The story of this nation of over seven thousand islands, 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. It begins with the pre-Westernized Philippines in the sixteenth century and continues through the 1899 Philippine-American War and 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. Award-winning author Luis H. Francia creates an illuminating portrait that offers valuable insights into the heart and soul of the modern Filipino, laying bare the multicultural, multiracial society of contemporary times. Read more

In the fall of 1941, the Philippines was a gardenia-scented paradise for the American Army and Navy nurses stationed there. War was a distant rumor, life a routine of easy shifts and dinners under the stars. On December 8 all that changed, as Japanese bombs began raining down on American bases in Luzon, and this paradise became a fiery hell. Caught in the raging battle, the nurses set up field hospitals in the jungles of Bataan and the tunnels of Corregidor, where they tended to the most devastating injuries of war, and suffered the terrors of shells and shrapnel.   But the worst was yet to come. After Bataan and Corregidor fell, the nurses were herded into internment camps where they would endure three years of fear, brutality, and starvation. Once liberated, they returned to an America that at first celebrated them, but later refused to honor their leaders with the medals they clearly deserved. Here, in letters, diaries, and riveting firsthand accounts, is the story of what really happened during those dark days, woven together in a deeply affecting saga of women in war.   Praise for We Band of Angels   “Gripping . . . a war story in which the main characters never kill one of the enemy, or even shoot at him, but are nevertheless heroes . . . Americans today should thank God we had such women.”—Stephen E. Ambrose   “Remarkable and uplifting.”—USA Today   “[Elizabeth M. Norman] brings a quiet, scholarly voice to this narrative. . . . In just a little over six months these women had turned from plucky young girls on a mild adventure to authentic heroes. . . . Every page of this history is fascinating.”—Carolyn See, The Washington Post   “Riveting . . . poignant and powerful.”—The Dallas Morning News   Winner of the Lavinia Dock Award for historical scholarship, the American Academy of Nursing National Media Award, and the Agnes Dillon Randolph Award Read more

“A brilliant, coherent social and political overview spanning three turbulent centuries.”—San Francisco Chronicle   Stanley Karnow won the Pulitzer Prize for this account of America’s imperial experience in the Philippines. In a swiftly paced, brilliantly vivid narrative, Karnow focuses on the relationship that has existed between the two nations since the United States acquired the country from Spain in 1898, examining how we have sought to remake the Philippines “in our image,” an experiment marked from the outset by blundering, ignorance, and mutual misunderstanding.   “Stanley Karnow has written the ultimate book—brilliant, panoramic, engrossing—about American behavior overseas in the twentieth century.”—The Boston Sunday Globe   “A page-turning story and authoritative history.”—The New York Times   “Perhaps the best journalist writing on Asian affairs.”—Newsweek Read more

The author of Into the Dark Water “balances scholarly research with accessible storytelling” to tell the heroic WWII account of Torpedo Boat Squadron 3 (Midwest Book Review).During the opening days of World War II in the Pacific, a small group of American sailors in the Philippines were propelled into the forefront of the fighting against the navy and air power of Imperial Japan. They were manned with six small, wooden PT-boats and led by a courageous, larger-than-life character in Lt. John D. Bulkeley. As America’s defense of the Philippines crumbled under the weight of a massive Japanese assault, the courageous activities of Bulkeley’s Torpedo Boat Squadron 3 made headlines across the United States—often as the only good news coming from the bleak Pacific front. The unit achieved everlasting fame by evacuating Gen. Douglas MacArthur from the front. Then, the squadron continued to fight on until all six of its torpedo boats were lost under fire. The fate of the doomed American defenders was sealed when the Japanese won the battle for the islands in the spring of 1942.The exploits of the unit were immortalized in the blockbuster 1945 movie They Were Expendable, starring John Wayne and Robert Montgomery, but since then, the saga of Bulkeley and his men has slipped into history. Under a Blood Red Sun revives the story of the Philippine PT-boats through the intertwined accounts of Bulkeley and his subordinate officers and men. It is a story of the courage and sacrifice of men thousands of miles from their homeland, representing American gallantry and fighting prowess, giving the Japanese a taste of what was to come their way. Read more

