Suggested Books

I've had a love affair with the Philippines since my first visit there over fifteen years ago.  Some folks are interested first in their wives (Filipinas), and then through them gain an interest in the Philippines.  For me, it was the other way around.  While I did get to know a few Filipinas during my frequent visits to the islands, I didn't marry my wife until almost a decade later. 

In the interim, I bought every book I could get my hands on to learn more about the country and its history. Not that there were that many books to be had.  Even though the Philippines was once a U.S. colony, very few books about the islands could be found in most mainland bookstores. This hasn't changed very much in recent years, actually. As an example, go to your local bookstore and try to find a book about the Philippine-American War (aka, Filipino-American War, Philippine Insurrection). It lasted about a decade and hundreds of thousands of people (mostly civilians) were killed, so you would think it might qualify as historically significant.  But you'll have an easier time finding a book on underwater basket weaving. 

Anyway, my point is merely that prior to the arrival of the internet, acquiring good books about or from the Philippines was nearly impossible in the U.S.  Luckily, that's changed with the arrival of online sellers like Amazon.com.  Now many of the books I had to fight tooth and nail to find you can get with a click of your mouse.  The question is, which books to buy?

Below I've made a few suggestions.  While about half my books are a century old, I do look for good, modern texts, also.  And by the way, when I decided to add this page to my site, I planned on using Amazon.com as my recommended source for books, since that's who I typically buy from, and because I've always had good experiences with 'em.  But for the record, I am a member of  Amazon.com's "Associates Program."  That simply means that if you decide to buy a book after clicking on my link to their site, they'll give me a discount on future books, or, alternatively, a small percentage of whatever it is the book is priced at.  I'm just letting you fellas know that so you don't think I'm being sneaky or anything.  If you have suggestions regarding a book I should add to this list (and a review to back it up), please let me know.

So here at last are my recommendations!

"The ASAWA Guild to Fil-West Relationships"   is a book that I’ve been working  on for over a year now.  In it you’ll find more than 20 revised articles originally published on the ASAWA website, plus more than 30 new articles which I’ve written especially for this book.  I’ve also included a handful of public domain documents that I think readers might find useful. Click HERE to learn more. 

Basic Tagalog for Foreigners and Non-Tagalogs, by Paraluman S. Aspillera. (Useful for everyone) this is a larger, more in-depth dictionary available through Amazon.com than the pocket version I sell above.  Upside is it's larger and may contain some obscure words which the dictionary I listed above does not include.  Downside is it's a bit large for putting in your pocket while traveling around the islands, and you'll pay almost three times as much for it as the smaller one I'm selling above.  Which isn't to say you couldn't get both... ;-)

Ilokano Dictionary, by Constantino Ernesto.  Ilokano (sometimes spelled Ilocono) is spoken by millions of people (Iloconos) in the midsection and northern parts of Luzon.  Ferdinand Marcos was from this region.  Ilocono, Tagalog and Visayan (Cebuano) are the three primary languages of the islands.  Sorry, Amazon doesn't provide a cover illustration for this book, but there is a positive review posted by a previous customer on Amazon's site.

The Dead Season, A Story of Murder and Revenge, by Alan Berlow.  Non-Fiction. (Recommended for EVERYONE) This is my all-time favorite.  Don't miss this book.  I posted a review on Amazon's site about a year ago, so I'll just reprint it here: "A dark, atmospheric portrait of island murders. Berlow's story provides a dark, tropical atmosphere which envelops the reader's  senses. To say it is a tale of murder is to understate the matter - it is nearly impossible to open this book to a random page without encountering murder or death in some form. Berlow vividly describes those elements which make the Philippine island of Negros such a dangerous place: a powerful and autonomous military, a fearful and ineffective police force, heavily armed rebels, rich and abusive plantation owners, activist priests, a severely corrupt political and legal system, and a desperately poor populace. Take all of these and throw in heavy doses of religious mysticism and paranoia, and you have the author's setting. Berlow's narrative bounces back and forth between all the confused and intertwined elements in an almost dizzying fashion in an effort to determine the motives behind just three of the many murders which take place on the island, those of a soldier, a peasant, and a wealthy land owner. It is a mesmerizing work. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in Philippine history, politics, or culture. Even those not interested in the Philippines per se will find this story a gripping social commentary on life, death and power in the Third World." 

In Our Image; America's Empire in the Philippines, by Stanley Karnow.  Non- Fiction.  (Recommended for everyone)Simply the best book ever written about America's involvement in the Philippines.  Why didwe colonize a distant archipelago which our own President couldn't find on a map?  How did we go from allies with the Filipinos against the Spanish, to enemies of one another, to allies (again) against the Japanese?  What's the story with Marcos?  Maps, drawings, photographs, narratives, this book has it all.  If you really want to understand where your wife is coming from, and why you as an American and she as a Filipina have such strong historical ties, read this book.  It has no competition.

