Rating: 
Summary: It's thorough, if a tad repetitive.
Review: A history of the western world in the Phillipines up to and including 1989, if "In Our Image" is anything, it's thorough. From Jose Rizal to Corazon Aquino, Ferdinand Magellan to Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos, and, of course, the infamous Bataan Death March, everyone and every event that has or has had social, political, economic or military significance to the islands is in it, but while Stanley Karnow leaves no stone unturned, he does flip a few more than once, and begins to get repetitive by as early as page 70. Because of this, and a chronology and list of "principal characters" following it's conclusion that are both wonderful, the book makes for a better reference than read. That being said, though I'm not sure how "In Our Image" compares with it's competitors, since, if there are any, I haven't read them, I feel no need to find out. I'm confident that it has all the information I'll need on the subject, but bring a dictionary. Even readers with the vastest of vocabularies will be hard-pressed to keep up with Karnow.
Rating:
Summary: It's thorough, if a tad repetitive.
Review: A history of the western world in the Phillipines up to and including 1989, if "In Our Image" is anything, it's thorough. From Jose Rizal to Corazon Aquino, Ferdinand Magellan to Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos, and, of course, the infamous Bataan Death March, everyone and every event that has or has had social, political, economic or military significance to the islands is in it, but while Stanley Karnow leaves no stone unturned, he does flip a few more than once, and begins to get repetitive by as early as page 70. Because of this, and a chronology and list of "principal characters" following it's conclusion that are both wonderful, the book makes for a better reference than read. That being said, though I'm not sure how "In Our Image" compares with it's competitors, since, if there are any, I haven't read them, I feel no need to find out. I'm confident that it has all the information I'll need on the subject, but bring a dictionary. Even readers with the vastest of vocabularies will be hard-pressed to keep up with Karnow.
Rating: 
Summary: Neo-colonialism or insight from the inside?
Review: An experienced foreign correspondent, Karnow has penned an engaging and exhaustive narrative of US engagement in the Philippines. Karnow ends where he starts, with Cory Aquino. Cory spoke to a joint session of Congress with an entreaty for desperately needed aid and foreign investment. Karnow then deftly gives us a synopsis of incidents culminating in to Cory Aquino's appearance in Washington. Karnow later delves into the martyrdom of Ninoy Aquino. He describes the licentious reign of the Marcoses. He explains Marcos' loss in the presidential election to Ninoy's widow Cory Aquino. Karnow also delves into the Marcoses' eventual exile to Hawaii and Reagan's vacillation regarding the removal. Finally, Karnow sensitively explores President Aquino's eroding popularity and its impact on the Philippines. Karnow articulates the long history of the Philippines, of which he writes that it was: "Three centuries in a Catholic convent and fifty years in Hollywood." Karnow writes at the conclusion of this first chapter: "Few countries ... have been more heavily shackled by the past than the Philippines." How much of that, we have to ask is really his form of neo-colonialism. I will not deny Karnow's place as a great writer and his amazing insight into the Philippine situation. However, as much as he is an insider, he has to temper his writing that is heavily influenced by his personal friendship and sentiment for the Aquinos. To Karnow's credit, the project is vast. The scope of the book starts from Ferdinand Magellan's accidental arrival in the Philippines in 1521 and ends in Aquino's appeal to the US Congress in 1986. Karnow's rendition of the history of the Philippines is both resplendent and sensational. Karnow appropriately provides a cast of pivotal characters at the end of the book. The motley crew of notables includes such