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The Revolt of the Masses: The Story of Bonifacio and the Katipunan
ABOUT THE BOOK
"In dealing with Andres Bonifacio and the Katipunan, I have laid more emphasis on the latter than on its founder and organizer, firstly because of the dearth of materials on his life, and secondly, because it is my belief that Bonifacio can best be sen and appreciated against the backdrop of the revolutionary society. He could not have been greater than the Katipunan. Nor could he have risen above it. To understand him, one must understand the Katipunan. He looms great because of the society. He must, therefore, be seen in and through the Katipuanan, and this method of unraveling the thin and scattered threads of his life is valid only because of the lack of materials.
In examing my sources of information, I have adopted the attitude of friendly hostility. It has been my experience that most of the errors in the difficult task of interpretation--which, after all, is the most important in any book--spring from the scholar's uncritical attitude. He takes for granted that the fame of an author is sufficient guaranty of reliability and competence. Such mental outlook smacks of hypocrisy and cowardice. I have, therefore, dismissed this line of reasoning as inadequate. In this book, I have subjected my sources to a severe scrutiny, looked for loopholes, inconsistencies, and inaccuracies in order to arrive at a balanced conclusion. Ricarte, for instance, hitherto, regarded as incontrovertible, is, after a careful examination, not always accurate and reliable. So is General Pio del Pilar. So are certain documents on the trial and death of Bonifacio. And so are some of the opinons expressed by the great scholars Epifanio de los Santos and Teodoro M. Kalaw. I shall probably hear loud protests and whispered innuendos, but I invite the potential objectors to my method to read my Notes carefully, for in them I have embodied th reasons for repudiating some of the claims of famous scholars, for simissing this authroity and for accepting that document."
T.A.A.
"In dealing with Andres Bonifacio and the Katipunan, I have laid more emphasis on the latter than on its founder and organizer, firstly because of the dearth of materials on his life, and secondly, because it is my belief that Bonifacio can best be sen and appreciated against the backdrop of the revolutionary society. He could not have been greater than the Katipunan. Nor could he have risen above it. To understand him, one must understand the Katipunan. He looms great because of the society. He must, therefore, be seen in and through the Katipuanan, and this method of unraveling the thin and scattered threads of his life is valid only because of the lack of materials.
In examing my sources of information, I have adopted the attitude of friendly hostility. It has been my experience that most of the errors in the difficult task of interpretation--which, after all, is the most important in any book--spring from the scholar's uncritical attitude. He takes for granted that the fame of an author is sufficient guaranty of reliability and competence. Such mental outlook smacks of hypocrisy and cowardice. I have, therefore, dismissed this line of reasoning as inadequate. In this book, I have subjected my sources to a severe scrutiny, looked for loopholes, inconsistencies, and inaccuracies in order to arrive at a balanced conclusion. Ricarte, for instance, hitherto, regarded as incontrovertible, is, after a careful examination, not always accurate and reliable. So is General Pio del Pilar. So are certain documents on the trial and death of Bonifacio. And so are some of the opinons expressed by the great scholars Epifanio de los Santos and Teodoro M. Kalaw. I shall probably hear loud protests and whispered innuendos, but I invite the potential objectors to my method to read my Notes carefully, for in them I have embodied th reasons for repudiating some of the claims of famous scholars, for simissing this authroity and for accepting that document."
T.A.A.
- GenresHistoryKu Klux Klan
371 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1956
189 people are currently reading
2387 people want to read
About the author
Teodoro A. Agoncillo
19 books332 followersTeodoro A. Agoncillo (November 9, 1912 – January 14, 1985) was one of the pre-eminent Filipino historians of the 20th century. He and his contemporary Renato Constantino were among the first Filipino historians who earned renown for promoting a distinctly nationalist point of view of Filipino history (nationalist historiography). He was also an essayist and a poet.