Dog Eaters, by Jessica Hagedorn.  Fiction. (Recommended for those of you with some first-hand knowledge of Filipinas and the Philippines.  This book may confuse, offend, or even scare away anyone new to Filipino culture.  Characters and settings are often bizarre and surreal - should not be viewed as an actual snapshot of the Philippines or Filipinas) Now this is something completely different.  Jessica Hagedorn is not your "traditional" Filipina.  She writes fictional stories involving Filipino characters that are intense, raw, gritty and urban.  Her writing might come as a shock to the senses of some asawas out there, but I think you fellas can take it.  This particular book is set in  Manila in the heyday of Ferdinand Marcos, the Philippines' late dictator, and the central character is a Filipina named Rio, who spends her childhood in the Philippines before being transplanted to America.  The book is a frank, edgy, and unsettling portrayal of the Philippines during that period.  This book is to the village Filipina what the Rocky Horror Picture Show is to opera.  Are you up to it? 

The Gangster of Love, by Jessica Hagedorn.  Fiction. (Recommended only for those of you with some first-hand knowledge of Filipinas and the Philippines.  Central character is 2nd generation - raised in America - and she has many of the rebellious American characteristics you will not find in a typical native Filipina)  Same cutting edge style.  This book is set in San Francisco and later New York, though it starts out in Manila. The main character is  Raquel (Rocky) Rivera, an irreverent Filipina who does all the things you'd lock up your own daughter for doing.  She has a boyfriend named Elvis Chang (they have a garage-style rock band called Gangsters of Love, thus the title of the book), and a single mom who has a lumpia catering service and who's constantly being courted without success by the Hawaiian guy in the apartment downstairs.  Rocky can't keep a job, and she's involved with the most eccentric bunch of characters you'll ever see in a book.  Drag queens, drugs, sex...you name it, this book has it.  Another edgy book which offers an alternative view of the traditional Filipina. 

Dusk : A Novel, by F. Sionil Jose, Jose F. Sionil.  (For those of you who can handle a "scholarly" novel with slight anti-American sentiment) This falls into the "literary fiction" category.  The central character is Istak Samson, an Ilocono boy (well, young man) who is wrongly dismissed from seminary training by a corrupt priest.  He and his  family are treated horribly by the Spanish church and political authorities, and no amount of humility and begging can alleviate their suffering.  Eventually they are forced to flee their own home after Istak's father murders one of the pompous, greedy priests who has caused them so much suffering.  The story is about their plight, first under the Spanish, and then under the newly arrived American army.  The anti-American sentiment might be hard for Americans to handle, but try to keep in mind that this character was on the other side of the trenches once the war began, and usually when there's a war there's some bad feelings between the two parties.  A good historical perspective of the time, though I should warn readers that this book is a translation and moves a bit slowly.  Patience has its rewards, though.

Culture Shock!: Philippines, by Alfredo Roces, Grace Roces.  Non-Fiction. (Recommended for everyone, but ESPECIALLY for those of you who are new to Filipino culture and relationships!) You'll see this book advertised a lot, and for good reason.  It's a great primer on Filipino culture for the uninitiated, and in fact contains many tidbits which even us "old-timers" can enjoy.  Is it okay for a Filipina's husband to have a mistress?  Can you tell where a Filipino's ancestors lived simply by knowing the first letter of their last name?  Why are Filipinos always (ALWAYS) late for appointments?  Why is it rude to be on time?  What is Utang na loob?  If you aren't yet married to a Filipina, but plan on it, YOU MUST PURCHASE THIS BOOK.  Read it, memorize it, live it.  It'll save you a lot of embarrassment.  Trust me.

Insight Guide Philippines, by Sylvia Mayuga.  Non-Fiction. (Recommended for everyone, this is a great general guide to the Philippines) I actually have an earlier edition of  this guide, but I'm assuming the publishers have maintained the same high standards in later editions.  Whether you're traveling to the Philippines or just sitting on your couch reminiscing about previous trips, this guide is a wonderful book to have around.  Plenty of full-page color pictures, maps, and descriptions of tourist stops not to be missed.  The culture and history of the islands are given extensive coverage.  This is my personal favorite of all the travel guides out there. 
 

And a video...."GOODBYE AMERICA" is a very entertaining movie about the last days of the American base at Subic Bay.  It's a fictional story, but it was filmed on location (after the base was closed) and it has some real talent in it - for example, Michael York, James Brolin, and several top (and drop-dead beautiful) Filipina actresses.  Click HERE to see the trailer and production details, or click on the movie poster or HERE if you're interested in getting a copy for yourself. FYI, this is the DVD link.  For some reason the DVD is a quarter the price of the VHS tape.  But both are available.   My review:  I found the movie very fair, and infact more pro-American than I had anticipated (it was produced by ABS-CBN, a Philippine media giant).  Except for the nutcase SEAL that decides American ain't leaving Subic without a fight (and he sure does put up a fight!), the other American characters are portrayed as generally honest, admirable people.  The Filipinas are smart and attractive, though there is a definite lack of strong male Filipino characters (the policeman is well played by actor Raymond Bagatsing, but his part was relatively minor, unfortunately).  As is always the case, military veterans might shiver at some of the haircuts and uniforms the actors sport, but IMHO this movie tried harder than most to be realistic.  The only part I found completely erroneous was the depiction of Olongapo itself in the bar days - there are several scenes of streetwalkers wooing sailors on Magsaysay.  Well, those of you who were there know that streetwalkers didn't do business on Magsaysay (it was illegal, and anyway, streetwalkers couldn't compete with the girls in the bars), and you also probably know that sailors didn't wear their dress white uniforms when they went boozing!  But those are minor points.  This is a fun movie which I think veterans, wives, and the simply curious can enjoy.  Rated R for language, violence, and a few skimpily clad Filipinas.