The Lost Tribe of Coney Island

Headhunters, Luna Park, and the Man Who Pulled Off the Spectacle of the Century

By: Claire Prentice

Narrated by: Coleen Marlo

Length: 11 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

Coney Island, summer 1905: a new attraction opened at Luna Park. Within weeks it would be the talk of the nation.

For the first time, The Lost Tribe of Coney Island unearths the incredible true story of the Igorrotes, a group of "headhunting, dog eating" tribespeople brought to America from the Philippines by the opportunistic showman Truman K. Hunt. At Luna Park, the g-string-clad Filipinos performed native dances and rituals before a wide-eyed public in a mocked-up tribal village. Millions of Americans flocked to see the tribespeople slaughter live dogs for their daily canine feasts and to hear thrilling tales of headhunting. The Igorrotes became a national sensation - they were written up in newspaper headlines, portrayed in cartoons, and even featured in advertising jingles, all fueled by Truman's brilliant publicity stunts.

By the end of the summer season, the Igorrote show had made Truman a rich man. But his genius had a dark side and soon he would be on the run across America with the tribe in tow, pursued by ex-wives, creditors, Pinkerton detectives, and the tireless agents of American justice.

Award-winning journalist Claire Prentice brings this forgotten chapter in American history to life with vivid prose and rich historical detail. The book boasts a colorful cast of characters, including the mercurial Truman Hunt; his ambitious, young Filipino interpreter, Julio Balinag; Fomoaley Ponci, the tribe's loquacious, self-important leader; Luna Park impresarios Fred Thompson and Elmer "Skip" Dundy; and Frederick Barker, the government man dead set on bringing Truman to justice.

At its heart, The Lost Tribe of Coney Island is a tale of what happens when two cultures collide in the pursuit of money, adventure, and the American Dream. It is a story that makes us question who is civilized and who is savage.

©2014 Claire Prentice. (P)2017 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

A piece of fascinating history

I knew nothing about these events (and surprisingly little about the history of America's involvement with the Philippines) and bought the book because I read Claire Prentice's book about Dr Martin Couney and his infant incubators (Miracle at Coney Island: How a Sideshow Doctor Saved Thousands of Babies and Transformed American Medicine) and, growing up on the west-coast, Coney Island is an unknown but fascinating subject to me. It's *very* weird to think about a group of indigenous people being put on display, but then it's weird to think about any humans being put on display ...and then you think, "what other options are available to many such people?"

The Igorrotes, however, could have remained in the Philippines, living their regular lives. I found myself getting quite heated about the treatment of the tribe and the relative impunity with which the supposedly-benevolent Dr Hunt skated through the mess he created. It makes me want to know more, and that's always a good sign.

I liked it!!

This book was better than what I was expecting, considering all the negative reviews! Not boring at all, but actually quite interesting. Well researched, well written, and well delivered by Coleen Marlo, the narrator. This is not my “go to” genre, so it was something a little different for me. Nonetheless, it was a good (true!) story that is worth the time it takes to listen.

The Exploitation of the Irrigote Tribe

This was a fascinating story about a doctor turned showman who befriended a native tribe in the Philippines, then brought them to America to showcase them in amusement parks and fairs. Benevolence turned to dictatorship, and the tribe was held against their will while he stole all their funds, including their tips and kept them as prisoners. The Irrigote tribe were honest people who were displayed as freaks. They were enormously popular as an attraction and as a result, their showman Hunt, made many enemies by breaking deals for more money that he spent continuously. A brave government agent attempted to have him prosecuted for stealing from the tribe. You will have to read the book to learn the many twists and turns in this sordid tale.

I read this book using immersion reading while listening to the audiobook. Narrator Claire Prentice does a fantastic job at handling the narration and pronunciation of tribal names. A story of early US history, I had never heard of before.

A neat piece of history

A fast paced and compelling history read. Fans of historical writers like Dash and Larson will enjoy this book. AUDIBLE 20 REVIEW SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY

New York History

New york history never heard. A sad story of exploitation of defenseless innocent people taken advantage of

True story

It’s rare that I come across history of which I am completely unaware like this. Interesting and disturbing.

Interesting subject.

I had no idea that this event had happened in our country. Sad that a group of people could be displayed as a group of zebras is displayed at a zoo.

Eh

I just couldn't get into it. the story sounded like it would be good, but it was slow and boring

Drone briney boring

Could have been stronger if written in 100 pages. B O R I N G.