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Savage Harvest
Savage Harvest: A Tale of Cannibals, Colonialism, and Michael Rockefeller's Tragic Quest for Primitive Art | Carl Hoffman
The mysterious disappearance of Michael Rockefeller in remote New Guinea in 1961 has kept the world, and even Michael's powerful, influential family, guessing for years. Now, Carl Hoffman uncovers startling new evidence that finally tells the full, astonishing story. On November 21, 1961, Michael C. Rockefeller, the twenty-three-year-old son of New York governor Nelson Rockefeller, vanished off the coast of southwest New Guinea when his catamaran capsized while crossing a turbulent river mouth. He was on an expedition to collect art for the Museum of Primitive Art, which his father had founded in 1957, and his expedition partnerwho stayed with the boat and was later rescuedshared Michael's final words as he swam for help: "I think I can make it."Despite exhaustive searches by air, ground, and sea, no trace of Michael was ever found. Soon after his disappearance, rumors surfaced that he'd made it to shore, where he was then killed and eaten by the local Asmata native tribe of warriors whose complex culture was built around sacred, reciprocal violence, headhunting, and ritual cannibalism. The Dutch government and the Rockefeller family vehemently denied the story, and Michael's death was officially ruled a drowning. While the cause of death was accepted publicly, doubts lingered and sensational stories circulated, fueling speculation and intrigue for decades. The real story has long waited to be tolduntil now.Retracing Michael's steps, award-winning journalist Carl Hoffman traveled to the jungles of New Guinea, immersing himself in a world of former headhunters and cannibals, secret spirits and customs, and getting to know generations of Asmat. Through exhaustive archival research, he uncovered hundreds of pages of never-before-seen original documents and located witnesses willing to speak publicly for the first time in fifty years. In Savage Harvest Hoffman 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 at once 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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rwmg
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Only connect

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rwmg
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A re-read from 5 years ago because I don't remember it well enough to talk about it in book club

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ScottishNaturalWater
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Whatever you choose to believe about the disappearance of Michael Rockefeller, the fact remains that it is one of the most intriguing of mysteries, and Carl Hoffman‘s “Savage Harvest” only serves to make it just that much more interesting.

Regardless of whether you believe what Hoffman proposes, his level of detail is so impressive that you learn much about Rockefeller himself, and not just the circumstances of his vanishing.

MStew Sounds great! 6y
ScottishNaturalWater @meghan2714 It‘s a pretty interesting read on a subject matter that has an almost criminal lack-of information about these days. 6y
MStew @ScottishNaturalWater I am gonna look for it !!! I wanna learn more about this 6y
overtheedge I loved this....couldn't put it down 6y
11 likes2 stack adds5 comments
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tricours
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This one is a BookBub deal today! 😍

29 likes1 stack add
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Librarybelle
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Poor Michael Rockefeller...his quest to study primitive art in Dutch New Guinea led to tragedy of the cannibalistic kind. Hoffman chronicles the exploration and the discovery of what happened to Rockefeller in this nonfiction account. Haven't read it yet, but it's on my to read list! #welcometothejungle #rocktober

BarbaraBB Heavy read, I think! 7y
Librarybelle I think it will be too, @BarbaraBB . My background is in history, so I tend to go for the heavier reads. 7y
BarbaraBB I‘d like to know what you think. The subject is very interesting! 7y
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TrishB On my tbr too! 7y
Librarybelle I'll let you know, @BarbaraBB ! 7y
ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled This is in my stack too. Looks good! 7y
Librarybelle @ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled I've heard good things about it! 7y
nickimags Goodness! 7y
LeahBergen It's really good. 👍🏻 7y
70 likes4 stack adds10 comments
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JordanGraft
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Went to the UP a couple weeks ago and all I did was read and hike for 9 days. I need to go back!

Crystalblu That sounds wonderful!! I need one of those breaks 😩 7y
GoneFishing Sounds awesome 7y
LauraBeth GREAT pic! Sounds like bliss 7y
JordanGraft @LauraBeth thank you! And yes it was great! 7y
47 likes4 comments
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JordanGraft
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Pickpick

An award-winning journalist goes on a quest to solve the mystery of the disappearance of Micheal Rockefeller in the jungle of New Guinea, 50 years after the fact. Did he drown, as the official report states, or was he in fact murdered and cannibalized by the local Asmat tribes? Hoffman is able to dig up some compelling records and eye witness accounts to answer questions that have been lingering for decades. Fascinating, sad, and thrilling.

TrishB That's been on my tbr for a while now! May go a bit higher now 😀 good review 👍 7y
LeahBergen This WAS a fascinating read! 👍🏻 7y
35 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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JordanGraft
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Reading with a sleepy kitty

rubyslippersreads 😻😻😻 7y
62 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Bookzombie
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This has been on my TBR for 3 years. I think i heard about it on Books On The Nightstand (miss it!). From the blurb, it sounds like Michael Rockefeller had a passion for primitive art that became deadly in the jungles of New Guinea. Day 10 for #characters2017 #deadlypassion #junebookbugs #death #riotgrams #booksinthewild

LeahBergen I liked it! 7y
vivastory Fun fact re:Rockefellers & ill-fated expeditions, the Rockefellers funded Percy Fawcett's final expedition when the money fell through. 7y
LibrarianRyan 🤓👍 7y
Bookzombie @LeahBergen I will have to move it up on the TBR. 🙂@vivastory That's interesting! The Lost City of Z is on my TBR too. 🙂 7y
69 likes6 stack adds4 comments
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Tex2Flo
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So, I left my booky-book on the plane and had to pick up a ebook I had had ready. Savage Harvest is testy to read at an obviously work-centric hotel with business folks all over the place juggling for positions of dominance. Weird feels.

KarenUK Weird feels! Love it 😂 8y
Tex2Flo That he was searching for primitive art makes me a bit queasy because that's what I seek. I probably wouldn't venture into native Papua New Guinea but still, it's disconcerting. 8y
KarenUK Very! 8y
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LeahBergen
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#TopReadsOf2016 🌟Nonfiction edition ⭐️ #SeasonsReadings2016

Susannah Ooh, I'd love to read the book about Virginia and Leonard Woolf. (edited) 8y
AmandaL Empire of the Summer Moon is on my bookshelf. I'll have to make sure I read it in 2017. 8y
LeahBergen @Susannah It's a really easy-to-read overview of the Bloomsbury group and has lots of photos! You can find it cheap on Abebooks.com 😀 8y
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LeahBergen @AmandaL It is full of the most interesting tidbits and anecdotes! 8y
Susannah Terrific! Thank you! 8y
MrBook *sighs* You just increased my TBR by 4, you do know this, right? Um, exactly how much time do you think I have in a day? 😜 8y
81 likes2 stack adds6 comments
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WilliamMorrowBooks
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Pickpick

Our Staff Pick Sunday is from Assoc. Publicist, Emily!
Michael C. Rockefeller disappeared off the coast of Papua New Guinea in 1963 and though his whereabouts were greatly speculated, they were never confirmed. Fast forward nearly 50 years and intrepid journalist Carl Hoffman has solved the mystery. With exhaustive research and countless firsthand accounts, SAVAGE HARVEST is gripping, fascinating, and jaw-dropping--one of my all-time favorites!

LeahBergen This was a great read! 8y
56 likes20 stack adds1 comment
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leahlionheart
Pickpick

Fascinating & well-written: it examines the broader cultural and political landscape while telling Rockefeller's story. He makes a compelling case that Rockefeller was killed and eaten a part of the Asmat's ritual war/cannibalism.