Luzon at War: Contradictions in Philippine Society, 1898-1902

by Milagros C. Guerrero, Vicente L. Rafael (Introduction)

Mila Guerrero's Luzon at War, first written in 1977, grew out of a world in motion seeking to understand another earlier era of radical turmoil. Its findings helped lay the groundwork for the emergence since the 1980s of new ways for understanding the historical roots and unresolvable contradictions of the Philippine Revolution. The book puts forth a series of questions about the colonial origins of the nation, the tensions between the State and society, the role of the intelligentsia, and the resistance of ordinary people that successive generations of scholars are still seeking to come to terms with. It remains arguably the most astute critique of the first Philippine Republic, laying bare many of the sources of today's political and social problems.

Along the way, Guerrero also forces us to confront yet again the most enduring trope in Philippine history: that of the "unfinished revolution." As Nick Joaquin wrote, we need to ask when confronted with this trope: "which revolution?" The political, whose victors never cease to reassert themselves in the life of the nation? Or the social, where the battle lines are always shifting, the terms of engagement and identities of the protagonists always fluid, and the outcomes far from certain and never final? It is the singular accomplishment of Guerrero's book not only to raise these questions, but also to furnish us with the basis for exploring their comparative extensions and contemporary relevance. Like all strong historical works, it returns us to the past not in the mode of nostalgic longing for wahat has been lost, but as the history of a future that never ceases to arrive.

Genres: History

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

Reviews

[John Ray Catingub · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guerrero's "Luzon at War" continues a historical assessment similar to Joaquin's "A Question of Heroes" and exposes the realities of the underbelly of the Philippine Revolution. Meticulously researched, its heavy use of primary sources give a greater insight into the turn-of-the-century struggles amongst and through Filipinos, especially by way of regionalism, and against the contemporary Americans and historical Spanish. I appreciated the lengthy bibliography at the conclusion of the book which not only lends credibility to Guerrero's writing but points the way to more historical reading needed to understand the revolution in a deeper sense. Although a minor inconvenience, there were many typos; I'm not sure if these were in the author's original dissertation or if these were introduced in the typesetting of the book.

[emil · Rating 3 out of 5]

okay-ish perspective, not much new info and frustrating formatting