First-rate military history, A War of Frontier and Empire retells an often forgotten chapter in America's past, infusing it with commanding contemporary relevance.It has been termed an insurgency, a revolution, a guerrilla war, and a conventional war. As David J. Silbey demonstrates in this taut, compelling history, the 1899 Philippine-American War was in fact all of these. Played out over three distinct conflicts—one fought between the Spanish and the allied United States and Filipino forces; one fought between the United States and the Philippine Army of Liberation; and one fought between occupying American troops and an insurgent alliance of often divided Filipinos—the war marked America's first steps as a global power and produced a wealth of lessons learned and forgotten. Read more

“Illuminating.… An eloquent testament to a doomed city and its people.” —The Wall Street JournalIn early 1945, General Douglas MacArthur prepared to reclaim Manila, America’s Pearl of the Orient, which had been seized by the Japanese in 1942. Convinced the Japanese would abandon the city, he planned a victory parade down Dewey Boulevard—but the enemy had other plans. The Japanese were determined to fight to the death. The battle to liberate Manila resulted in the catastrophic destruction of the city and a rampage by Japanese forces that brutalized the civilian population, resulting in a massacre as horrific as the Rape of Nanking. Drawing from war-crimes testimony, after-action reports, and survivor interviews, Rampage recounts one of the most heartbreaking chapters of Pacific War history. Read more

The true story of the B-25 pilot who “fought a personal aerial war to retrieve his family from Japanese captivity in the Philippines . . . stirring” (Barrett Tillman, author of Whirlwind: The Air War Against Japan 1942–1945).Born in the Philippines to an American father and a Filipina mother, George Cooper was one of the few surviving veteran pilots who saw action over such fearsome targets as Rabaul and Wewak. Not just another flag-waving story of air combat, Jayhawk describes the war as it really was—a conflict with far-reaching tentacles that gripped and tore at not only the combatants, but also their families, their friends, and the way they lived their lives.Jay Stout examines the story of Cooper’s growing up in gentle and idyllic pre-war Manila and how he grew to be the man he was. Stout reviews Cooper’s journey to the United States and his unlikely entry into the United States Army Air Forces. Trained as a B-25 pilot, Cooper was assigned to the iconic 345th Bomb Group and flew strafing missions that shredded the enemy, but likewise put himself and his comrades in grave danger. A husband and father, Cooper was pulled two ways by the call of duty and his obligation to his wife and daughter. And always on his mind was the family he left behind in the Philippines who were in thrall to the Japanese.“A story of love, honor, service, sacrifice, and endurance, captured in page-turning prose that honors a decorated aviator who was truly a giant among the many from America’s greatest generation.” —Stephen L. Moore, author of Rain of Steel: Mitscher’s Task Force 58, Ugaki’s Thunder Gods, and the Kamikaze War off Okinawa Read more

Bullets and Bolos is the memoir of Colonel John White's 15 years in the Philippines as a member of the Philippine Constabulary, the chief US law enforcement agency of the islands. The Constabulary was established in 1901 to quell unrest in the Philippines from native factions who had only just ejected their Spanish colonial rulers and were now faced with American occupation, as a result of the Spanish-American War. John White took part in numerous engagements against the rebellious Moros on Mindanao and Jolo, including the infamous First Battle of Bud Dajo, and his assignments sent him far across the sprawling nation, whether to apprehended fugitives, interject in disputes or a myriad number of other dangerous policing tasks.Bullets and Bolos provides rare insight into the culture of an American-occupied territory at the turn of the century, and is an engaging, lively tale about a vanished time and place. *Includes images and annotations. Read more

For two weeks during the spring of 1942, the Bataan Death March--one of the most widely condemned atrocities of World War II--unfolded. The prevailing interpretation of this event is simple: American prisoners of war suffered cruel treatment at the hands of their Japanese captors while Filipinos, sympathetic to the Americans, looked on. Most survivors of the march wrote about their experiences decades after the war and a number of factors distorted their accounts. The crucial aspect of memory is central to this study--how it is constructed, by whom and for what purpose. This book questions the prevailing interpretation, reconsiders the actions of all three groups in their cultural contexts and suggests a far greater complexity. Among the conclusions is that violence on the march was largely the result of a clash of cultures--undisciplined, individualistic Americans encountered Japanese who valued order and form, while Filipinos were active, even ambitious, participants in the drama.

