The revolutionary heart of the book lies in its dramatic retelling of the . Agoncillo's narrative begins with the Gomburza, peaks with the heroism of Andres Bonifacio, and covers the complex political maneuverings of the Tejeros Convention (where internal Katipunan rivalries led to Bonifacio's downfall) and the eventual proclamation of Philippine Independence on June 12, 1898. The story then continues into the brutal Filipino-American War (1899-1902) , a conflict Agoncillo presents as the inevitable continuation of the struggle for true independence against a new imperial power.