I bought the book because I was interested in the battle of Malabon. Specifically, to get a history of the 71st Company, Coast Artillery Corps and the 3rd U.S. Infantry involvement. The battle for Malabon is not mentioned in the book even though companies of the 2nd Oregon Volunteer Infantry and the 1st Washington Volunteer Infantry were engaged on 25 March 1899. There is no mention in the book about the C.A.C. and just two brief entries about the 3rd Infantry. A definite waste of my money.

It is evident that the author spent a great deal of time researching, cataloguing and organizing this tale of the Philippine and American conflicts that occurred in the Philippine Islands, resulting from the Spanish American War. Probably no other text, has succinctly described an often confusing dilemma which existed between the Filipinos, who were fighting for their independence, and the Americans who were fighting to quell the rebellion as their benevolent benefactor. The book more than adequately covers the phases of the conflicts which occurred throughout the islands. The initial phase of conflict was the Filipino frontal assaults in and around Manila. Failing to achieve lasting victories, their frontal assault strategy gradually evolved into guerilla warfare; a harbinger, many years later, of what America would face in Vietnam. To adequately understand the locations and occurrences, the reader needs to purchase a medium scaled map of the Philippines. The book lacks maps and graphics which adequately give the reader a visual image of where the conflicts happened. In about a half dozen, or more, instances, the author has a problem with describing accurately locational directions. For example, he states that a place is west of another place when in reality it is definitely east of that place. This problem becomes minor when considering the amount of information the author relates to the reader. An excellent read for anyone having an interest in Philippine History.

Whether the US won the Philippine war due to tactical expertise or due to the Filipino leaders' internal factions is up to debate; as much as the notion that it is America's moral responsibility to make the conquest in the first place. The Philippines, Vietnam, the Gulf War and the smaller, intermittent wars will always be in America's conscience not so much due to the fact that they happened at all than to the self-imposed dissection of America's moral everytime they happen.

As its initial attempt to being a colonizer, the Philippine War could have warned the US to its other, later exercises of might. Was it benevolence assimilation or misguided principles? McAllister Linn may not have provided an answer but this is history writing at its best - sans sentiments and judgement. But if the saying that history is always written from the point of view of the victors, the book can forcefully argue that America has lost a (moral) victory on this war.

I almost would say that this book is as much about the Philippines as it is about the fun loving dictators the Marcos's. The book covers about 50 years and covers more then just the rise to power of these two, but also detail in what was happening in the country as a whole. I came away thinking the book could have been called the Marcos Crime Family, I guess if you are in power for so long it is easy to keep slipping more and more down that path. I was also interested in how much the USA was involved in keeping them in power, sure it probably seemed like the best thing to do, but the country suffered under his uninspired rule for so long how many years will it take for them to get up to the level of many of the other countries in Asia?

You can tell that the author is an investigative journalist because of the straightforward, detailed account he gives. This book comes at you almost like the author had an ax to grind. I would have liked a bit more on the end - what happened after they left? Overall the book was enjoyable and worth the effort.

This book manages to shed a light on the Marcos Dynasty & what they have done to the Phillippines. Whilst some incidents seemed to be far-fetched, for those who have lived in Asia for a long time, the incidents seem to make sense afterall. Connections & corruptions come hand-in-hand. The book also dented the shiny armour of USA of their involvement in local politics. The book is incomplete on its own. Rather, if we read all the book offerings by Sterling Seagrave such as the Yamato Dynasty, Soong Dynasty, & Marcos Dynasty, we would get a better picture. I suppose the author is running short of space. otherwise, I wouldn't mind knowing the aftermath of the Marcos Dynasty after they have shifted to the States & also the former wife that Ferdinand has left behind. Otherwise, this book is a very good effort, indeed.

Excellent! This is a must read for Filipinos! I know it because I am a Filipino!

This book is full of historical errors. There were so many that I stopped reading it after I had finished about 80 pages. The author should revise the present edition and do more research to eliminate all those execreble and egregious errors! I am a survior of the Battle of Manila and I know whereof I speak.

Dr. Cogan's book is a well written, extremely well researched and oddly enough, politically incorrect account of the civilian internment during the war. She seems to prefer to give an accurate account rather than a sanitized version that many seem to prefer these days. Between her and Iris Chang, people have finally have a chance to read the truth about the terrible crimes committed by Japan throughout the Far East both before US involvement and after.

