Honor in the Dust: Theodore Roosevelt, War in the Philippines, and the Rise and Fall of America's Imperial Dream
This work reflects Jones’ deep immersion in the American counterinsurgency war of 1899–1902 in the Philippines, where he once was a foreign correspondent. Fitting his research of primary military documents into a wider narrative of the war’s effect on domestic American politics, Jones’ attentiveness to the latter importantly reminds readers of the popular backing the war had—confirmed by its Republican Party advocates’ victory in the 1900 election—which should ameliorate the general disrepute of the war and America’s colonial episode among current historical commentators. Jones shows himself a quite evenhanded presenter of contemporary anti- and pro-imperial exponents, Theodore Roosevelt most prominent among the latter. Opponents of overseas expansion, however, strengthened their stance on allegations of abuses of Filipinos by American forces in Luzon, Samar, and Panay, in particular, the on-the-ground details of which Jones sorts out and sets forth as they entered venues such as the U.S. Senate, courts-martial, and the press. Informative as to sources and fluidly readable, Jones’ account effectively introduces this controversial war in its contemporary context. --Gilbert Taylor