"A sweeping epic.… Promises to do for the war in the Pacific what Rick Atkinson did for Europe." —James M. Scott, author of RampageIn 1937, the swath of the globe east from India to the Pacific Ocean encompassed half the world’s population. Japan’s onslaught into China that year unleashed a tidal wave of events that fundamentally transformed this region and killed about twenty-five million people. This extraordinary World War II narrative vividly portrays the battles across this entire region and links those struggles on many levels with their profound twenty-first-century legacies. In this first volume of a trilogy, award-winning historian Richard B. Frank draws on rich archival research and recently discovered documentary evidence to tell an epic story that gave birth to the world we live in now. Read more

From the New York Times bestselling author of Sons and Soldiers comes the incredible true story of one of the greatest military rescues of all time, the 1945 World War II prison camp raid at Los Baños in the Philippines—a tale of daring, courage, and heroism that joins the ranks of Ghost Soldiers, Unbroken, and The Boys of Pointe du Hoc.In February 1945, as the U.S. victory in the Pacific drew nearer, the Japanese army grew desperate, and its soldiers guarding U.S. and Allied POWs more sadistic. Starved, shot and beaten, many of the 2,146 prisoners of the Los Baños prison camp in the Philippines—most of them American men, women and children—would not survive much longer unless rescued soon.Deeply concerned about the half-starved and ill-treated prisoners, General Douglas MacArthur assigned to the 11th Airborne Division a dangerous rescue mission deep behind enemy lines that became a deadly race against the clock. The Los Baños raid would become one of the greatest triumphs of that war or any war; hailed years later by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Colin Powell: “I doubt that any airborne unit in the world will ever be able to rival the Los Baños prison raid. It is the textbook operation for all ages and all armies.”Combining personal interviews, diaries, correspondence, memoirs, and archival research, Rescue at Los Baños tells the story of a remarkable group of prisoners—whose courage and fortitude helped them overcome hardship, deprivation, and cruelty—and of the young American soldiers and Filipino guerrillas who risked their lives to save them. Read more

The acclaimed WWII historian recounts the most dramatic naval battle of the Pacific War and the incredible sacrifice of the USS Samuel B. Roberts.On October 25, 1944, the Samuel B. Roberts, along with the other twelve vessels comprising its unit, stood between Japan’s largest battleship force ever sent to sea and MacArthur’s transports inside Leyte Gulf. Faced with the surprise appearance of more than twenty Japanese battleships, cruisers, and destroyers—including the infamous Yamato—the Samuel B. Roberts turned immediately into action with six other ships.Captain Copeland marked the occasion with one of the most poignant addresses ever given to men on the edge of battle: “Men,” he said over the intercom, “we are about to go into a fight against overwhelming odds from which survival cannot be expected.”The Samuel B. Roberts went down with guns blazing in a duel reminiscent of Davy Crockett’s Alamo defenders. The men who survived faced a horrifying three-day nightmare in the sea, where they battled a lack of food and water, scorching sun, numbing nighttime cold, and bloodthirsty sharks. In For Crew and Country, John Wukovitz vividly chronicles the Battle off Samar, one of history’s greatest clashes at sea. Read more