diverse personalities as William McKinley, Emilio Aguinaldo, Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Edward Lansdale and Ramon Magsaysay. Also included are notables like Manuel Quezon, Sergio Osmena, Sr., Carlos P. Romulo and Douglas MacArthur -- the self-created redeemer of the Philippines. Karnow posits that the egregious corruption and uncontrolled plunder that bewilder the Philippines can only be grasped within it's unique historical context. Karnow takes great pains to elucidate this points by continually going back to the extensive archive of historical links to the US. In the end, he will write: "Yet the critics who derided her (Cory Aquino) for relying on America for salvation had either forgotten or deliberately ignored reality. If only to serve its own interests, America had repeatedly rescued the Philippines -- just as, out of gratitude for relatively benign tutelage, Filipinos had sacrificed themselves for the US. So both Americans and Filipinos implicitly understood that, however, lopsided, thorny and at times frustrating their 'special relationship' might be, it reflected a century of shared experience." Karnow writes that owing to the fact that the US has consistently supported the oligarchy as the fount for political leaders, the status quo was reinforced. Owing to this reforms that were promised during election campaigns were never instituted. Karnow contends that the US placed its stamp of approval on the corruption the plagues the Philippines. Corruption in the Philippines, according to Karnow, can be traced all the way back to Spanish rule in the islands. Thus, the anomaly of Ferdinand Marcos' reign is his perseverance, not his rapacity. Peter Tarr outlined in the National that: "This is a peculiar and misleading book... Karnow is one of America's sentimental imperialists. He laments the errors of those who intervened, but not the act of intervention itself. Rather than criticize or condemn American colonialists, he emphasizes that they intended to help... [Karnow] is well placed to dispel some of the myths that have been passed down over the years. But rather than demystify, he has given new life to some of the most pernicious of these... Karnow's claim of ethical neutrality is preposterous; In Our Image is full of ethical judgment, and in the main they indicate the author's inclination to explain away the American colonial impulse." You, the reader, be the judge. However, I will echo Tarr in that Karnow is far from neutral -- he is clouded by the almost romantic notions he has of the Aquinos -- particularly Cory. However, he does redeem himself when he takes step back to try to be objective about her administration. In the end, Karnow's history is an elucidation rather than a prescription. Karnow argues that the Philippines has many "issues" to which there are no easy answers, no shortcuts. I concur with Karnow on this point and add that perhaps a re-evaluation of our values may shed some light into this almost chronic situation. Karnow's Pulitzer Prize is well deserved as he has accomplished what few writers have been able to do, he has simplified (without essentializing) a complex history. Karnow's use of a mix personal reflection as well as historical record, he has made "In Our Image" is both engrossing and educational. A must read for novice historians like myself. For those interested in the special topics of Asian studies -- this is a must have and must be widely discussed.Miguel Llora
Rating:
Summary: Insightful book!
Review: As a Filipino-American (state born), this was an amazing book. There is so much history to be learned about the Philippines. While my parents have told me much about their native land, this book tells an amazing story of this island nation. It not only gives the history of the islands, but also lets the reader understand the nature & thinking of a Filipino, as well. You learn of the many diverse regions of this nation & their individual traits, too. My father enjoyed this book just as I did. This book has sparked my interest in the history of the nation of my parent's birth. An exceptional book that I could not put down. A great book!!
