Description: The remarkable story of David Fagen, an African-American "Buffalo Soldier" from Tampa, Florida who was first sent to fight in the Spanish-American War in Cuba, and then shipped off to combat in the Philippine-American War. His actions in the Philippines earn him the respect of the Filipino people, but to the Americans he is viewed as a traitor.
Review Quotes:
"If you have never heard of David Fagen as American "turncoat hero," grab this fabulous account of his exploits as a "Buffalo Soldier" who joined the Filipino guerrillas resisting U.S. bloody pacification of the Philippines in the beginning of the twentieth century. It is filled with new discoveries nuanced by the multiple perspectives of diverse observers, witnesses, and survivors. But this is not just one man's story. Hoffman uses a versatile protagonist as vantage point to sketch the panorama of the ceaseless struggle of Filipinos, African-Americans, and ordinary citizens against racial, class, and colonial bondage. Hoffman frames Fagen's exemplary life in the contemporary context of the global war against religious extremism and the terrorizing drug wars worldwide. He thus reminds us of the lessons of the Philippine-American War (1899-1903), about the value of cross-cultural solidarity, secular-democratic humanism, and the critical questioning of official versions of history. A timely, brave achievement, and a necessary guidebook in understanding the fraught U.S.-Philippine relations today!"
-Dr. E. San Juan, Jr., professorial lecturer, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Manila; author, U.S.Imperialism and Revolution in the Philippines; Beyond Postcolonial Theory, and other works.
"David Fagen: Turncoat Hero is a book that transcends the life of its main character. It is a story of imperialism, racism, and resistance. But it is equally a compelling story of the conflict within Black America as to our relationship to the very system itself. Despite knowing how the story would conclude, I kept hoping for a different ending, a sure sign that this book captured my imagination."
-Bill Fletcher, Jr., Author, labor union activist, former senior staff person of the AFL-CIO, former president of Trans-Africa Forum, a Senior Scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies, and editorial board member of BlackCommentator.com.
"To understand history, one needs to understand the values that historic characters bring to the decision-making process (their values are different than ours because they lived in different times and circumstances). One needs to have a very clear, articulate understanding of their own values in order to evaluate choices made in the past. That is exactly what the Fagen book does."
-Larry L. Nelson, former chief administrator of Fort Meigs State Memorial in Perrysburg, Ohio, and an assistant professor of history at Bowling Green State University, author and editor of five books and writer of several articles on topics relating to Ohio history and military history, and a former site manager of Fort Meigs State Memorial.