In Maharlika: In Search of Identity, the author masterfully delves into the tensions and dynamics shaping leadership, community, culture, power, and governance within a nation perpetually yearning for Indigenous authenticity, spiritual identity, and transformative growth. Drawing on an alternative view of history, this compelling narrative challenges conventional perspectives, daring readers to confront the colonial frameworks that have long shaped collective thought, self-perception, and imagination.The book invites readers to rediscover the pre-colonial past through the lens of Indigenous, Buddhist, Islamic, and Indic traditions—unearthing the beliefs, myths, spiritual practices, poetry, trade, and politics that have profoundly influenced a people's worldview. By embracing a broader civilizational and world-system context, the author argues, we can reimagine our collective history and identity, ultimately fostering radical transformation and decolonization.The term “Maharlika” is redefined as “Great Creation” in this text, encapsulating a growing cultural, political, and artistic narrative. The author passionately advocates for renaming the Philippines to Maharlika, reflecting a deeper connection to the nation's roots and the vision of its ancestors. By doing so, the book inspires readers to envision themselves as Maharlikans—individuals empowered by their history, culture, and spiritual legacy.As a cultural advocate, spiritual practitioner, and activist, the author presents bold alternatives to contemporary systems of identity, politics, and governance. In exploring the Progressive Utilization Theory (PROUT), the book offers a forward-thinking economic and political system that transcends corporate capitalism, communism, and neoliberalism. Centered on sustainability, spirituality, and equity, PROUT champions wealth generation for the benefit of all living beings, fostering a harmonious coexistence with nature and future generations.Ultimately, Maharlika: In Search of Identity calls for intentional living, strategic innovation, and spiritual action. The author encourages us to honor our ancestors, draw wisdom from their teachings, and invoke their blessings to guide us on a path of universal compassion, love, and purposeful transformation. This book is a profound journey toward reclaiming identity, embracing heritage, and envisioning a future steeped in collective harmony and self-discovery.Author: Deo PalmaContributing Writer and Editor in Cheif: Maya Verzonilla aka Maya the ShamanPublished by Radhaa Publishing House Read more

The story of the Battle of Saipan has it all. Marines at war: on Pacific beaches, in hellish volcanic landscapes in places like Purple Heart Ridge, Death Valley, and Hell’s Pocket, under a commander known as “Howlin’ Mad.” Naval combat: carriers battling carriers from afar, fighters downing Japanese aircraft, submarines sinking carriers. Marine-army rivalry. Fanatical Japanese defense and resistance. A turning point of the Pacific War. James Hallas reconstructs the full panorama of Saipan in a way that no recent chronicler of the battle has done. In its comprehensiveness, attention to detail, scope of research, and ultimate focus on the men who fought and won the battle on the beaches and at and above the sea, it rivals Richard Frank’s modern classic Guadalcanal. This is the definitive military history of the Battle of Saipan. Read more

[Includes 11 tables, 25 maps and 71 illustrations]The soldier reading these pages would do well to reflect on the wisdom of the statement exhibited in a Japanese shrine: "Woe unto him who has not tasted defeat." Victory too often leads to overconfidence and erases the memory of mistakes. Defeat brings into sharp focus the causes that led to failure and provides a fruitful field of study for those soldiers and laymen who seek in the past lessons for the future.The statesman and the unformed citizen reading these pages will realize that our military means as well as our estimates and plans must always be in balance with our long-range national policy. This lesson-signposted by the Battle of Manila Bay; the Treaty of Paris, signed in December 1898 when we decided to keep the Philippines; the Washington Conference of 1921-22; and the Manchurian Crisis of 1931-we ignored before Pearl Harbor. The result was defeat on the field of battle and the loss of the Philippine Islands. Read more

