When we think of western influence in the Philippines, most people will immediatley think of American cultural influence. This is, of course, very accurate. The American presence in the Philippines has shaped the country to a very large extent. However, the UK has also had a long standing relationship with the Philippines, which is growing. The purpose of this short book is to redress the balance in perception.

The British were actually in the Philippines a couple of hundred years before the Americans and have taken part in some historical moments that shaped the direction the Philippines were to follow, in a very subtle way. The book starts in 1579 when Sir Frances Drake landed in Mindanao, a place they called "The Land of Thieves" due to some troubles they experienced with the natives.