Life
Born in Lemery, Batangas, Agoncillio obtained a bachelor's degree in philosophy from the University of the Philippines in 1934 and a master's degree in the arts from the same university the following year. He earned his living as a linguistic assistant at the Institute of National Language and as an instructor at the Far Eastern University and the Manuel L. Quezon University. In 1956, he published his seminal work, Revolt of the Masses: The Story of Bonifacio and the Katipunan, a history of the 1896 Katipunan-led revolt against Spanish rule and its leader, Andres Bonifacio. He garnered acclaim for this book, as well as criticisms from more conservative historians discomforted by the work's nationalist, perhaps even Marxist bent.
In 1958, Agoncillo was invited to join the faculty of the Department of History of his alma mater, the University of the Philippines. He remained with the university until his retirement in 1977, chairing the Department of History from 1963 to 1969. Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal named Agoncillo as a member of the National Historical Institute in 1963. He served in this capacity until his death in 1985.
Agoncillo's History of the Filipino People, first published in 1960, remains a popular standard textbook in many Filipino universities, as are many of Agoncillo's other works. This is despite Agoncillo's controversial tone and for his perceived leftist bent. Gregorio Zaide, Teodoro Agoncillo, Reynaldo Ileto and Renato Constantino stand as the most prominent 20th century Filipino historians to emerge during the post-war period. It must be noted however, that Agoncillo's works suffer from uneven scholarship throughout, especially with his use (or especially, non-use) of reliable historical sources.
Works
The Revolt of the Masses - (a biography of Andres Bonifacio)
Malolos Crisis of the Republic - (sequel to Revolt of the Masses which discusses the events from Biak-na-Bato to the end of the Philippine-American War)
The Fateful Years - (Philippine history during World War II)
The History of the Filipino People
Life
Born in Lemery, Batangas, Agoncillio obtained a bachelor's degree in philosophy from the University of the Philippines in 1934 and a master's degree in the arts from the same university the following year. He earned his living as a linguistic assistant at the Institute of National Language and as an instructor at the Far Eastern University and the Manuel L. Quezon University. In 1956, he published his seminal work, Revolt of the Masses: The Story of Bonifacio and the Katipunan, a history of the 1896 Katipunan-led revolt against Spanish rule and its leader, Andres Bonifacio. He garnered acclaim for this book, as well as criticisms from more conservative historians discomforted by the work's nationalist, perhaps even Marxist bent.
In 1958, Agoncillo was invited to join the faculty of the Department of History of his alma mater, the University of the Philippines. He remained with the university until his retirement in 1977, chairing the Department of History from 1963 to 1969. Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal named Agoncillo as a member of the National Historical Institute in 1963. He served in this capacity until his death in 1985.
Agoncillo's History of the Filipino People, first published in 1960, remains a popular standard textbook in many Filipino universities, as are many of Agoncillo's other works. This is despite Agoncillo's controversial tone and for his perceived leftist bent. Gregorio Zaide, Teodoro Agoncillo, Reynaldo Ileto and Renato Constantino stand as the most prominent 20th century Filipino historians to emerge during the post-war period. It must be noted however, that Agoncillo's works suffer from uneven scholarship throughout, especially with his use (or especially, non-use) of reliable historical sources.
Works
The Revolt of the Masses - (a biography of Andres Bonifacio)
Malolos Crisis of the Republic - (sequel to Revolt of the Masses which discusses the events from Biak-na-Bato to the end of the Philippine-American War)
The Fateful Years - (Philippine history during World War II)
The History of the Filipino People
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 16, 2018
Great history book. It is about Andres Bonifacio, the first leader of the Katipunan and the Philippine Revolution against Spain, the first anti-colonial revolution in Asia. He was born on November 30 1863 in Manila and died in Cavite on May 10, 1897. He never got to see the Philippine Declaration of Independence. If he was not executed, he would have lived to see the Philippines colonized by Americans and, as an old man, occupied by the Japanese during World War II. It is fun to imagine those kinds of things but sadly we have to know the truth that he died young.
Andres Bonifacio was a great hero. That is undeniable. But if you look at the Philippines of today where there is so much war and violence, a revolutionary leader who used violence to achieve freedom does not seem to give inspiration. We all want freedom but there is just too much violence in the world already. Freedom and justice should be fought for using peaceful means. But despite all of this, I still believe that his courage in fighting Spanish colonialism should always be remembered.
