130,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

Overnight NZ-wide delivery 🚀 Auckland Bookstore • Open 7 days, 8:30am–5pm

The Making of the Modern Philippines

Pieces of a Jigsaw State
3.7 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 80 ratings, 13 reviews)
Brief Description
“Well-researched... a welcome guide.” The Spectator “Reliable and lucid.” History Today With a fractured geography and complex identity, The Philippines is an eclectic and unique mix of culture, environment, people, and politics. Known mostly for natural disasters, migrant labour, and dictatorial presidents, in this book Philip... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$3699
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

“Well-researched... a welcome guide.” The Spectator
“Reliable and lucid.” History Today

With a fractured geography and complex identity, The Philippines is an eclectic and unique mix of culture, environment, people, and politics. Known mostly for natural disasters, migrant labour, and dictatorial presidents, in this book Philip Bowring shows how it is much, much more. Deftly navigating the history of this populous island republic, The Making of the Modern Philippines traces its history to define and explain its position in the modern world.

Looking past the headlines of volcanoes, earthquakes, and violence, it asks why the Filipino economy has lagged behind its neighbours. It explores the importance of its location in geopolitics and investigates how its deep-rooted Catholicism clashes with the Islamic consciousness of the region in which it sits.

Taking the history of the Philippines from its pre-colonial era, through its Spanish and American occupations and up to the modern day, it unravels the complex politics, culture, peoples, and economy of this rich and unique nation. Engaging with challenges the Filipino people face today such as federalism, revolution, Mindanao, the diaspora, capitalism, and relations with China, it rediscovers the struggles, culture, and history of its past to understand the present.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781350427884

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 22 February 2024

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 22.0mm

Width: 156.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 420g

Pages: 272

About the Author

Philip Bowring is a journalist based in Hong Kong and held the position of editor for the Far Eastern Economic Review between 1973 and 1992. He is the author of Empire of the Winds (Bloomsbury, 2018).

Also by Philip Bowring

View all
  • Empire of the Winds
    Empire of the Winds by Philip Bowring explores Nusantaria, often referred to as 'Maritime Southeast Asia', which is the world's largest archipelago. For centuries, it has been a vital cultural and trading hub. The name "Nusantara", originally a Sanskrit and later Malay word, refers to an island realm. Here, it is adapted to become Nusantaria, denoting a slightly wider world...
    Paperback
    $5199
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Invention of Asia
    Pre-order
    The Invention of Asia
    Where did the concept of ‘Asia’ come from? Was this a term coined by the many communities that spanned this great continent, or was it a Western invention, imposed upon those lands and populations that were so ‘other’ to themselves? This book argues that ‘Asia’ is a European creation, and goes back in time to show how and when this...
    Hardback
    $6100
    Pre-order
    Out 24 Dec 2026

More from History & Military

View all
  • Behind Enemy Lines
    New Release
    Behind Enemy Lines
    Archie Gibson's initiation into desert warfare almost proved to be his last. Barrelling through the sand dunes at the wheel of his truck, Gibson spied a searing flash of light up ahead, the signature of a feared German 88mm gun firing ... right at him. He leapt from his speeding vehicle just before it was torn apart and turned into...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    The Cauldron
    How did an elderly cleric overthrow the Shah of Iran and change the world?Why did Bin Laden attack the USA - and why did the USA destroy Saddam?How did Britain and France carve up the Middle East - and why did the Kurds never get their own state? THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO THE MAKING OF TODAY'S MIDDLE EAST: A SPELLBINDING...
    Hardback
    $4999
    Elsewhere:
    $6000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Saving Elli
    One child. Two years in hiding. Three lives in mortal danger. In Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, near Anne Frank's house, another Jewish girl is hidden. Her name is Elli. Her father has been executed at Mauthausen concentration camp. Her mother is fleeing for her life. Elli is next. To save her, resistance couple Frits and Jo Hakkens must risk everything, concealing her...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Spy and the Traitor
    The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre is a spellbinding Cold War thriller that unravels the true story of Oleg Gordievsky, a KGB double agent who risked everything to aid the British in the battle against Soviet oppression. In meticulously researched detail, Macintyre paints a vivid portrait of espionage, double-crossing, and unparalleled bravery, giving readers a riveting glimpse into...
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Suicidal Empathy
    The bestselling author of The Parasitic Mind shows why empathy in politics leads to civilizational collapse. What happens when a society elevates victimhood to a virtue and decides that punishment is cruel? You get the disease Dr. Gad Saad calls suicidal empathy. And the West may be terminally infected. In his new book, Suicidal Empathy, Saad unleashes a blistering critique...
    Paperback
    $3099
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • On Sale
    12% off
    The Wager
    THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER LONGLISTED FOR THE 2023 BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 'The beauty of The Wager unfurls like a great sail... one of the finest nonfiction books I've ever read' Guardian 'The greatest sea story ever told' Spectator 'I cannot think of anyone who would not love this book... It is an extraordinary true story, beautifully...
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Salt
    Homer called it a divine substance. Plato described it as especially dear to the gods. As Mark Kurlansky so brilliantly relates here, salt has shaped civilisation from the beginning, and its story is a glittering, often surprising part of the history of mankind. Wars have been fought over salt and, while salt taxes secured empires across Europe and Asia, they...
    Paperback
    $3500
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Man's Search For Meaning
    Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl is a profound, thought-provoking memoir and psychological exploration that delves into the harrowing experiences of life in Nazi concentration camps, intertwined with the author’s groundbreaking theories on existential psychology. The book is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, offering a beacon of hope and a roadmap for finding purpose...
    Paperback
    $1800
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Discipline
    Silence is complicity, but how do we confront the cost of speaking up? Sydney, May 2021. Ashraf is an academic whose career and personal life are in freefall. Hannah is a young journalist struggling to honour the voices of her community. When a Year 12 Al-Bayinnah College student is arrested for protesting a university's ties to an Israeli weapons manufacturer,...
    Paperback
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Biological War
    New Release
    Biological War
    There is an invisible weapon among us. By the time you know you are a victim, it has turned you into a killer. A blistering new non-fiction thriller from the Baillie Gifford shortlisted author of Nuclear War (200,000 copies sold). A lab accident, a bio-attack, a global pandemic, and the collapse of human society. In this essential new book, based...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • On Sale
    20% off
    The Golden Menhir
    Assurancetourix is entering the legendary Gallic bards' competition to win the golden menhir. But with the Romans keeping a close watch, Asterix and Obelix must protect him at all costs. Their mission? Keep him safe-no matter what... even if it means risking their own ears! First released as a book-disc in 1967, this adventure soon became a rare treasure, long...
    Hardback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $3499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • All The Presidents' Wars
    New Release
    All The Presidents' Wars
    From a multiple New York Times bestselling author, here is an eye-opening history of the United States' war on terror across four presidential administrations. The year 2026 marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of 9/11, the most devastating attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor. Within days, the United States began to declare its war on terror: 'Either you are with us,...
    Paperback
    $4500
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.