Contracting Colonialism: From Thesis to Book to Ebook

Abstract

It is rare for scholarly books on Philippine history by Filipinos to remain in print twenty-five years after they were initially published. This research note examines the publishing history of Vicente Rafael’s Contracting Colonialism—from its origins as a doctoral thesis to its simultaneous publication by a US and a Philippine university press to its current availability as an ebook via two different platforms—to explore possible reasons behind its longevity and influence.

Keywords: Contracting Colonialism • BooK History • Cornell University Press • Ateneo de Manila University Press • DUKe University Press