Andres Bonifacio was a great hero. That is undeniable. But if you look at the Philippines of today where there is so much war and violence, a revolutionary leader who used violence to achieve freedom does not seem to give inspiration. We all want freedom but there is just too much violence in the world already. Freedom and justice should be fought for using peaceful means. But despite all of this, I still believe that his courage in fighting Spanish colonialism should always be remembered.
December 27, 2009
This book was savagely attacked by Glenn Anthony May (Wisconsin) in Inventing a Hero. Nonetheless, I stand by the authenticity of Agoncillo's scholarly research, and, thus, the authenticity of Andres Bonifacio's life and heroic deeds!
August 9, 2020
Personally I think it’s a flawed biography and the author’s strong biases and ideological leanings can be distracting for those who just want to have a sense of the facts of what went on, but I can’t help but feel a lot of respect for Agoncillo in his attempt to create a beautiful myth out of the life of Andres Bonifacio, one that is tied to values that genuinely extend to the broader Filipino masses— in valiant phrase a hero emerges for all to aspire to.
June 11, 2015
It's my first time reading a book from the father of Philippine History I was astonished by his writing style a very detailed book on the events that led to the rise of the Philippine Revolution. The author also pointed out the bravery of one Andres Bonifacio and his decisions that led to his death
A very good book for celebrating our Country's Independence day
A very good book for celebrating our Country's Independence day
Currently reading
February 29, 2020How can I open/read it ??
January 12, 2023
Generally one of the recommended biographies for Bonifacio and the KKK. After finishing it, I would agree to that statement but with a few caveats.
The author is very honest about his biases and as much as possible he does try to be neutral by being very critical about his sources as can be seen from the notes but you don't need to keep the author's biases in mind because it comes out very obviously through his writing.
Caveats aside, the book is entertaining. As the biography moves to the actual revolution, it became a page-turner for me as the personal conflicts and intrigues happening was very interesting. Although, the chronological order does not follow the order of chapters as for one example, Edilberto Evangalista was mentioned killed in a certain chapter, and then the chapter after that talks about the Tejeros Convention of Which Edilberto Evangelista was involved in. (Correct me if I just misread it)
The rise and fall of Andres Bonifacio was very interesting as you are able to view him in a humanizing way not the nationalistic image often portrayed of him. Not as a reckless, and aggressive man leading men heroically with bolos, but as a great and cool organizer. He was able to create and lead the Katipunan. Also, to view him as also a man with many flaws that lead to his tragic downfall.
However, there is a big thing you should keep in the back of your mind while reading this, there has been a lot of criticisms of these book and you should read them after reading this book. A lot of scholars wrote scathing reviews of this book due to the sketchy sourcing of some information and questionable conclusions drawn from using a class-based framework. You can learn a lot from this book, but comes with a lot of disclaimers.
The author is very honest about his biases and as much as possible he does try to be neutral by being very critical about his sources as can be seen from the notes but you don't need to keep the author's biases in mind because it comes out very obviously through his writing.
Caveats aside, the book is entertaining. As the biography moves to the actual revolution, it became a page-turner for me as the personal conflicts and intrigues happening was very interesting. Although, the chronological order does not follow the order of chapters as for one example, Edilberto Evangalista was mentioned killed in a certain chapter, and then the chapter after that talks about the Tejeros Convention of Which Edilberto Evangelista was involved in. (Correct me if I just misread it)
The rise and fall of Andres Bonifacio was very interesting as you are able to view him in a humanizing way not the nationalistic image often portrayed of him. Not as a reckless, and aggressive man leading men heroically with bolos, but as a great and cool organizer. He was able to create and lead the Katipunan. Also, to view him as also a man with many flaws that lead to his tragic downfall.
However, there is a big thing you should keep in the back of your mind while reading this, there has been a lot of criticisms of these book and you should read them after reading this book. A lot of scholars wrote scathing reviews of this book due to the sketchy sourcing of some information and questionable conclusions drawn from using a class-based framework. You can learn a lot from this book, but comes with a lot of disclaimers.
September 8, 2018
May Bayad Inyo libro
November 17, 2018
it quite to be out of the box
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
July 20, 2019nothing
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
September 10, 2020How can i read this for free? Thankss
October 17, 2021
I want to read it how
October 9, 2022
GOOD.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2023
amazing!