Ms. Cogan has produced an enduring and fascinating piece of scholarship; in addition to being minutely researched, this work is readable and enjoyable even to a scientist such as myself. As a biochemist who has read C.P. Snow, I find it obvious that Ms. Cogan is among those few scholars who can straddle "The Two Cultures" with ease. Her book is an important addition to the historical works available on the Pacific Theatre during WWII

More than any North American or European writer working today, William Boyd understands the developing world in a manner somewhat like the greta Grahme Greene. Boyd's earlier books about Africa have been dead-on portraits of life in West Africa. You get the feeling from reading his African books of the ennui and decay caused by the heat, the humidity, and too many gins on the veranda. Blue Afternoons has many of the elements of Boyds earlier works - exotic tropical locals, the clash of European/North American cultures with those of the developing world. The exotic locales and glimpses into turn-of-the-century Philippine society gave the book an intriguing texture. The story, however, wasn't nearly as captivating. A marvelous backdrop for a contrived, thin storyline. I kept thinking that Boyd must have done an incredible amount of historical research to be able to evoke the time and setting with such descriptiveness. But he left out the most important part of the book - the story. Overall, not a very satisfying book. I recommend instead one of his earlier books, such as Brazzaville Beach or On Yankee Station

William Boyd returns to the familiar ground of Hollywood's golden area between the World Wars (which was so meticulously recreated for us in his 1988 novel "The New Confessions") and embarks on a journey which takes him forward in time to the present day, and around the world to the Philippines and Portugal. While the Blue Afternoon does not match his earlier work (Brazzaville Beach, A Good Man in Africa) in terms of meticulous attention to historical detail, he is in top form in poignant descriptions of love affairs between characters in desparate circumstances. This book is a must read for Boyd fans. For those uninitiated to Boyd, it would perhaps be better to start out with "The Destiny of Nathalie X", a fine collection of short stories, or the more satisfying and thematically focused "The New Confessions".

Fans of Fitzgerald and Evelyn Waugh may enjoy The Blue Afternoon, which has the same sort of sweeping temporal background as Gatsby or Brideshead.

As a woman, if you're ever so slightly bored of modern women writers, this is for you. William Boyd's achingly beautiful writing weaves an engrossing plot involving, but not limited to, a love story told from the man's point of view. And it's refreshing to read of a man's utter devotion, told ungushingly but with such feeling and realism. In addition to the love, there is the story set mostly in the Far East, a little murder, infidelity, characters which jump out at you but allow you to fill in the gaps.... and a prologue that will have you desperate to drop the kids off at school and leave them there all week while you finish. This is a book for everyone, and the only criticism is that you won't want to read anything else once you're done!

This is the fourth and final book in the series originally published under the nom de plume, Alex Baldwin. Griffin does his usual excellent job of writing a compelling piece of fiction in a setting of historical events. Bitter, Canidy, Whittaker, Fulmar and company continue their exploits, now in the middle of WW II. The question is, now that the publisher has run out of books to reprint, will Mr. Griffin give us something new in the series -- I've been waiting since 1986 to see this series continue.

This was a great book, but it was definately the weakest of the series. Splitting Whittaker and Canidy into seperate story threads may have made sense, but it diluted both stories and the breaks between the two threads seemed contrived.

The treatment of minor characters like Lt. Cdr. Dolan and Joe Kennedy is, once again, one of the major draws to this series. The main characters are excellent, as always, but it is usually the secondary characters who flesh out the story lines.

I would have to say that Griffin's treatment of women is uneven, at best, in this series. The emergence of Charity Hoche as a genius/super analyst is unbelievable, due to the lack of a convincing setup, and is quite irritating. Her whole character seems to be contrived, and it seems Griffin makes her a "genius" to make up for using her as a sex object. While it might be possible to put those two characteristics together, Griffin fails.

Griffin also continues his theme that his hero is always right, especially, if the big wigs disagree with him. Canidy's "rogue" actions rank right up there with Killer McCoy (in The Corps). Just once, it would be good if the over cocky hero would screw up really bad.

For those who have not tried W.E.B. Griffin because they don't wish to commit to reading 9 volumes in The Corps or Brotherhood of War series, I highly recommend trying this 4-book series (#1 Last Heroes, #2 Secret Warriors, #3 Soldier Spies, and #4 Fighting Agents). While I would love to see future installments of the Men at War Series, I thought that Griffin does a very good job of "wrapping up" with The Fighting Agents. I enjoyed it the most out of the 4 in this particular series because I felt that it was more operational and thus contained more action and suspense.

As an Elvis fan, I was at first intrigued by the concept of the book, what I got was much more than I had first thought. Deep, well-written, insightful and quite a crop of interesting characters. The trio of Elvis impersonators each have their own well-defined personality, yet also coincide with the many personalities of Elvis - shy boy, wicked ladies man, humanitarian. The story moves through the socio-political-economic climate of a Philippines under the thumb of America and it's Navy. Not for all Elvis fans, but a must for anyone interested in character studies surrounded by a good story and an interesting setting

I read this book two summers ago on a bus from Rochester, NY to Anaconda, MT. Of all the books I read on that long journey this was by far the most interesting. I was drawn to the book because my parents were once stationed in the Philipines, and because Prof. Kluge taught at my college. His description of the Philipines, particularly with regards to the American military bases, was in my parents' words "dead on". The book is well written and entertaining to the thinking mind.

An excellent story, intellegent, well written, and with a truly sympathetic (and somewhat shocking) portrayal of the lives of poor, working women in the underbelly of a port city in the Phillippines. The plot really has nothing to do with Elvis Presley himself, so don't let the title put you off this book if you're not a particularly big fan. It's a great novel.

I was very distressed at the implications and conclusions drawn at many places in this book.

