José Rizal has a good claim to being the first Asian nationalist. An extremely talented Malay born a hundred years ago in a small town near Manila, educated partly in the Philippines and partly in Europe, Rizal inspired the Filipinos by his writing and example to make the first nationalist revolution in Asia in 1896. Today the Philippines revere Rizal as their national hero, and they regard his two books, The Lost Eden (Noli Me Tangere) and The Subversive (El Filibusterismo) as the gospel of their nationalism.The Subversive, first published in 1891, is strikingly timely today. New nations emerging in Africa and Asia are once again in conflict with their former colonial masters, as were the Filipinos with their Spanish rulers in Rizal's day. The Subversive poses questions about colonialism which are still being asked today: does a "civilizing mission" justify subjection of a people? Should a colony aim at assimilation or independence? If independence, should it be by peaceful evolution or force of arms?Despite the seriousness of its theme, however, The Subversive is more than a political novel. It is a romantic, witty, satirical portrait of Spanish colonial rule in the Philippines at the end of the nineteenth century, written in the tradition of the great adventure romances. The translation by Leon Ma. Guerrero, Philippine ambassador to the Court of St. James, conveys the immediacy of the original, and makes this important work available to a new generation of readers. His translation of The Lost Eden is also available in the Norton Library.

About The Reign Of Greed The Reign of Greed, an English translation of El Filibusterismo, is the sequel to Noli Me Tángere, written by Philippine national hero José Rizal. Focusing on the Noli-El fili duology's main character Crisóstomo Ibarra, now returning for vengeance as "Simoun", the novel's dark theme departs dramatically from the previous novel's hopeful and romantic atmosphere. These novels, along with Rizal's involvement in campaigns to address and reform the Spanish system, led to Rizal's exile to Dapitan and eventual execution. Both this novel and its predecessor, along with Rizal's last poem, are now considered Rizal's literary masterpieces. The text of this book is a translation from the original Spanish into English by Charles Derbyshire.

The Reign of Greed (1891) is a novel by José Rizal. Published in Belgium, the novel was a sequel to Touch Me Not (1887), both of which were written in Spanish. Blending aspects of his own life story with his critique of Spanish imperialism in the Philippines, Rizal continues the journey of Crisóstomo Ibarra from centrist reformer to revolutionary leader. Banned by Spanish authorities, the novel was smuggled into his home country, where it quickly galvanized Rizal’s fellow nationalists in opposition to the Spanish Empire. Despite his attempts to reform the local government of his native San Diego, Ibarra is placed in prison on false charges of rebellion. Forced to escape or face execution, he chooses the former. When a firefight with authorities leaves his comrade Elias dead, he manages to make his way out of the country. Thirteen years later, by now presumed dead by friends and foes alike, he returns to the Philippines as Simoun, a shadowy jeweler. Moving in secret, he begins spreading his anti-imperial message among the local people while gathering the weapons and supplies he will need to overthrow the government. Before he can carry out his plan, however, he must rescue his love Maria Clara from confinement. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of José Rizal’s The Reign of Greed is a classic work of Filipino literature reimagined for modern readers.

Classic story of the last days of Spanish rule in the Philippines.