The Lost Tribe of Coney Island

Shortlisted for the 2015 Brooklyn Eagles Literary PrizeThe Lost Tribe of Coney Island is an Amazon Best Book of the MonthThe Lost Tribe of Coney Island is a New York Post “must read”!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.

“"Claire Prentice has produced a well-researched and engrossing account of the Igorrotes..." -- The New York Times "Author Prentice ferreted this true tale from a variety of sources, and the pages of this incredible story are peppered with maps, period memorabilia (such as telegraphs and newspaper headlines), and weathered but fascinating photos of the Igorrotes themselves...This story of an astonishing spectacle is enhanced by Prentice''s sparkling prose." -- Booklist "Prentice presents the story of the innocent tribe with sympathy; in her telling, the Igorrotes charm and entertain us once again after more than a century. The edifying, colorful adventures of headhunters captured in America by a sideshow rascal." -- Kirkus Reviews "...A riveting tale of the American dream gone wrong...Without scholarly pretensions, Prentice has crafted an entertaining popular account likely to appeal to fans of true crime and social history." -- Library Journal " The Lost Tribe of Coney Island is at once an engrossing portrait of the Igorrote people and a fascinating meditation on the dark side of the American Dream. Claire Prentice has a reporter''s nose for a good story, and a novelist''s flair for telling it." --Karen Abbott, New York Times best-selling author of Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy "One of those books that is totally unexpected, and delightfully so. An astonishing story, beautifully and compassionately told." --Alexander McCall Smith, author of The No. 1 Ladies'' Detective Agency "In her rich and absorbing account, Claire Prentice shines a bright light on the ''primitive'' Igorrotes'' arrival in New York, and one opportunistic man''s quest to profit from a Western obsession with ethnological entertainment. Historically meticulous, The Lost Tribe of Coney Island provides a fascinating glimpse into the heart and soul of America at the turn of the 20th century." --Gilbert King, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Devil in the Grove "Combining exhaustive historical research with rich novelistic color, The Lost Tribe of Coney Island thrillingly conjures up two long-vanished and equally exotic worlds. One is that of the ''savage'' Igorrotes, a tribe of Philippine aborigines known as ''a peaceful, good-humored, honest, industrious, and likable people,'' apart from their inveterate habit of ''cutting off the heads of neighboring villagers.'' The other is turn-of-the-century Coney Island, a tawdry, titillating wonderland where respectable city folk flocked to ogle the ''primitive,'' half-naked residents of the park''s ''human zoo.'' At the juncture of both looms the larger-than-life figure of Truman Hunt, a quintessentially American huckster in the brazen mold of P.T Barnum. Like visitors to the old Luna Park, readers of Claire Prentice''s page-turning book can expect to be amazed, delighted, and edified." --Harold Schechter, author of The Mad Sculptor: The Maniac, the Model, and the Murder that Shook the Nation " The Lost Tribe of Coney Island is the fascinating, true-life, more-amazing-than-fiction story of a group of Philippine tribespeople, brought from the Stone Age to the wonders of Coney Island in 1905. Absolutely enthralling." --Kevin Baker, author of Dreamland and The Big Crowd "In the annals of exploiting humanity as entertainment, not even Barnum or Ripley can compare to the audacity of Truman Hunt and his eager band of Philippine tribespeople who titillated American audiences in the shadow of Manhattan. Kudos to Claire Prentice for uncovering this overlooked bit of history and bringing it to life as a thoughtful page turner. Packed with a ridiculously robust cast of lively characters, The Lost Tribe of Coney Island manages to explore imperialism, sensationalism, greed, fame, and deceit, deftly capping it all off with a manhunt. Obsessively researched and written with vigor and compassion, the story of America''s taste for the exotic and elicit raises uneasy questions about who''s civilized and who''s savage." --Neal Thompson, author of A Curious Man: The Strange & Brilliant Life of Robert ''Believe It or Not'' Ripley " The Lost Tribe of Coney Island is a social history and tale of adventure, culture clash. and the American dream." -- Brooklyn Daily Eagle "Prentice stuns with her ability to make the readers feel as if they''re right there in the middle of the action. It''s a magnificent book about a terrible time...[but] most of all, the brilliant The Lost Tribe of Coney Island stands as testament to the sad saga and noble fortitude of its displaced, titular tribe." -- Philippine Daily Inquirer”

