The rout of the American forces in the small town of Balangiga sent shivers in the spine of the American forces in the Philippines , who were asserting their colonial rule on a country that had just overthrown the 400 years of Spanish rule . Long known as the ‘ Balangiga Massacre ’, the Americans had to acknowledge that it was the worst defeat they had in their years of colonial conquest .
But little is known of the fact that the Balangiga incident was just one of the many small victories achieved by the people of Samar . Like many others , it was the result of careful planning and execution , not by professional soldiers , but by ordinary folk who resolved to overthrow the oppresssive American regime . In practically all the major towns of Samar , like Calbayog , Catarman , Catbalogan and Basey , the ordinary folk of Samar rose in uprising against the American forces . At the head of this rebellious enterprise was an interpid general by the name of Vicente Rilles Lukban .
This book is about Lukban and other brave revolutionaries who made Samar a living hell for their enemies .