Rating:
Summary: Sobering Case Study of Exporting America
Review: From the valiant death of Ferdinand Magellan in the azure surf of Mactan in 1521 to the fall of Ferdinand Marcos at the hands of Cory Aquino and a disillusioned Reagan administration in 1986, Stanley Karnow, the venerable Asian correspondent for the Washington Post, traces the arc of the Philippines' long, tumultuous relationship with the West. Briskly-paced and engaging, "In Our Image" won the 1990 Pulitzer-prize for history and presents a balanced, yet sobering perspective on America's only traditional colonial experience. Those looking for anti-American or anti-imperialist fodder will be sorely disappointed by Karnow's generally positive assessment of US policies in the archipelago. He praises the massive investment made in developing and improving the indigenous education system and industrial infrastructure, and frequently notes that American policies were far less exploitative and more politically liberal than any other colonial administration in history. Indeed, he argues that the Washington's voluntary grant of independence to the Philippines was nothing short of revolutionary at the time, and that the islands were actually more subject to American domination after independence in 1946 than before. On the other hand, those seeking inspiration in how American democracy and industry can be successfully exported to different cultures will be equally disappointed with this case study. Most politicians today, liberal and conservative alike, bristle at the notion that some people or cultures are simply incapable of American-style democracy, and the freedom and justice that comes with it. Karnow, however, makes a strong case that dreams of self-duplication in the Philippines were doomed to fail in a society with an entrenched oligarchy, a powerful tradition of compadre loyalty, and an inherent respect for unabridged power. He notes, for instance, that both Marcos and his prime political opponent, the martyred Benigno Aquino, believed that only an all-powerful head of state in the mold of Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew or South Korea's Syngman Rhee would be capable of making any positive difference in the Philippines. Karnow is a brilliant writer and this book shows him at his best. Each chapter covers large swaths of American and Filipino history, so the narrative is far from comprehensive. Those seeking a detailed understanding of US colonial administration, the bloody and controversial fight against Aquinaldo and the Filipino insurgents, or the epic tale of the Bataan death march and MacArthur's reconquest of the Philippines would be well-advised to seek other, more focused works. However, for an introduction to the political history of the Philippines, her close and unusual relationship with the United States, and the experience of re-creating American institutions in lands unlike our own, this book is not to be missed.
Rating:
Summary: The best of history, the best of stories
Review: History writing rarely is this good... even Stanley Karnow's more famous book on Vietnam pales in comparison. The best part of this book is that it doesn't read like a dry history, but like a very rich and interesting novel. No wonder Stanley Karnow won the Pulitzer prize for writing this book. The reality is this book details the wonderful, rich, benevolent, and sometimes tragic relationship that the US had with its one and only true foreign colony. And as someone who has traveled extensively and lived in the Philippines, this book is spot on. As an American, I can only shake my head at President Clinton's sheer ignorance for not visiting the PI during the national celebrations of their Centennary of Independence from Spain in 1998, an independence that the US helped them get... and then took away for another 50 years. Read this book, especially if you are American, and learn something important about America's involvement in Asia... some may argue even more important that America's involvement in Vietnam. To this day, the Philippines is the world's third largest english speaking nation behind the US and UK.... A monumental piece of history.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting History Book
Review: I really enjoyed this book. Prior to reading this book, I had never read a history book. This book has given me a hunger for more history. I was amazed at my ignorance of America's involvement with the Philippines. And I was surprised at the hardships that the Filipino people have had to go through. The author was a writer for Time magazine, and this book was written very well. I found it educational and very interesting.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting History Book
Review: I really enjoyed this book. Prior to reading this book, I had never read a history book. This book has given me a hunger for more history. I was amazed at my ignorance of America's involvement with the Philippines. And I was surprised at the hardships that the Filipino people have had to go through. The author was a writer for Time magazine, and this book was written very well. I found it educational and very interesting.
Rating:
Summary: Not Just Facts, but Personalities as Well.
Review: I was recommended this book by a fellow Filipino friend of mine who had just completed it. For some reason or other I waited about two years before reading it. The loss was all mine. Stanley Karnow has made an incredibly complex and complicated history of the Phillippine islands come alive with a well researched arsenal of facts, insight, and interpretation. I think it does a great justice for researchers everywhere to have a book such as this that shows history as a result of an almost inconprehensible mix of intent, accident, prejudice, and personality. I recommend it for all who are interested in Phil-Am History. My only complaint is that it leaves me wanting to find out more about my people and my culture.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant Historical Read
Review: Karnow has painstakingly crafted a rich, densly fact filled historical biography centering on America's forgotten involvment with it's only true colony, obtained through dubious pretenses from Spain in 1898. The book follows foreign involvement in the Philippines from Ferdinand Magellan's landing in 1521 to the end of the Regan era. Karnow's narrative provides expert and eye-opening insight into the inside workings of the Spanish and American colonial powers and their abusive, beneficial and at times comical consequences on the long-suffering Philippine people. An original book about a unique country with an even more unique history. An excellent read.
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