Parts of the book are directly contradicted by accounts of participants such as Allison Ind or by Walter D. Edmonds, who conducted interviews thirty years closer to the event.

Unfortunately at certain points, Bartsch denigrates or ignores important sources of information and the reader is unable to tell that he has done this.

I am concerned that students and the public are reading this book and accepting it as absolute truth.

This book really touched me and it answered a lot of question running in my mind ever since I was a small boy. The booked mesmerized me so much that I picked up an old P-40B model in my model stacks and started making a replica of Joe Moore's No. 41 P-40B, then later named "P-40 Something". It is my mission to revisit the airfields at Clark, Iba, the Bataan fields, Lahug, and the rest. When I was reading this work of art by Bartsch, I can feel as if I was there to witness it on hand because of my familiarity with the places mentioned.

Mr. Bartsch, if you happen to read this review, I would appreciate if you can get in touch with me in my e-mail. I would like to congratulate you (eventhough through an electronic handshake via e-mail) for making the world aware that there were a bunch of heroes fighting and doing their darn best with only little of what they had for my country during the early days of the war.

For those that study the early months of America's entry into WWII, the disaster at Clark field resonates like Pearl Harbor. The story of the fighter pilots based in the Philippines is one of bravery and honor, but against a relentless enemy, their doom was sealed.

Bartsch has written an excellent history covering the not so popular topics of disaster and defeat. However, it is the individual human story that shines through the flames and smoke that choked America in the early days of 1942.

I was really dissapointed when I was reasearching to find that to get the right info, you have to buy the actual book. what happended to finding simple info without spending money--these days the internet is such a joke! I can't even find info on my topic! I really wish if you advertise you could at least give a one page interpretation. I need the real stuff!--

The syncretic religion of the Philippines has often been seen as a failure to fully grasp a chosen truth. In Contracting Colonialism, Rafael is able to clarify this misunderstanding with a combination of historical accounts and a powerful insight. With this book, Vincente Rafael not only presents an excellent exercise for the mind, but he also establishes a strong reason for Spain's 'sweeping conversion' of the Tagalog tribe of the Philippines...Rafael has loosened the knot of faith's blindfold.

Indian Influence to the Filipino What are the Characteristics of a people to become a "Datu" in the early time ? How does the early times classified the people ? What is the difference between Democratic and Monarchy Government ?

Long needed, a well written and well organised field guide to the birds of the Philippines is finally available. The 72 color plates illustrate all the species of the islands. A nice color distribution map and a short summary of status and occurance, along with identification information is opposite each image.

Unfortunatly the book follows the current trend in bird guides of using more than one illustrator. The result, though well done in some other books, often results in a clash of styles, and worse, inconsistancy. This book is illustrated by twelve artists and suffers a little from the latter. The work here is uneven, some of the illustrators being better at capturing the look of the birds than others. The proportions, build, and "facial expression" are not correctly drawn for many species. Experienced birders will have fewer problems translating what they are seeing in their binoculars to what is on the color plate. But beginners and more casual observers may encounter some frustration. For example, the figure of the Citrine Flycatcher on plate 62 resembles the bird only in general color pattern. This species usually appears brighter, and you would not be far wrong if your impression on seeing it, is of an all yellow bird. Also, given the head size, the body should be shown slightly larger and more filled out. The folded wing is incorrectly drawn, as are those of every other bird on the plate. Though not unique to this guide, many of the species that have olive or yellow-green upperparts are shown too dull and gray. The White-eyes on plate 70 for instance are bright, trim little characters, that may remind North American birders of Wood Warblers, not the dull, misshapen things depicted.

My guess is that so many illustrators are being used to save time, and perhaps the money needed to pay a really good one to produce 70 or 80 plates. Whatever the reasons, the result here are some illustrations that betray a lack of knowledge of the form of birds that really shouldn't be in a modern field guide. Not with the high standards achieved in other works, which this book otherwise seems to meet.

Despite these problems, all of the plates are adequate for identifying the birds, indeed, many are quite well done, and the authors and artists have produced a work of lasting value. It certainly will be a useful book in the field or reference on the shelf.

This book is definitely the best field guide yet that came out of press. The plates are good and rendered better. Although, what is lacking is the description of the different races of each bird. Only the nominate race is described and I still have to refer to the book "Philippine Birds" by DuPont for the info lacking in this book. Still waiting for a better one.

Although I agree with Mike Ramos on the quality of the text of this book, I disagree with him concerning plate quality. Often multiple artists can lead to varying quality and lack of uniformity, however in this Philippine guide, which has 12 artists, the plates are surprisingly uniform in layout and generally of very high quality. This book has a winning combination of excellent plates accompanied by clear, concise distributional maps and useful, abbreviated texts all at the users fingertips when the book is opened to a particular plate. There are a few problems with the order and names of authors on the Amazon listing. Robert S. Kennedy is the first author, followed by Pedro C. Gonzales, Edward C. Dickenson Hector C. Miranda, Jr. (his name is incorrect in the Amazon book listing) and Timothy H. Fisher.