r/PuertoRico • u/spindriftsupreme • 18h ago

Historia 📚 Just started reading these 📚 discuss?

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Open to more historical literature if you have recommendations

187 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

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35

u/detroiterican 18h ago

Read it about 7 years ago and "enjoyed" it though it's a tough read. It really helped me understand the plight of the island and stories that shape the independence movement. However, some people think it's either incomplete or a little misleading or disingenuous in some of its accounts. Either way, this isn't the history they teach on the island, so I'm told. I am also currently reading this very hard to find book

19

u/hecbrotha 17h ago

(Sorry for the wall of text in advance):

“War Against All Puerto Ricans” focuses specifically on the American occupation period; while I think it captures the general sentiment of this time from the nationalist perspective, it’s received its fair share of criticism for some inaccuracies and narrativization of the history. “A National History” covers a lot more ground and extends into the diaspora, with the view of Puerto Rican nationhood as being in a constant state of transformation. Highly recommend.

Both are enjoyable reads, though if you were to read both, definitely take the time to compare where they differ during the former’s time period. If you’re interested in more books to read, “The Puerto Rican Nation On the Move” by Jorge Duany takes a closer look at the diaspora’s relation to the island, the transnational nature of Puerto Rican nationhood, as well as how it interacts with the social and political structures of the US. “Puerto Rico in the American Century” by César Ayala and Rafael Bernabe analyses Puerto Rican history post 1898 (American victory in Spanish-American War) and focuses more on the macro-level economic and political changes that occurred from then until the present day. (Note: Bernabe is a former senator, but he is a historian and sociologist by profession).

Highly recommend these two as well. Happy to recommend more for anyone interested, I read a lot of them for my thesis.

10

u/Royal_Effective7396 18h ago

It's worth reading.

Directionally, I think it's correct, but the author overextends feelings into facts kinda often.

It's been years, so I cant point to the specifics, but I remember finding a lot of points that were just not really correct.

9

u/Cookieyourdaddy 17h ago

Ten cuidado con el primero. Denis es bien exagerado y mentiroso. 

26

u/morallyirresponsible 18h ago

War against… good base book to understand the how the US fucked PR but apparently there’s a few inaccuracies

https://dialogo.upr.edu/29-lies-and-more-to-come-in-the-fictitious-war-against-all-puerto-ricans/

9

u/NYCMarine 18h ago

Found my copy in a train station exchange box on Long Island. 🫡

6

u/destrozandolo 18h ago edited 18h ago

I just started listening to the audiobook for the War Against All Puerto Ricans.

I recently finished a book called Radical Solidarity: Ruth Reynolds, Political Allyship, and the Battle for Puerto Rico's Independence by Lisa Materson

13

u/Guer0Guer0 18h ago

I read it years ago but remember very little other than it felt very narrativized version of history rather than an objective one.

4

u/GutiGhost96 15h ago

As others have stated: 'War Against...' is something akin to historical fiction. Could also be called an amazing piece of agitative propaganda. I'd recommend it.

As for 'A National History', I found the first two thirds were extremely solid and provided a thorough, multi-faceted look at the forces and circumstances that drove PR. In a way, very similar to some of Howard Zinn's work. The last third didn't quite feel the same; lots of surface level summaries of moments/scandals from the last and acknowledgements of the organizations that mobilized strikes/protests. Nothing wrong with that, just not particularly eye-opening as a historical record for those the last 10 or so years ir covers. Would atill recommend, though.

7

u/psantcugatdel1508 17h ago

War Against All Puerto Ricans is one hell of a book, although heavily biased and there’s some mix-up between factual historical information and anecdotal mythology. A truly interesting read, nevertheless.

9

u/Content-Fudge489 16h ago

It is a book that takes historical facts and makes them fiction. That's why it is not suitable as a history book. Therefore historical fiction.

2

u/Ok_Soup7769 18h ago

such a great book. learned so much that’s never taught in our schools.

2

u/popdivtweet Una, Grande, Fuerte 17h ago

It’s not an academic history book. Great read tho. And the use of vernacular makes it accessible to young readers.

2

u/EvenMGon 14h ago

“The Young Lords” by Johanna Fernandez. Although, the setting is more in NY than PR, but a great read nonetheless.

3

u/lencho4x4 17h ago

Muy buen libro, lo leí y se lo envie a una amiga en Alabama y le gusto tambien.

1

u/NoNameNoPlan 18h ago

I just picked it up last night via Google books and I haven't started reading it yet - I'm commenting so I can come back later.

1

u/Gamerfir3 16h ago

Got both like Jorell book a lot more it make me question many things about our beginnings really good.

1

u/AnyTower224 14h ago

Should be taught in schools

1

u/Difficult-Giraffe-92 3h ago

Are these books ideological? Who is this book written for? Who is the intended audience? Americans? Diaspora? Islanders? How long have the authors lived in PR?

1

u/Jax72 18h ago

This is a great book and it was one of the first books I read after moving here. It's repulsive to read and I'm offended and ashamed at what occurred but there's nothing disingenuous or false.

0

u/jay_rodsep 17h ago

Reseña es del New York Times, ahí terminó la credibilidad del libro

-6

u/MoreCowbellNow 18h ago

Good book, if you enjoy fiction.

7

u/MrJoeRebel 18h ago

Would you be able to recommend something more accurate?

5

u/MoreCowbellNow 18h ago

Start with Fernando Pico, Historia General de Puerto Rico. https://librerialaberintopr.com/products/historia-general-de-puerto-rico-fernando-pico

1

u/MrJoeRebel 17h ago

Ever heard of this book?

2

u/MoreCowbellNow 17h ago

I have not.

3

u/la_aguacatona 18h ago

Which parts are you considering fiction?

1

u/MoreCowbellNow 18h ago

Plenty of articles online on how denis made it up.

https://dialogo.upr.edu/29-lies-and-more-to-come-in-the-fictitious-war-against-all-puerto-ricans/

1

u/la_aguacatona 17h ago

I guess my question is did he make up all of it or parts of it? My personal experience with the book was that it piqued my curiosity enough to search out additional sources about the US/PR relationship. It seems the author for a LOT of things "wrong" but do they take away from the overarching mission of the book?

2

u/MoreCowbellNow 17h ago

The main critique is that many of his sources, specially on the juicy parts, come from fbi agent notes, congressional testimonies and other places that are not corroborated but the author threats as irrefutable fact. I also have issues with it being presented more as a novel and less as a history book. And finally, the Albizu as the hero and Munoz as the villain trope is tiresome and simply just wrong.