EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a critique by National Historical Institute Chairman Ambeth R. Ocampo of Jose V. Barrameda’s newly-launched book, “A Glimpse of the New Jerusalem Underneath a New Moon,” with its sub-title “Catalingcasan! The Fall of Spanish Camarines in Ciudad de Nueva Caceres 19 September 1898.” Now on sale, the book, launched September 15, 2009 at Raul S. Roco Library, was printed by Goldprint, publisher of Bicol Mail.

        IT has always been an academic tradition to base the history of the national struggle for freedom to the Katipunan in Manila. It has always been depicted as the fulcrum of revolutionary activities, with the adjoining areas of operations as sideshows of secondary importance.

        Recent studies supported by scientific methodologies and documented analysis have uncovered a different scenario in the areas aside Manila affected by the revolutionary struggle.

        Jose V. Barrameda, Jr’s book is one such work that not only gives a documented detail of what has transpired in the place, but also gives a vivid and lively reanimation of events.

        The book is a revelation of how the revolution took roots in Camarines and how it evolved into a full scale movement that finally toppled the Spanish rule in Camarines.

        The book is full of colorful and focused description of characters and places, so too are the emotional dramas that the author managed to reconstruct from historical sources, as identified by his numerous footnotes.

        But what could interest the reader more is the unfolding of the events that slowly unhinges the tranquility of Camarines into one of the most combative areas of the revolution.

        Never before has there been a historical book about the revolution in Bicol as detailed and gripping in its presentation as this book.

        Mr. Barrameda deserves to be praised for this painstaking work. (Signed)

        AMBETH R. OCAMPO, DPA