Discover the fascinating Philippines in this captivating book on its history, from the origins of the archipelago’s first peoples until modern times. Free History BONUS Inside! The Philippines is possibly the most intriguing nation of maritime Southeast Asia. The archipelago has almost eight thousand islands that form the apex of the Coral Triangle of the Asian Pacific, as well as abundant marine life that constitutes almost half of this magnificent area’s oceanic megadiversity. Created from volcanic activity, the archipelago offers everything from extensive beaches to tropical forests and Himalayan-type highlands. Lush valleys and world-renowned rice terraces nestle between the mountains and volcanoes. The Philippines boasts an overwhelming array of biodiversity, both fauna and flora, with many of the species being endemic. The islands have not always been as distant from the mainland, and as sea levels rose and fell during the ice ages, the Philippines became home to successive waves of migrants over the millennia. The Philippines is as old as it is beautiful, and it has produced one of the earliest examples of ancient humankind on Earth and provides a wealth of ancient artifacts from human civilizations, as well as prehistoric creatures. The Philippines is further gifted with abundant mineral and metal resources, and in the Common Era, powerful Filipino principalities built upon foreign trade that emerged at strategic places on the ancient maritime trade routes. The Filipinos’ interactions with the Indianized kingdoms of Java and Sumatra merged with influences from Arabia and the Asian mainland. Trade, piracy, intermarriages, and cultural blending created a diverse and unique archipelagic culture. Once colonial influences arrived in the 16th century, the Philippines was mostly involved with the Sultanate of Brunei from Borneo, China, and Japan. Spanish colonists eventually had control of the Philippines—which they demarcated and named—by the late 1500s and retained suzerainty over the islands for over three hundred years. For the first half of the 20th century, the Americans controlled the Philippines, mostly as a strategic military stronghold. The Americans and Filipinos battled together to throw off Japanese occupation during the Second World War, and finally, in 1946, the Philippines became an independent state. Still heavily influenced by the West because of its history, the Filipino people are mostly Roman Catholic, and English is one of their primary languages. Beauty, history, and cultural diversity ensure this archipelago’s tradition as the “Pearl of the Orient Seas.” In this book, you will learn: That the Philippines is an area of biological and maritime megadiversity.Why the islands have one of the oldest, multi-layered histories on Earth.Why the Philippines was so attractive to colonizers.How the Spanish managed to rule a diverse archipelago for over three centuries.To understand the ongoing relationship between the United States and the Philippines.Why the islands are ethnically and culturally abundant but still unified.How history has created its own island regions of independent rule.Scroll up and click the “add to cart” button to learn more about the history of the Philippines! Read more

Filipinos have very interesting creatures that lurk within their myths and legends. This great collection will dive into famous as well as lesser known tales. Enjoy!The annotations includes: Notes on Philippines history before and after the Spanish arrivalA great collection for those wishing to understand the Philippines on a deeper levelThe lives and deeds of gods, heroes, and other mythical beings are used in Philippine mythology to attempt to explain the nature of the universe. Most of these tales were passed down by word to mouth and through traditions, and they were kept alive with the help of local elders, shamans, and spiritual leaders.The Philippines is the only country in Southeast Asia to have been colonized by the West before the country had the chance to establish either a centralized government that rules over a big area or a dominating culture. This occurred before the country ever had the opportunity to grow.Many of the myths and tales inside holds the key to these influences. Some spoken openly, some kept as dark secrets leaving behind only a few clues as to what happened in some villages.For many of you who spent their youth in the Philippines listening to your parents or grandparents stories, these stories and legends will surely be a trip down memory lane. Now that you are older some may even make more sense as of course folk tales usually take its roots from lessons learned and passed down to future generations so as to be cautious and not repeat the same dangerous mistakes.The huge collection inside will give you a great insight into the culture of the Pinoy but remember that these stories were, for the most part, recorded in notes by Americans very long ago so it will have an archaic Western eye and well as terms that may offend but if you keep going you will surely come to enjoy the tales that even a foreigner showed great interest in enough to write a book about them. This speaks volumes as to how entertaining and interesting these legends are. Also, many stories are rooted in the Spanish colonization showing their influence throughout Philippine’s history.Here Are Some of The Myths Inside this huge collection:(By Mabel Cook)Aponibolinayen and the SunThe Story of Gaygayoma Who Lives up AboveThe Sun and the MoonThe Boy Who Became a StoneThe Mistaken GiftsThe Serpent EagleHow the First Head Was TakenWhy Dogs Wag Their TailsAnd many more.(By John Maurice)The Light of the FlyHow the World Was MadeThe Silver ShowerWhen the Lilies ReturnThe Passing of LokuAnd many more.(By Clara Kern and others)A mix of Philippines, Visayan as well as Tagalog folk tales:The Monkey and the Turtle.How the Farmer Deceived the Demon.The Living Head.The Enchanted Ring.The Spider and the Fly.The Child Saint.The King, the Princess, and the Poor Boy.And many more.Many of the tales inside have been out of print for many years and they are now for the first time available in audio format for your pleasure.You will discover :The men's evolution in becoming head hunters!Creation tales of indigenous influenced by Catholicism and other tribes that weren’t.The stories of many of the native monsters, heavenly deities and the first man and woman.Grab this title today and immerse yourself into the great lore of monsters and deities and learn from the wisdom of the folk tales surrounding Filipino Mythology! Read more

