Malolos: The crisis of the republic (Philippine studies reprint series)

In Malolos: The Crisis of the Republic, Teodoro A. Agoncillo starts where his previous book, The Revolt of the Masses: The Story of Bonifacio and the Katipunan, ends. The present work is a painstaking and thorough going analysis of the travails of the Aguinaldo government during the war with the United States. Agoncillo, in an impressive display of his historical techniques, gives the reader the struggles within the Philippine Revolutionary Government. He expands on the theme of his previous book, namely, the conflict between the "haves" and "have nots", and brings into full play the economic as well as the social motivations of the parties concerned. Sparing no one, Agoncillo, with the historian's impartiality, unmasks the selfish ilustrado class in their attempts at compromise which ultimately weaked Aguinaldo's hand. After reading his chapters on the crucial period of the Malolos Republic, one gains a new attititude towards men like Paterno, Pardo de Tavera, Buencamino, Legarda, Araneta, and others whom history has hitherto presented as heroes. The well-documented account of the extended negotiations between the Americans and Aguinaldo is one of the high points of the book. The author brings into sharp relief certain American maneuvers which other historians have glossed over or chosen to overlook.