Many books about the U.S. involvement in the Philippines during the Second World War have emphasized the battles (Bataan and Corregidor), the heroism (MacArthur and Wainwright), the sacrifices (We Band of Angels), the atrocities (Bataan Death March), the betrayal (Philippine Collaboration), and the liberation (Battle of Leyte Gulf, Battle for Manila). But the role of the government of the Philippine Commonwealth in exile in the United States has been a mere footnote in the history of the Philippine-American relationship. This work explores the activities toward the war effort of this exiled government, under the leadership of President Manuel L. Quezon. Author Rufino C. Pabico highlights the role the Filipino government in exile played in sustaining the morale of the Filipinos while the Japanese occupied their country. Pabico credits Quezon’s government for effectively countering Japanese propaganda, showing how the efforts of a handful of men led to the failure of Japan’s Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere program in the Philippines. Finally, he clarifies the source of the financial support for the exiled government.
