Savage Harvest
A Tale of Cannibals, Colonialism, and Michael Rockefeller's Tragic Quest for Primitive Art
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Narrated by:
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Joe Barrett
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By:
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Carl Hoffman
About this listen
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 23-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 partner - who stayed with the boat and was later rescued - shared Michael's final words as he swam for help: "I think I can make it."
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 50 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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This beautiful and devastating book - part tribal history, part lyric and intimate memoir - should be required for anyone seeking to learn about California Indian history, past and present. Deborah A. Miranda tells stories of her Ohlone Costanoan Esselen family as well as the experience of California Indians as a whole through oral histories, newspaper clippings, anthropological recordings, personal reflections, and poems. The result is a work of literary art that is wise, angry, and playful all at once, a compilation that will break your heart and teach you to see the world anew.
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Bad recording
- By Aspyn Maes on 09-18-21
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Into Africa
- The Epic Adventures of Stanley and Livingstone
- By: Martin Dugard
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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"Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" So goes the signature introduction of New York Herald star journalist Henry Morton Stanley to renowned explorer Dr. David Livingstone, who had been missing for six years in the wilds of Africa. Into Africa ushers us into the meeting of these remarkable men. In 1866, when Livingstone journeyed into the heart of the African continent in search of the Nile's source, the land was rough, unknown to Europeans, and inhabited by man-eating tribes.
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Riveting
- By Gene on 04-01-04
By: Martin Dugard
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Unbroken
- A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption
- By: Laura Hillenbrand
- Narrated by: Edward Herrmann
- Length: 13 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Why we think it’s a great listen: Seabiscuit was a runaway success, and Hillenbrand’s done it again with another true-life account about beating unbelievable odds. On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared....
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Indescribable
- By Janice on 12-01-10
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The Darling
- By: Russell Banks
- Narrated by: Mary Beth Hurt
- Length: 14 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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The Darling is Hannah Musgrave's story, told emotionally and convincingly years later by Hannah herself. A political radical and member of the Weather Underground, Hannah has fled America to West Africa, where she and her Liberian husband become friends and colleagues of Charles Taylor, the notorious warlord and now ex-president of Liberia. When Taylor leaves for the United States in an effort to escape embezzlement charges, he's immediately placed in prison.
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Complex and compelling
- By Ellen H. Anderson on 02-05-05
By: Russell Banks
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They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky
- The True Story of Three Lost Boys from Sudan
- By: Benson Deng, Alephonsion Deng, Benjamin Ajak, and others
- Narrated by: David Henry, David Zinn, Augustino Mayai, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Benjamin, Alepho, and Benson were raised among the Dinka tribe of Sudan. Their world was an insulated, close-knit community of grass-roofed cottages, cattle herders, and tribal councils. The lions and pythons that prowled beyond the village fences were the greatest threat they knew. All that changed the night the government-armed Murahiliin began attacking their villages.
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Important History
- By Planetary Defense Commander on 02-16-12
By: Benson Deng, and others
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The River of Doubt
- Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey
- By: Candice Millard
- Narrated by: Paul Michael
- Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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At once an incredible adventure narrative and a penetrating biographical portrait, The River of Doubt is the true story of Theodore Roosevelt's harrowing exploration of one of the most dangerous rivers on earth.
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This audiobook deserves 6 stars
- By D. Littman on 11-15-05
By: Candice Millard
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The Translator
- By: Daoud Hari
- Narrated by: Mirron Willis
- Length: 6 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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The young life of Daoud Hari—his friends call him David—has been one of bravery and mesmerizing adventure. He is a living witness to the brutal genocide under way in Darfur. The Translator is a suspenseful, harrowing, and deeply moving memoir of how one person has made a difference in the world—an on-the-ground account of one of the biggest stories of our time.
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Horrific
- By B.S.Johnston on 04-02-24
By: Daoud Hari
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All the Lives We Never Lived
- By: Anuradha Roy
- Narrated by: Vikas Adam
- Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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From the Man Booker Prize-nominated author of Sleeping on Jupiter, The Folded Earth, and An Atlas of Impossible Longing, a poignant and sweeping novel set in India during World War II and the present day about a son’s quest to uncover the truth about his mother....
