The hero of the Filipinos The story of José Rizal, poet, patriot and martyr

About the book

Charles Edward Russell and E. B. Rodriguez introduce José Rizal to readers through the political conditions that shaped his childhood, education, travels, and literary work. Their account connects the novels to specific grievances while also following personal relationships, intellectual development, exile at Dapitan, and the growth of his public significance. Chapters on Philippine independence and the accusation of Filipino indolence show how biography becomes an argument about colonial power. Published in 1923, the book openly presents Rizal as a national hero and addresses the limited material then available to its intended American audience. That sympathetic purpose is part of its historical character. It offers an extended interpretation of his career, supported by appendices and a bibliography, rather than his own autobiography.

• National memory
• Literature and politics
• Colonial injustice

Why read it

An accessible historical portrait that makes its admiration and political commitments visible alongside the life it narrates.

English biography by Charles Edward Russell and E. B. Rodriguez, 1923