America's Boy: A Century of Colonialism in the Philippines
About this book
A narrative history of the USA-supported dictatorship that came to define the Philippines. Ferdinand & Imelda Marcos presented themselves as the reincarnation of a primal couple from Filipino mythology. Ferdinand reinvented himself as a matchless fighter against the Japanese. Time magazine hailed him as a hero. He was the strongman, the dictator, welcomed at the White House by Lyndon B. Johnson, Nixon, Reagan & the CIA--America's Boy. For 21 years he & Imelda dominated the Philippines. A "democratic revolution" replaced them with Corazon Aquino, who, in turn, was followed by Fidel Ramos, Imelda's cousin. Nothing changed: the world applauded, the shadow play went on. James Hamilton-Paterson has gathered astonishing information from senators, cronies, rivals & Marcos family members, including Imelda. Covering the entire 100-year history of US involvement in the Philippines, he offers a devastating vision of the price Filipinos paid for dictatorship. Perhaps no other couple is as emblematic of American imperialism as the Marcoses; America's Boy is their story. Passionate, deeply researched & haunting, it is "a riveting read" (The Guardian London) by one of the language's best stylists.