Benevolent Assimilation: The American Conquest of the Philippines, 1899-1903

About the book

American acquisition of the Philippines and Filipino resistance to it became a focal point for debate on American imperialism. In a lively narrative, Miller tells the story of the war and how it challenged America’s sense of innocence. He examines the roles of key actors—the generals and presidents, the soldiers and senators—in America’s colonial adventure.
“The most thorough, balanced, and well-written study to date of America’s imperial adventure in the western Pacific and the most persuasive analysis of the varied reactions of the American people to the military subjugation of the Filipinos. . . . [Told] with clarity, wit and a talent for the apt quotation.”—Richard E. Welch, Jr., The New York Times Book Review
“A triumph of research, synthesis and storytelling, this is the wisest book on its subject and, implicitly, a significant cultural critique of the United States at the turn of the century.”—Peter Stanley, Asia
“The author’s balanced summary of the historiography of imperialism and the epilogue, which considers the Philippine/Vietnam analogy, are valuable features of the work. . . . Should remain the definitive account of these events.”—Library Journal
“Written with clarity and argued with passion from a wealth of primary sources.”—Jack C. Lane, The Journal of American History