is obviously a hyperbolic example but there is too much repetition and too many caveats. To me, a good writing style says “X policy has Y effect because of A, B, C” or “X event happened because of A, but also some of B and C.” When you say “X lead to Y because of A, but some say B, and others C, and there’s also this discredited theory D, and a few dissidents that Say E” this can sometimes be relavant in the historical context but if it’s a claim you’re making just make it with your chest. Let the ready understand this is a claim you’re making. A conclusion you came too. “Y thing happened in X year” is obviously a statement of fact and we should trust you. “y thing happened BECAUSE of x thing” is a judgement you’re making, trust the audience to understand that it isn’t a universal truth claim. Let us think critically about it. Ironically, when he was making those center left remarks I mentioned earlier he was at his best. Those were the highlights.
Ultimately, I doubt there is a more accessible yet academic book on this topic (though I’d be happy to be proven wrong) and I’d recommend it to anyone interested in the subject.
May 13, 2021
I want to start off by saying that is not a boring book. Nor is it an uninformed book. The research is clearly there and the account is engaging. But it can be very partisan in the post-war period. Francia makes it clear to the reader where his politics lie and doesn’t let you forget it. Sometimes I felt like some accounts of people were cherry-picked and painted very negatively.
For example, throughout the book the US is displayed in an overly negative light. Now, I’m not saying US colonial authority in the Philippines was good. Much of the Philippines’ Hispanic identity was ruthlessly crushed during that period and the US had darker intentions when they came to “aid” the rebels in 1898. But at the same time, genuine economic and educational progress was made in that period. Much of the country was vastly uneducated during the Spanish colonial era; the US played a huge role in spreading education. Francia does not touch upon things like these. If he does, it’s a quick comment followed by many, many negatives.
The other complaint I have is that the Spanish era that lasted for a famed 333 years only takes up 2 chapters. Not even 1/3 of the entire book. Maybe 1/4 of it. More than half of the book is dedicated to the 20th century and the first ten years of the 21st century. So if you’re looking for a lot of analysis in modern Philippine history post-1898, this book is for you. If you want something more well-rounded with a larger focus on the Philippines’ colonial and pre-colonial history, look elsewhere.
For example, throughout the book the US is displayed in an overly negative light. Now, I’m not saying US colonial authority in the Philippines was good. Much of the Philippines’ Hispanic identity was ruthlessly crushed during that period and the US had darker intentions when they came to “aid” the rebels in 1898. But at the same time, genuine economic and educational progress was made in that period. Much of the country was vastly uneducated during the Spanish colonial era; the US played a huge role in spreading education. Francia does not touch upon things like these. If he does, it’s a quick comment followed by many, many negatives.
The other complaint I have is that the Spanish era that lasted for a famed 333 years only takes up 2 chapters. Not even 1/3 of the entire book. Maybe 1/4 of it. More than half of the book is dedicated to the 20th century and the first ten years of the 21st century. So if you’re looking for a lot of analysis in modern Philippine history post-1898, this book is for you. If you want something more well-rounded with a larger focus on the Philippines’ colonial and pre-colonial history, look elsewhere.
February 16, 2018
for the most part, this felt like a solid overview of a history of the Philippines through colonialism and into a post-colonial state. while the book starts with a chapter before the Spanish established a presence, it felt more like scene-setting for the colonial era than examination of the islands making up the present-day state in their own right. in some respects, the telling of the major political events through the colonial years felt like it focused on the Spanish at the expense of indigenous peoples. in those chapters, there was sparse mention of women in the Philippines as well - there was acknowledgement of influential women but very little time spent contextualizing them. some great use of detail really focused the history in certain moments and personalities, to the benefit of the book as a whole and the Philippines as subject matter - there are several parts of Philippine history that i am interested in reading more about at a deeper level.
do think it is worth stating - incredible atrocities were committed against the population of these islands over the course of this history. the US took its turn in being the perpetrator of such heinous crimes, so this book is relevant to a US-based audience in particular, to get information on our history that is not typically addressed (at all or adequately) in general education.
do think it is worth stating - incredible atrocities were committed against the population of these islands over the course of this history. the US took its turn in being the perpetrator of such heinous crimes, so this book is relevant to a US-based audience in particular, to get information on our history that is not typically addressed (at all or adequately) in general education.
November 21, 2019
Commendable summary of the history of the Philippine archipelago, from pre-colonial to modern times. I would definitely suggest this book to anyone looking for an accessible yet thorough introduction to the Philippines’ historical and political landscape. I find it surprising that there are people here moaning about Francia's focus on colonialism and its impact – four centuries of colonial rule is no small matter and will inevitably leave an imprint on culture and politics.
