The former Philippines thru foreign eyes

By Fedor Jagor and Austin Craig

Book Overview

Before postcards and propaganda, the Philippines was described by outsiders with curiosity, bias, and startling detail. See Manila through strangers' eyes. Austin Craig gathers historical travel narratives and colonial-era essays into a primary source anthology of foreign views philippines under Spanish rule. Drawing on early travelers accounts and a colonial documents collection, these sketches illuminate the Manila colonial period, the rhythms of trade and devotion, and the texture of everyday life: dress, food, manners, faith, schooling, and the small negotiations that shaped Philippine social customs. Craig's guidance keeps the pieces readable, and invites you to notice where observation ends and assumption begins. Compare impressions of climate, city life, governance, and ceremony, and trace how an empire explained the islands to itself. Read for the human voice behind official history, or dip in for scenes that still feel immediate. It is equally rewarding as a Philippine history reference and as lively reportage for readers who love the drama of encounter across languages and empires. For students and enthusiasts of Southeast Asian studies, the book offers a compact window onto Spanish colonial Philippines and the 18th century Philippines as remembered and recorded by those passing through. For collectors of classic non-fiction, it stands as a witness document: imperfect, revealing, and indispensable for understanding how the archipelago was framed to the wider world. Out of print for decades and now republished by Alpha Editions. Restored for today's and future generations. More than a reprint -- a collector's item and a cultural treasure.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9353700183
• ISBN13: 9789353700188
• Release Date: May 2019
• Publisher: Alpha Edition
• Length: 570 Pages
• Weight: 1.58 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.5" x 8.5"