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Beautiful book
- By Sonia S. on 12-13-19
By: Anuradha Roy
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The Age of Daredevils
- By: Michael Clarkson
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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By turns a family drama and an action-adventure story, The Age of Daredevils chronicles the lives of the men and women who devoted themselves to the extraordinary sport of jumping over Niagara Falls in a barrel - a death-defying gamble that proved a powerful temptation to a hardy few. Internationally known in the 1920s and '30s for their barrel-jumping exploits, the Hills were a father-son team of daredevils who also rescued dozens of misguided thrill seekers and accident victims who followed them into the river.
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Interesting
- By Always Honest on 10-10-16
By: Michael Clarkson
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Full Circle
- A Pacific Journey with Michael Palin
- By: Michael Palin
- Narrated by: Michael Palin
- Length: 6 hrs and 3 mins
- Abridged
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Following the hugely popular and successful Around the World in 80 Days and Pole to Pole, Michael Palin set off to meet another challenge: an anti-clockwise circumnavigation of the world's largest ocean, the Pacific.
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Excellent, per usual
- By Enroute8 on 06-03-07
By: Michael Palin
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Pirate Hunters
- Treasure, Obsession, and the Search for a Legendary Pirate Ship
- By: Robert Kurson
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Finding and identifying a pirate ship is the hardest thing to do under the sea. But two men—John Chatterton and John Mattera—are willing to risk everything to find the Golden Fleece, the ship of the infamous pirate Joseph Bannister. At large during the Golden Age of Piracy in the seventeenth century, Bannister should have been immortalized in the lore of the sea—his exploits more notorious than Blackbeard’s, more daring than Kidd’s. But his story, and his ship, have been lost to time.
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Pure Gold
- By Mel on 06-24-15
By: Robert Kurson
What listeners say about Savage Harvest
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Mel
- 03-30-14
'Safe Return Doubtful'
From one island to another; ten thousand miles away, but tens of thousands of years apart...
I had a mental image at the start of Hoffman's novel: the privileged Rockefeller, a poster boy for REI, standing ankle deep in the swamp mud, surrounded by his equipment bearing entourage; pockets bulging with credit cards and currency, a million dollar smile, and those ubiquitous thick framed black glasses. Gazing back at him, the stone age Asmat people, smeared with ash and mud, bone-pierced septums, bare bodies bejeweld with the skulls and bones of small animals. Progressing from that freeze frame image, a gigantic round boulder suddenly rolling in Rockefeller's direction, the sounds of phhfftt, phhfftt, phhfftt, would have seemed perfectly in order, I was tensed for the attack. No one, including Spielberg himself, could have told this outrageous tale more vibrantly; so eloquently orchestrating the facts and myths to shed some light on the human condition, as well as the mystery.
Hoffman, a travel journalist and contributing author/editor for National Geographic and Smithsonian, said in an interview that his goal in writing this book was not to solve the mystery of Michael Rockefeller. He wrote: “I [the author] hungered to see a humanity before the Bible, before the Koran, before Christian guilt and shame, before clothes and knives and forks.” By immersing himself in the Asmat culture, Hoffman came to understand far beyond clues, mythology, and hoaxes, what might have happened to Rockefeller, and fundamentally, why.
The book has been on my mind for a couple of weeks now. I've tried to figure out from which angle to approach a review. It's so much more than *just* the tale of Michael Rockefeller's disappearance -- which alone could rank among Into Thin Air, Kon Tiki, The Right Stuff, The Perfect Storm. Savage Harvest is back-stage access to an amazing story, a travel pass to trek along with a great story teller/ traveler and a public figure that was an avid adventurer on a quest. It is a revealing excursion through a political history, and an education of an ancient people with a complex spiritual system based on the conception of a dualistic, balanced cosmos...whose village was currently feeling very unbalanced and at odds with the modern concepts imposed on them. "The last great unexplored land," a remote island -- that was until as late as 1953, still practicing the ritual of head-hunting and cannibalism. Hoffman gives his readers a multi-faceted gem that has been crafted with skill and intelligence.
Most impactful for me: The beginning of the book gives a sequence of Michael's demise, from the capsizing of the boat, to the horrific step-by-step ritual of preparing the body for consumption. But, it is Hoffman's wrap up. He concludes with an enigmatic look at another possibility -- which I will not reveal. In a few places, the book reads more like an educational piece than an adventure novel, restating facts, carefully alignment with objectivity, but the story itself is unimaginably fascinating and drives you forward smoothly over any little bumps. I have no complaints about the narrator, but I do think his voice will be a matter of preference. He neither added nor subtracted from the material.