I do have a couple of minor issues with this book though. First, the last third of it focused too much on modern-day Philippine politics and its constant internal wrangling. Of course, the Marcos era deserves detailed exploration, but in addition to that I would have liked some more insight into modern Philippine culture and how a national identity has been consolidated amidst all the different ethnolinguistic groups around the archipelago. Secondly, there is a small but noticeable amount of grammatical errors and typos. There were maybe 10 in total in a book consisting of 350-odd pages, so it doesn't necessarily interfere with one's enjoyment of the content.
I do have a couple of minor issues with this book though. First, the last third of it focused too much on modern-day Philippine politics and its constant internal wrangling. Of course, the Marcos era deserves detailed exploration, but in addition to that I would have liked some more insight into modern Philippine culture and how a national identity has been consolidated amidst all the different ethnolinguistic groups around the archipelago. Secondly, there is a small but noticeable amount of grammatical errors and typos. There were maybe 10 in total in a book consisting of 350-odd pages, so it doesn't necessarily interfere with one's enjoyment of the content.
October 2, 2025
i think going into any countrys history and exploring it in its totality is a daunting task. i came into this book knowing the basics of filipino history, such as spanish and american colonization, ww2, and the marcos dictatorship. i finished this book looking at filipino history as a cohesive narrative with overarching themes that connected the diverse groups that created the modern philippines. i could tell that the author was passionate about this history and sharing the unique figures and events that may have fallen victim to false narratives or simply lost to time. at times i did find the writing style could be difficult to understand and redundant. i wish that the author delved into filipino art and culture for people like myself who are not filipino. my main takeaway from this history of the philippines is the resilience and spirit of the filipino people and their ability to take disparate global perspectives and create something quintessentially filipino.
November 12, 2019
As history books go this is a very readable, if slanted account of Philippines history. Francia appears to be a known scholar in the field (I’m also reading a copy of Noli Me Tangere and the translator, Augenbraum, consulted Francia is his opus) and he has a certain axe to grind, the history of oppression of the Filipino people and their struggles to gain their own identity. He may have a point. If you want to discover anything of value the Spanish may have left in 350 years, or the Americans in 75 years, you won’t find it here. The last sections, the succession of corrupt presidents, is a bit tedious and certainly depressing. You even get the sense that Francia himself seems to despair of Filipinos ever pulling themselves out of the mire. He seems to mourn the passing romance of the Philippine Revolution and the sainted José Rizal.
July 19, 2020
This is one of those books that would be cherish by the simple fact of being a Filipino. Having read this at the age of 19, I have to say that it shed much needed light on my past as a Filipino. I have to confess I nearly cried when I read our early struggle for independence; for our identity as a unique people, and not that led by foreigners. Indeed, this book is a must read for those who have no idea of our past, who go about their lives not remembering those who bled for us to call ourselves Pinoy, from those islands called the Republic of the Philippines. This simple but great idea of a free state governed by us. No doubt a long way to actualise this is still present, but it's sobering to realize what has been done at attempting to reach it. An illuminating read.
December 4, 2023
At page 174... really good. Amazing coverage on how the peoples of Philippines came to habit the islands to the varied cultures and myriad of religions and influences. It eloquently covered racism and how one colonizer differed from another while still being the same. Some critiques I came across is the index doesn't correlate to people's and events well. Such as Generals Ola & Bulan, mentioned on page 154. They weren't mentioned in the index and when I googled for more, Bulan didn't even show up. So I'm not sure if it's a spelling error or something else. Still a keeper for my forever library, as I am adopted and this book gives me an encompassing sense of self that's void of white excellent propaganda from the West.
March 24, 2025
I really enjoyed reading this book before some upcoming travel to the country. Francia strikes a great balance between historical facts and personal perspective. I appreciate that half the criticism from other reviews are that it's too dry and the other half that it's too subjective.
Favourite sections were the the first settlers and Marcos Era. The Marcos Era definitely gets the most attention and deservedly so. It's both interesting and extremely relevant as the current president is the son of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
Favourite sections were the the first settlers and Marcos Era. The Marcos Era definitely gets the most attention and deservedly so. It's both interesting and extremely relevant as the current president is the son of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
June 13, 2020
An example of an over-flowery author. There is no doubt this man is intelligent as you read this book. And it had so much potential to be THE book for many people to learn a good overall, thorough overview of Philippine History.
Frankly this book is a drag. Not a good informative book nor a story-telling book. Overly convoluted for no reason. He does not articulate well the history he’s trying to convey.
Frankly this book is a drag. Not a good informative book nor a story-telling book. Overly convoluted for no reason. He does not articulate well the history he’s trying to convey.
January 6, 2022
Not surprised that another history would book would start my reading list. The history within the book was intriguing from the issues with colonization to the political turmoil, is was soaking in as much information as I could. This is definitely worth a re-read as any of my history classes really do not bring up the Philippines, and they really should as the nation does tie into the US and our history books.
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