1521: Rediscovering the History of the Philippines

by Judy Robinson

In rediscovering these stories about our shared history, we learn who we were, who we are, and who we can be.




Adventure can be uncovered in the most unexpected of places. In 1521: Rediscovering the History of the Philippines, author Judy Robinson takes a deep dive into the forgotten stories of Filipinos in the advent of Spanish colonization, beginning with Ferdinand Magellan's arrival in the archipelago.




Robinson goes on a journey to discover the hidden history of the Philippines and of herself. She shares with us that history consists of more than one story. While reading this book, you will discover that precolonial Filipinos had a complex social structure that was more advanced than previously acknowledged.




You'll learn that:


Trade and commerce flourished in the archipelago even before Magellan's arrival.
Precolonial Filipinos were expert seafarers with a deep connection to water.
Some of the traditions and practices from precolonial times continue to live on today.



Through 1521: Rediscovering the History of the Philippines, Robinson hopes to share these stories from history, teach the next generation of the diaspora more about where they come from, and see the different sides of history as a way to find what connects us instead of what divides us.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Asia

282 pages, Paperback

Published February 16, 2022

Reviews

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A selection of key stories in Philippine history, with a focus on precolonial history and the events leading up to the Spanish colonization. Great introduction to those looking to learn about the history of the Philippines. I particularly enjoyed familiarizing myself with the the key figures and events, and look forward to learning more.

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trigger warnings: colonialism, death, war

3.5 stars

I know practically nothing about the history of the Philippines, despite having read Over the Edge of the World, a book about Magellan's circumnavigation of the world that the author mentions numerous times in the course of the book. And I don't entirely feel like I know a lot more now that I've finished this??

I feel like this book was written FOR Philippinos born and raised in the Philippines, learning a particular version of their country's history at school and university. And that is very much not me. Essentially, this is a re-examination of life in the Philippines at the time Magellan arrived and in the 50-odd years afterwards to the advent of Spanish colonisation. And while I enjoyed reading it, I feel like I would have enjoyed it MORE if I had that prior level of knowledge that I think the book intended the reader to have.

[Samantha Parkes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just finished _1521: Rediscovering the History of the Philippines_ by Judy Robinson, about the Spanish colonialization of the Philippines by Magellan and Legazpi. The author draws on translations of first-hand accounts of the voyages and other primary texts, so although it was interesting, I found the writing wasn’t that sophisticated and the analysis not that profound. The author did the project as a way to discover more information about her heritage as a Filipino, which is a premise I respect, but unfortunately, there just felt like more context for the few existing texts would have made her text more compelling. As it was, I found it to be a bit of a slog even for someone as interested in the topic as me, but I’m glad I read it.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a COVID project by a Filipino American seeking to understand her own roots better leading up to the 500th anniversary of Magellan's landing in the Philippines. It was born out of the realisation that Western historical accounts were much richer in detail than the textbooks she grew up with in Mindanao, and the desire to discover more about the early history. All the accounts in this book are within 1-2 generations of this date.

The first challenge was that although writing in the Philippines pre-dated 1521, it was used mainly for passing messages an there was no tradition of keeping historical records. In contrast, the Spanish occupiers kept fastidious records, but the objectivity of their accounts is clearly questionable. In her quest for the truth, the author refers not only to existing historical works on the period but translations of documents from both the Spanish and Chinese from that period, to reconstruct what happens.

The style of the books writing is more like a travelogue through history, as the author compares the most detailed Spanish accounts with other sources and her own cultural perspectives on how accurately the history was captured. One example of this is how a meeting between the Spanish and Filipinos reportedly went very well, but she noted that the locals had refused to stay for a meal which in Filipinos culture was a strong signal that there was some unhappiness.

The most detailed account is of Magellan's arrival in the Philippines, the local rulers that he charmed but also his untimely demise trying to lead an attack on another local ruler. The detailed account written by his scribe who was supposedly by his side fighting in thigh-deep water is scrutinised and the author asks whether a scribe is really likely to be in such a locations during a skirmish, or if it is not more likely that he embellished the account for the benefit of readers back in Spain, and to burnish the image of his esteemed leader.

Though the author is not herself a historian (she holds an MBA from Georgetown), her thoughtful treatment of the subject matter and fair-minded prognostications about what seems likely or unlikely are quite refreshing and provide a window into the inexact nature of reconstructing the past.

[Sana Kiel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise of this book was incredibly familiar--the author began research on a history she herself was unfamiliar with, and decided that project should be shared. It is portions of a history, teasers to encourage you to complete your own research, and it reads as such. This is not an anthology, nor does Robinson market it as such; as part of the Filipino diaspora, reading this book was an incredibly moving experience because there was so much I recognized and so much I hadn't known. It was emotional and straightforward, and I both admired and empathized with that dichotomy.

[Jazme · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.