by Carl Hoffman
First published 2014
In 1961, Michael Rockefeller vanished without a trace in the remote jungles of New Guinea. Official reports blamed drowning, but whispered rumors told a darker story. The young heir to one of America's wealthiest families had supposedly fallen victim to the Asmat, a warrior tribe whose sacred traditions included headhunting and ritual cannibalism. For fifty years, the Rockefeller family and Dutch colonial authorities dismissed these claims as speculation. Award-winning journalist Carl Hoffman refuses to let the mystery rest. He travels deep into Asmat territory, living among the indigenous people and earning their trust. Through painstaking archival research, Hoffman unearths previously hidden documents and convinces witnesses to break decades of silence. His investigation reveals how colonial forces transformed ancient Asmat culture while sacred customs endured beneath the surface. Hoffman pieces together the true events of that fateful day, exposing the collision between two worlds that cost Michael Rockefeller his life. The book delivers both a solution to this famous cold case and an intimate portrait of a remarkable civilization caught between tradition and change.
Genres: biography, history, adventure, mystery, crime, non-fiction
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: mystery, real-events
Setting: Asmat, New Guinea
Period: 1961
322 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow
Content warnings: colonialism