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Savage Harvest: A Tale of Cannibals, Colonialism, and Michael Rockefeller's Tragic Quest for Primitive Art Audiobook
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The mysterious disappearance of Michael Rockefeller in New Guinea in 1961 has kept the world and his powerful, influential family guessing for years. Now, Carl Hoffman uncovers startling new evidence that finally tells the full, astonishing story.
Despite exhaustive searches, no trace of Rockefeller was ever found. Soon after his disappearance, rumors surfaced that he'd been killed and ceremonially eaten by the local Asmat—a native tribe of warriors whose complex culture was built around sacred, reciprocal violence, head hunting, and ritual cannibalism. The Dutch government and the Rockefeller family denied the story, and Michael's death was officially ruled a drowning. Yet doubts lingered. Sensational rumors and stories circulated, fueling speculation and intrigue for decades. The real story has long waited to be told—until now.
Retracing Rockefeller's steps, award-winning journalist Carl Hoffman traveled to the jungles of New Guinea, immersing himself in a world of headhunters and cannibals, secret spirits and customs, and getting to know generations of Asmat. Through exhaustive archival research, he uncovered never-before-seen original documents and located witnesses willing to speak publically after fifty years.
In Savage Harvest he finally solves this decades-old mystery and illuminates a culture transformed by years of colonial rule, whose people continue to be shaped by ancient customs and lore. Combining history, art, colonialism, adventure, and ethnography, Savage Harvest is a mesmerizing whodunit, and a fascinating portrait of the clash between two civilizations that resulted in the death of one of America's richest and most powerful scions.
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“A bare-knuckle, adventure-filled journey in search of the answer to a half-century–old cold case: Whatever happened to Nelson Rockefeller’s son, Michael?…A searching, discomfiting journey yields an elegant, memorable report.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Awards
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A Publishers Weekly Pick of the Week, March 2014
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A New York Times bestseller
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A Los Angeles Times bestseller
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One of Kirkus Reviews’ Best Books of 2014
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About Carl Hoffman
Carl Hoffman has driven the Baja 1,000, ridden reindeer in Siberia, sailed an open dinghy 250 miles, and traveled to sixty-five countries. When he’s able to stay put for more than a few months at a time, he lives in Washington, DC, where his three children make fun of him on a pretty constant basis. He is a contributing editor at Wired, National Geographic Traveler, and Popular Mechanics, and his stories about travel, adventure, and technology have also appeared in Outside, National Geographic Adventure, and Men’s Journal. He has won four Lowell Thomas Awards from the Society of American Travel Writers and one North American Travel Journalism Award. He is also the author of Hunting Warbirds: The Obsessive Quest for the Lost Aircraft of World War II.
About Joe Barrett
Joe Barrett, an actor and Audie Award and Earphones Award–winning narrator, has appeared both on and off Broadway as well as in hundreds of radio and television commercials.