December 28, 2025
When whispers fall flat, embers flare beneath the ground. Revolt remembers.
January 28, 2022
A classic one. A must-read.
Agoncillo's Revolt of the Masses is one of the foundations of Bonifacio and the Katipunan's historiography. He brought out new perspectives that are worth considering, and also, arguable claims and historical contentions. Thus, in reading this book, take it with a grain of salt. Be skeptic, as new claims and new researches came in light in the academe of Philippine History.
The book is worth-reading and interesting. Agoncillo's writing is not dry, nor dull. It is not a textbook about Bonifacio and the Katipunan, but rather a narrative, a story; it is commendable how Agoncillo effectively intertwined history and literature. Due to its literary approach, some of the critics of Agoncillo's work exposed that this book contains some sort of social and psychological conditioning due to its structure that is meant to illumines the reader to the 'heroic' version of Bonifacio, while oversimplifying and distorting the complex personas and events of our history.
Most of the contemporary historians nowadays believes that the 1896 Philippine Revolution is not a revolt of the masses, but rather a revolt from the integration of Filipino classes. Agoncillo, by claiming and crediting that the masses were the main initiator of the Revolution, and by dumping the role of the ilustrados and the higher-classes by saying that they collaborates and sympathize with the colonizers, and are only driven by personal, political, and economical interests is a form of distortion and oversimplication. The Philippine Revolution is not a composition of clashes between the 'Haves' and 'Have-Nots' just like what the book was implying. It is more than that.
Still, this book brought out new questions and thoughts, that resulted in an array of researches and historical revisions throughout the years. It also complies with the demands of nationalizing our history, by patching the events of our past through the Filipino lenses and perspectives. It also brought out a transformational approach in Philippine historiography by providing spaces and attention to the role of the masses in constructing the past and its continuities. Through Agoncillo and this book, nationalist historians such as Ileto followed his path to form a nationalist and decolonized history.
Read it. But make sure to supplement it with contemporary historical findings and interpretations, or else, you will be drowned in the extremity of historical nationalism.
Agoncillo's Revolt of the Masses is one of the foundations of Bonifacio and the Katipunan's historiography. He brought out new perspectives that are worth considering, and also, arguable claims and historical contentions. Thus, in reading this book, take it with a grain of salt. Be skeptic, as new claims and new researches came in light in the academe of Philippine History.
The book is worth-reading and interesting. Agoncillo's writing is not dry, nor dull. It is not a textbook about Bonifacio and the Katipunan, but rather a narrative, a story; it is commendable how Agoncillo effectively intertwined history and literature. Due to its literary approach, some of the critics of Agoncillo's work exposed that this book contains some sort of social and psychological conditioning due to its structure that is meant to illumines the reader to the 'heroic' version of Bonifacio, while oversimplifying and distorting the complex personas and events of our history.
Most of the contemporary historians nowadays believes that the 1896 Philippine Revolution is not a revolt of the masses, but rather a revolt from the integration of Filipino classes. Agoncillo, by claiming and crediting that the masses were the main initiator of the Revolution, and by dumping the role of the ilustrados and the higher-classes by saying that they collaborates and sympathize with the colonizers, and are only driven by personal, political, and economical interests is a form of distortion and oversimplication. The Philippine Revolution is not a composition of clashes between the 'Haves' and 'Have-Nots' just like what the book was implying. It is more than that.
Still, this book brought out new questions and thoughts, that resulted in an array of researches and historical revisions throughout the years. It also complies with the demands of nationalizing our history, by patching the events of our past through the Filipino lenses and perspectives. It also brought out a transformational approach in Philippine historiography by providing spaces and attention to the role of the masses in constructing the past and its continuities. Through Agoncillo and this book, nationalist historians such as Ileto followed his path to form a nationalist and decolonized history.
Read it. But make sure to supplement it with contemporary historical findings and interpretations, or else, you will be drowned in the extremity of historical nationalism.
Want to read
February 24, 2017li
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
June 26, 2018beacause i want the story of katipuneros
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews