Written by: Ambeth R. Ocampo
Anvil Publishing
(2.577/5 ★★★☆☆)
"To a people who are blind to the lessons of the past, Ambeth R. Ocampo is the one-eyed king. Sure, he has his critics, but all the time, he is entertaining, fresh and bracing, not stodgy or stultifying like some academics with their voluminous footnotes and explanations.
He always makes historical figures come alive, blemishes and all, and with his curious eye, makes our heroes very human and not the mythic figures that we want to make of them. Ambeth makes history enjoyable reading while at the same time makes it anchor us to the past and therefore, and hopefully, prepares us for the future." - F. Sionil Jose, National Artist for Literature"
The Good:
Ambeth gives us his second compilation of essays pertaining to our history.
This compilation takes in the meaning of the names we have and of our business and streets. Perspectives on the 1966 Beatles concert here in Manila, and even the laws passed by the Revolutionary government that can give a surprise to some for its existence were written in this book. An example is the law on price-control measures and the law forbidding the whipping of school children because of the notion that it degrades their human personality.
One of the best entries is entitled "Aguinaldo Was No Puppet", which takes us thru the interview of Major Younghusband, a British officer. In his interview with the President of the Revolutionary Government, Aguinaldo emphatically declared that he and his followers had fought for complete independence and that they would shed the last drop of their blood in securing it. It gives readers a different angle of how Aguinaldo think aside from the ones that we had come to learn of him of not fighting for complete independence for our country until it was already too late.
The second best entry pertains to the essays regarding the Beatles in Manila. The way the band was threatened at the Malacañang reflects the pre-dictatorial tendencies of the Marcos family that our nation would soon have to endure.
The Bad:
Although it is important to know the story behind the names of places, business, taxi cabs and the ones that we own, I think it is too much to have 8 essays worth of discussion regarding it in this compilation. It just prompts one to finish that essay at once or just skip ahead in order to be done with the essays on names.
The Verdict:
This second book of Looking Back takes us to another side of history. It opes more of the dirty little secrets that our ancestors have been dancing with us for a while.
The best that reflects how our history unfolds comes from a quote from the Beatles during their press-con here in Manila. They were asked of what they will be doing ten years from now.
"Why bother about ten years from now? We don't even know if we'll be around tomorrow!"
* Breakdown of Rating:
★☆☆☆☆ - 1, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 18, 19
★★☆☆☆ - 2, 8, 12, 20, 21
★★★☆☆ - 6, 7, 16, 22, 23, 26
★★★★☆ - 15, 17, 24, 25
★★★★★ - 3, 4, 5
