Waltzing with a Dictator explained

Waltzing with a Dictator: The Marcoses and the Making of American Policy
Author:Raymond Bonner
Country:United States
Language:English
Subject:Ferdinand Marcos
United States foreign policy
Genre:Non-fiction
Publisher:Times Books[1]
Release Date:April 12, 1987[2] [3]
Media Type:Print
Pages:533
Isbn:0812913264

Waltzing with a Dictator: The Marcoses and the Making of American Policy is a 1987 book about the policies of the United States toward the two-decade Philippine presidency of Ferdinand Marcos, written by American investigative reporter Raymond Bonner.[3] The book received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its thoroughly detailed history while criticizing its lack of satisfactory analysis.

Overview

Published a year after the People Power Revolution overthrew Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines, Waltzing with a Dictator was written by Raymond Bonner to reveal patterns of United States involvement in Marcos' dictatorial presidency, along with providing details of the imprisonment and assassination of Benigno Aquino Jr., a prominent Marcos critic.[4] [5] Bonner sourced his writings from more than 3,000 previously classified documents from the United States government which he was able to retrieve.[3]

Critical response

Marvin Seid of the Los Angeles Times praised the book, writing that Bonner tells the "bizarre and disheartening" story of President Marcos "with rich detail and documentation".[1]  Christopher Lehmann-Haupt of The New York Times was critical, however, of the book's focus on historical details to the detriment of satisfactory explanations, stating that "Paradoxically, by so forcefully answering the question 'What happened?' he only increases the mystery of 'Why?'"[3] Donald S. Zagoria of Foreign Affairs also shared this sentiment, expressing that "At an analytical level..., the book is disappointing. There is no serious discussion of U.S. strategic interest in the Philippine bases in the light of Soviet-American rivalry in the Pacific, the Vietnamese invasion of Kampuchea or the Soviet presence in Cam Ranh Bay."[6]

John H. Taylor, then an assistant to former United States President Richard Nixon, denied the book's claim that Nixon had two phone calls and a meeting in 1972 with US Ambassador to the Philippines Henry A. Byroade where he allowed Marcos in advance to acquire absolute power, arguing that they have not been found in any government record. Bonner countered that the White House phone logs had yet to be completed, while Byroade himself informed him about the meeting.[7]

Notes and References

  1. News: Seid. Marvin. Waltzing with a Dictator: The Marcoses and the Making of American Policy. April 28, 2020. Los Angeles Times. May 10, 1987.
  2. Book: Waltzing with a Dictator: Bonner, Raymond. 0812913264. Bonner. William. Bonner. Raymond. 1987. Times Books .
  3. News: Haupt. Christopher. Books of The Times. April 28, 2020. The New York Times. May 14, 1987. 25.
  4. News: Ullman. Richard. A Relationship Like No Other. April 28, 2020. The New York Times. May 17, 1987. 1.
  5. Book: Waltzing With A Dictator; The Marcoses & the Making of American Policy: Raymond Bonner. Amazon.com. January 1987 . Amazon.com, Inc.. 9789710840502 . April 28, 2020.
  6. Zagoria. Donald S.. Waltzing with a Dictator: The Marcoses and the Making of American Policy; Rebuilding a Nation: Philippine Challenges and American Policy. Foreign Affairs. Council on Foreign Relations, Inc.. 28 April 2020. Fall 1987.
  7. News: Nixon denies backing Marcos on martial law. October 27, 2021. Manila Standard. AFP. Standard Publications, Inc.. May 19, 1987. 7.