"Philippine Goddess" takes you on a magical journey through Philippine mythology. It's an interesting look at the divine feminine, mythical stories, and the people who live in the archipelago's rich customs.In this comprehensive book, you will find:Matabagka: Goddess of Wind Tala: Goddess of Morning and Evening Stars Haliya: Goddess of the Moon Lalahon: Goddess of Harvest Maria Makiling: Guardian Goddess and Spirit Hanan: Morning Goddess Luyong Baybay: Goddess of the Tides and Many More....Learn about the magical world of the Philippines, where goddesses rule with beauty and power, making their presence felt in everyday life and in the natural world. Meet people like Maria Makiling, the kind guardian of Mount Makiling who looks out for its forests and blesses those who respect her, and Mayari, the bright goddess of the moon whose light helps lovers and travelers find their way. In each part of this book, you'll be able to learn more about the fascinating stories and lively traditions that make up Philippine folklore."Philippine Goddess" is more than just a look into folklore; it goes right to the heart of spirit and culture in the Philippines. Learn about the wisdom and beauty of old Philippine traditions by getting involved in the routines, symbols, and customs that are connected to these revered beings. Find out how the gods looked after nature, the community, and people who were strong and resilient. There is a lot of history and culture in the Philippines that this book celebrates.Go on a magical journey through the world of Philippine goddess. Grab a copy of "Philippine Goddess" right now, and let the fascinating stories and beautiful pictures take you to a place where myth and reality mix. Celebrate the rich tapestry of Philippine culture and faith by becoming one of the many people who are enchanted by the beauty, wisdom, and charm of Philippine goddesses.Scroll up, Click on “Buy Now with 1-Click”, and Grab a Copy Today! Read more

General Douglas A MacArthur, Commander of the Southwest Pacific Area, saw the liberation of the Philippines Archipelago as the launching board for the invasion of the Japanese Home Islands. By late 1944, with the capture of New Guinea and surrounding islands, the US Sixth and Eighth Armies were poised for the challenge. American forces landed on Leyte on 20 October 1944 with the Leyte Gulf naval battle quickly following. By 25 December the island was cleared opening the way for Lieutenant General Walter Krueger’s Sixth Army to invade Luzon on 9 January 1945. Bitter Japanese resistance required Eichelberger’s Eighth Army as reinforcements. Manila finally fell on 4 March. In the meantime Bataan was captured on 16 February and Corregidor on 2 March after a US airborne assault. Fighting continued and MacArthur finally declared the liberation of the Archipelago on 5 July, just a month before the Atom bombs fell on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This superbly illustrated work in the Pacific War Images of War series leaves the reader in no doubt as to the intensity of the land, sea and air operations required by the Allies to defeat the Japanese. Read more

During World War 2, Charles “Chick” Parsons led Filipino insurgents in hit-and-run raids on Japanese positions in Manila, spied on the enemy forces and became the eyes and ears for General MacArthur while he was preparing to retake the Philippines. Rendezvous By Submarine is the remarkable story of the American who MacArthur described as, “the bravest man I ever met.” “A story of military and morale building that paid dividends to our advantage, told with the flourish and zest it deserves.” - Kirkus Reviews. Read more