“Claire Prentice has produced a well-researched and engrossing account of the Igorrotes…” —The New York Times“Author Prentice ferreted this true tale from a variety of sources, and the pages of this incredible story are peppered with maps, period memorabilia (such as telegraphs and newspaper headlines), and weathered but fascinating photos of the Igorrotes themselves…This story of an astonishing spectacle is enhanced by Prentice’s sparkling prose.” —Booklist“Prentice presents the story of the innocent tribe with sympathy; in her telling, the Igorrotes charm and entertain us once again after more than a century. The edifying, colorful adventures of headhunters captured in America by a sideshow rascal.” —Kirkus Reviews“…A riveting tale of the American dream gone wrong…Without scholarly pretensions, Prentice has crafted an entertaining popular account likely to appeal to fans of true crime and social history.” —Library Journal“The Lost Tribe of Coney Island is at once an engrossing portrait of the Igorrote people and a fascinating meditation on the dark side of the American Dream. Claire Prentice has a reporter’s nose for a good story, and a novelist’s flair for telling it.” —Karen Abbott, New York Times best-selling author of Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy“One of those books that is totally unexpected, and delightfully so. An astonishing story, beautifully and compassionately told.” —Alexander McCall Smith, author of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency“In her rich and absorbing account, Claire Prentice shines a bright light on the ‘primitive’ Igorrotes’ arrival in New York, and one opportunistic man’s quest to profit from a Western obsession with ethnological entertainment. Historically meticulous, The Lost Tribe of Coney Island provides a fascinating glimpse into the heart and soul of America at the turn of the 20th century.” —Gilbert King, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Devil in the Grove“Combining exhaustive historical research with rich novelistic color, The Lost Tribe of Coney Island thrillingly conjures up two long-vanished and equally exotic worlds. One is that of the ‘savage’ Igorrotes, a tribe of Philippine aborigines known as ‘a peaceful, good-humored, honest, industrious, and likable people,’ apart from their inveterate habit of ‘cutting off the heads of neighboring villagers.’ The other is turn-of-the-century Coney Island, a tawdry, titillating wonderland where respectable city folk flocked to ogle the ‘primitive,’ half-naked residents of the park’s ‘human zoo.’ At the juncture of both looms the larger-than-life figure of Truman Hunt, a quintessentially American huckster in the brazen mold of P.T Barnum. Like visitors to the old Luna Park, readers of Claire Prentice’s page-turning book can expect to be amazed, delighted, and edified.” —Harold Schechter, author of The Mad Sculptor: The Maniac, the Model, and the Murder that Shook the Nation“The Lost Tribe of Coney Island is the fascinating, true-life, more-amazing-than-fiction story of a group of Philippine tribespeople, brought from the Stone Age to the wonders of Coney Island in 1905. Absolutely enthralling.” —Kevin Baker, author of Dreamland and The Big Crowd“In the annals of exploiting humanity as entertainment, not even Barnum or Ripley can compare to the audacity of Truman Hunt and his eager band of Philippine tribespeople who titillated American audiences in the shadow of Manhattan. Kudos to Claire Prentice for uncovering this overlooked bit of history and bringing it to life as a thoughtful page turner. Packed with a ridiculously robust cast of lively characters, The Lost Tribe of Coney Island manages to explore imperialism, sensationalism, greed, fame, and deceit, deftly capping it all off with a manhunt. Obsessively researched and written with vigor and compassion, the story of America’s taste for the exotic and elicit raises uneasy questions about who’s civilized and who’s savage.” —Neal Thompson, author of A Curious Man: The Strange & Brilliant Life of Robert ‘Believe It or Not’ Ripley“The Lost Tribe of Coney Island is a social history and tale of adventure, culture clash. and the American dream.” —Brooklyn Daily Eagle“Prentice stuns with her ability to make the readers feel as if they’re right there in the middle of the action. It’s a magnificent book about a terrible time…[but] most of all, the brilliant The Lost Tribe of Coney Island stands as testament to the sad saga and noble fortitude of its displaced, titular tribe.” —Philippine Daily Inquirer

Claire Prentice is an award-winning journalist whose work has been published in the Washington Post, the London Times, the Guardian, the Sydney Morning Herald, BBC Online, Cosmopolitan, and Marie Claire.

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