"Koichi Hagimoto's comparative, post-colonial study reveals a fascinating intercolonial alliance against Spain and the United States between two countries under the yoke of the Spanish Empire: Cuba and the Philippines. Focusing on their respective iconic forefathers, Hagimoto shows us that, even though José Martí fought for independence while José Rizal was a reformist, their novels, manifestos, and chronicles show a collective consciousness of resistance many years before the emergence of a 'Third World' consciousness and anti-imperial collaboration that culminated in the 1955 Bandung Conference of non-aligned nations. As Hagimoto acutely points out, their prophetic views on the United States'relationship with the rest of the world, as this new empire saw their respective countries as targets of its expansionism, are still relevant today." - Ignacio López-Calvo, Professor of Latin American Literature, University of California, Merced, USA