12 h 50 minAudiobook8 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What happens when a physician turns to fiction to confront the colonial world that shapes his life?
José Rizal grows up in Calamba, a gifted boy in a prosperous family under Spanish rule. His studies take him to Manila and Madrid, while writing draws him to Berlin and Paris. In this biography, Charles Edward Russell and Eulogio Balan Rodriguez follow the physician, novelist and poet who becomes the Philippines’ national hero.
In Europe, Rizal turns to fiction with Noli Me Tangere, the novel he writes in Spanish. His work challenges the colonial world, while his historical writing explores the Philippines before Spanish arrival. The story also follows him into exile in Dapitan, where his daily life as a country doctor reveals another side of his character.
What you’ll discover
- A childhood in Calamba Meet the gifted boy whose family and schooling begin a life bound to his country.
- An education beyond home Follow Rizal from Manila to Madrid as study opens his eyes to a wider world.
- A novel as a weapon Discover the struggle behind Noli Me Tangere and its place in Rizal’s life.
- A country before colonial rule Explore Rizal’s effort to show that Filipinos have a developed society before Spanish arrival.
- Character revealed in exile See how daily life in Dapitan brings the physician into focus alongside the writer.
Who will love it
For readers who love a life story with a cause behind it, and anyone curious about the Philippines under Spain, peaceful reform, and the courage of a physician, novelist and poet.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A gifted boy grows up in Calamba
- Education opens his eyes abroad
- Noli Me Tangere becomes his weapon
- A second novel and a hard return home
- Exile in Dapitan shows his character
- Trial, martyrdom and what he left behind
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 12 h 50 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 8 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
eBooks and audiobooks open right away. Download EPUB or PDF, or send the book to your Kindle. Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then 0,14 USD a day in your first year on the yearly plan and 0,27 USD a day after, or 0,66 USD a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook, audiobook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
25 languages, side by side
Read and hear L’eroe dei filippini in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
L’eroe dei filippini
by Charles Edward Russell; Eulogio Balan Rodriguez · 1923
José Rizal uses novels, education and honest argument to seek change under Spanish rule, putting his freedom at stake.
Medium level10–20 hours to read25 languages
Excellent
- Read or listen
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeFree for 3 months, then 0,14 USD a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
In short
This is a biography of José Rizal, the physician, novelist and poet who became the national hero of the Philippines. It was written in the early 1920s by Charles Edward Russell, an American journalist and author who later won a Pulitzer Prize for biography, together with Eulogio Balan Rodriguez, a Filipino collaborator.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A gifted boy grows up in Calamba
José Rizal was born on 19 June 1861 in Calamba, a town in Laguna province, south of Manila. His father, Francisco Mercado, was a tenant farmer of some means. His mother, Teodora Alonso, is an educated woman who runs the household. José was one of eleven children, and the family lived in a comfortable house with books in it.
The biographers stress how early the boy showed his talents. He learned to read at his mother's knee, wrote verse as a child, and drew and carved with ease. His mother taught him lessons in reading and in prayer.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
Free gifts
580 USD in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
170 USDFREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
120 USDFREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
60 USDFREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
60 USDFREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
170 USDFREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about L’eroe dei filippini
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
Who was José Rizal?
José Rizal was a Filipino physician, novelist, poet and reformer born in 1861. He wrote against abuses of Spanish colonial rule and was executed in Manila in 1896. Filipinos honor him as their national hero.
What is The Hero of the Filipinos about?
It is a biography of Rizal that follows his childhood in Calamba, his studies in Manila and Europe, his novels, his exile in Dapitan and his trial. It presents him as a patriot who sought reform.
When was The Hero of the Filipinos written?
It was written in the early 1920s, when the Philippines was under American administration. Charles Edward Russell, an American journalist, wrote it with the Filipino collaborator Eulogio Balan Rodriguez to introduce Rizal to English readers.
The author
Charles Edward Russell
1860–1941 · American journalist
Charles Edward Russell (1860–1941) was an American journalist and author. He was born in Davenport, Iowa, and died in Washington, D.C. He wrote about business, politics, and social conditions. His books include The Greatest Trust in the World (1905) and Why I Am a Socialist (1910).
More like this
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
