"Featuring a new afterword"--Cover.

The islands before the cross, pre-1521 -- Expeditions, entrenchment, and Spanish colonial rule, 1521-1862 -- From Indio to Filipino : emergence of a nation, 1862-1898 -- Americanization and Its discontents, 1899-1946 -- The republic : perils of independence, 1946-1972 -- The republic : the strongman and the housewife, 1972-1992 -- Quo vadis, Philippines.

The Philippines is a country in its adolescence, struggling by fits and starts to emerge from a rich, troubled and multilayered past. From its first settlement through the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century to the subsequent American occupation and beyond, this work recasts various Philippine narratives, familiar and unfamiliar, with an eye for the layers of colonial and post colonial history that have created this diverse and fascinating population. The narrative moves from a pre Hispanic Philippines in the 16th century through the Spanish American War, the nation's tumultuous relationship with the United States, and General MacArthur's controlling presence during WWII, up to its independence in 1946 and subsequent years of Islamic insurgency. The author creates a portrait that provides the reader valuable insights into the heart and soul of the modern Filipino, laying bare the multicultural, multiracial society of modern times.