***Perhaps you've gone to the Michael C. Rockefeller wing and seen the art of the Asmat people procured by Rockefeller (he was on his way to pick up a piece on his fatal expedition). The canoes, platters, shields carved from mangrove trees are impressive. The bisj (or bis) poles are hypnotic and eerie. The Asmat believe spirits of deceased ancestors inhabit the sacred wooden poles until their death is avenged. The symbols of the Asmat cosmology, indigenous birds, animals and insects, as well as symbolic references to headhunting, and the crowning phallic symbol, are intricately carved into the trees in cyclic rituals which accompany the death of a great warrior, headhunting raids, and as appeasement of evil spirits. You can also listen to Michael's twin sister and father talk about the pieces, their provenance: *Michael C. Rockefeller Expedition, collected 1961; Indonesia, Monu village, Unir (Undir) River region (upper); Culture: Asmat people.* And, you can hear twin sister Mary explain the thick black framed glasses her brother wore; Michael was dyslexic. All the Rockefeller money couldn't buy for Michael the artifacts, the Asmat had no need for money; they cost him chunks of tobacco, metal axes, ramen noodles, and possibly his life.
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33 people found this helpful
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- kyle
- 04-07-24
Repetitive
Overall it’s a great story and just that. It’s more a historical take on the tribe and their culture. The book could have been easily two hours shorter as I listened to the second half I was becoming impatient. “Like get on with it already.” Still very much worth the listen but can just as easily be satisfied with the story from watching a 20 minute YouTube video
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- SuEllenSP
- 08-14-18
A book of humanity
Being old enough to remember the disappearance of Michael Rockefeller, that mystery was a great draw to pull me into this book. However it is the author's delving into the culture of this remote, complex and strange (at least to me) segment of this world's humanity that truly gripped me. I would recommend this book to anyone who wishes to expand their understanding of our deepest roots.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Robin Charleston
- 08-19-14
A naive adventurer and his weird fate
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes. The story is interesting, involves the scion of a rich and famous family, and illustrates the folly of combining wealth and arrogance, even for the food intentions.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Savage Harvest?
Can't really say without spoiling the plot -- but it's the revelation of what probably happened to the main character.
What about Joe Barrett’s performance did you like?
Excellent pacing and voice, did not distract from the content.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
Sometimes the assumptions one makes about "primitive" people may prove fatal.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Christine Currie
- 03-26-18
great adventure
I loved being along for the ride with a delicious mix of history, geography and art to round out great adventure travel tales
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1 person found this helpful
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- Mara J. Sholette
- 11-13-15
Amazing!
This amazing story has everything the title promises and more: mystery, intrigue, government secrets; it is beautifully written and wonderfully narrated. Joe Barrett brings to life the language and expressions of an area of the world so vastly different than our own, seemingly with ease. Absolutely captivating, I didn't want to put it down to sleep!
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1 person found this helpful
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- Elmer
- 05-02-20
Loved it!
Enjoyable and as thorough as you can be. To understand Michael's disappearance you must understand the Asmat just prior.
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- James
- 06-15-23
Few repetitive parts but solid
If you’re not familiar with mike Rockefeller’s story it’s a great entry point. Also the two documentaries it names are also really interesting as well.
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- Rick
- 03-08-15
Mystery and Insight
In 1961, Michael Rockefeller, the 23-year-old son of Nelson Rockefeller, disappeared on an art-collecting mission in New Guinea and was never seen again. Swimming ashore from his capsized boat in warm, smooth waters, his presumed death was officially attributed to drowning. Yet rumors persisted for decades that he was actually killed after reaching shore, dismembered and eaten by cannibals.
Fifty years later, Carl Hoffman immersed himself in the jungle and its people, and unearthed documents to build a persuasive argument that young Rockefeller did, indeed, meet his fate at the hands of cannibals. It’s an engrossing mystery. But at the same time, it is a penetrating glimpse into the world of almost any primitive culture, where time is elastic, myth trumps facts, values are upside down, and nothing is as it seems.
“Savage Harvest” is exhaustive and compelling journalism, insightful in its portrayal of a shadowy, often savage world. The bonus is another articulate, engaging read by Joe Barrett.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Randy
- 09-08-14
Excellent story
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
A little tedious at times, but a very good look into the depth of an unknown culture. More than just an adventure story. A true look at the difficulties of a primitive people coming into contact with western ideals.
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5 people found this helpful