author
Paul P. de La Gironière
1797–1862
A French traveler, settler, and memoirist, he turned years in the Philippines into vivid adventure writing. His books mix firsthand observation with the dramatic storytelling style of the 19th century.
2 Audiobooks
Aventures d'un Gentilhomme Breton aux îles Philippines
by Paul P. de La Gironière
Adventures in the Philippine Islands
by Paul P. de La Gironière
About the author
Born in 1797, Paul P. de La Gironière was a French traveler from the Nantes area who spent many years in the Philippines. He arrived there in the 1820s, established the Jala Jala hacienda in Morong, and became known for agricultural work that included raising livestock and cultivating crops such as indigo, sugarcane, and coffee.
He is best remembered as the author of travel memoirs about his life in the islands, including Twenty Years in the Philippines and Adventures in the Philippine Islands. Those books helped introduce many readers to his experiences of colonial-era Philippine life, blending personal narrative, local detail, and scenes of danger and exploration.
De La Gironière died in 1862. Today, he is mainly read as a colorful firsthand voice from the 19th century: part traveler, part entrepreneur, and part storyteller.