Among the Cannibals: Adventures on the Trail of Man's Darkest Ritual [Hardcover]

Paul Raffaele (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 3, 2008

It's the stuff of nightmares, the dark inspiration for literature and film. But astonishingly, cannibalism does exist, and in Among the Cannibals travel writer Paul Raffaele journeys to the far corners of the globe to discover participants in this mysterious and disturbing practice. From an obscure New Guinea river village, where Raffaele went in search of one of the last practicing cannibal cultures on Earth; to India, where the Aghori sect still ritualistically eat their dead; to North America, where evidence exists that the Aztecs ate sacrificed victims; to Tonga, where the descendants of fierce warriors still remember how their predecessors preyed upon their foes; and to Uganda, where the unfortunate victims of the Lord's Resistance Army struggle to reenter a society from which they have been violently torn, Raffaele brings this baffling cultural ritual to light in a combination of Indiana Jones-type adventure and gonzo journalism.

Illustrated with photographs Raffaele took during his travels, Among the Cannibals is a gripping look at some of the more unsavory aspects of human civilization, guaranteed to satisfy every reader's morbid curiosity.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Australian Raffaele's quest for cannibals sent him around the world from the New Guinea highlands to the streets of Mexico City. Along the way he encountered necrophiliac Indian holy men, the brutalized child-victims of Uganda's civil war, and the iron-pumping king of Tonga. Raeffele's primary goal is to explore exactly what leads different cultures to violate one of humanity's greatest taboos. Yet Raffaele (a Smithsonian feature writer) is not above taking detours and his itinerary includes lessons in Tantric practices, drinking bouts with Tongan transvestites, and a tour of a Frida Kahlo exhibition. Raffaele is a competent adventure writer and has no problem asking questions along the lines of: "Have you eaten human flesh?" Unfortunately, he displays a less-than nuanced perspective, leading him to statements such as: "He is a mass killer whose humanity seems to have been almost entirely sucked out of him."' The fact that a number of the cultures he investigates haven't engaged in cannibalism in centuries makes his quest often seem misguided. Raffaele also needlessly tries to force the drama by phrasing his issues in the most lurid terms imaginable. What could have been a serious investigation of the most extreme varieties of human experience becomes a kind of cannibal farce.
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Review

“[A] modern, non-fiction version of Conan Doyle’s The Lost World: a time-warp glimpse into man’s most primordial nightmare; exciting, fantastic, horrific - and a very well-written travel narrative.” (Peter Nichols, author of A Voyage for Madmen )

“Simply fascinating… Raffaele’s book is worth devouring.” (Associated Press )

“Raffaele is a fun writer who has proved his ability to illuminate the oddness of the world. Maybe it’s time for Smithsonian’s editors to bring him in from the boondocks and set him loose in the USA.” (Peter Carlson, Washington Post (January 8, 2007) )

“Swashbuckling…A dark thrill ride to the extremes of behavior… reaches beyond adventure anthropology and achieves a tone of urgent humanity.” (Kirkus Reviews )

“Travel writer Raffaele’s adventures in search of real cannibals…Curl up with this book and a nice Chianti.” (New York Post, One of the top 10 picks for Summer Reads )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Smithsonian (June 3, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006135788X
• ISBN-13: 978-0061357886
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,684,623 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #89 in Books > History > Africa > Uganda

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars What was the Smithsonian thinking?, September 13, 2010

By 

Claire A. Boeck - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Among the Cannibals: Adventures on the Trail of Man's Darkest Ritual (Hardcover)

If you want to read a book that reinforces your Western sense of superiority, this is the book for you. Not only does Raffaele characterize other cultures as primitive, but he does not even attempt to be objective. The lack of seriousness and factual information paints him as a twelve-year old school boy running around the world making inappropriate comments about other cultures and women. At one point he describes a culture's attraction to women with large bottoms as disgusting. I fail to see the anthropological value of this comment. Furthermore, what does this have to do with cannibalism? Again cannibalism, Eurocentrism, and supposedly perverse sexual appetites are combined. The overly sensational diction, immature and simplistic tone may make this book entertaining, but it further disrespects the people he encounters. Everything about this man is ridiculous. The back cover shows him acting as if he is engaged in a deadly wrestling match with a snake; Paul Raffaele, who are you? An anthropological journalist for the Smithsonian or Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter?

Smithsonian: WHAT WERE YOU THINKING WHEN YOU PUBLISHED THIS BOOK? You are a respected institution; why did you publish this garbage?

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great read, some disturbing parts...., July 22, 2008

By 

S. Reid "BookCollector" (Renton, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Among the Cannibals: Adventures on the Trail of Man's Darkest Ritual (Hardcover)

Among the Cannibals is a fascinating book for anyone interested in other cultures and their practices - religious or otherwise. What makes this book particularly amazing is that the author truly did find people that are today practicing cannibalism. Raffaele even manages to make it seem acceptable because of that society's particular beliefs and mores.

I had no problems reading the tales of the Korowai tribe's cannibalism. Nor did I take issue with the slightly more disturbing aspects of the Aghori sects in India. I think this was because all of these people come from an historical tradition of cannibalism. They believe that there is a reason for it.

However, there was one thing that I found distressing. This was the coverage of the brutal cannibalism in Uganda perpetrated by the LRA. When someone is forced to eat human flesh, it is not cannibalism in its truest sense. It is torture in its evilest form.

I believe Raffaele should have kept these horror stories out of this book. I think it would have served the world better had he then written a 2nd book about the atrocities in Uganda. It is writer's like Raffaele with their incredibly readable style of writing that manage to bring the terrible war stories to light in countries such as Uganda. Unfortunately, I think this is one story that will remain buried amongst the cannibals.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Travel Narrative that treks to the heart of cannibalism, June 19, 2008

By 

D. Moulton "BookmanNYC" (Manhattan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Among the Cannibals: Adventures on the Trail of Man's Darkest Ritual (Hardcover)

I'm biased. I bought this book accidentally while looking for "Dinner with a Cannibal", so I was looking for a more anthropological approach to cannibals than a travel narrative. That didn't keep me from finishing it though. The more cannibals the better!

Bearing that in mind, I can see people loving and being ever so slightly underwhelmed by this book, with most people happy its on their shelf. Squeamish parts and some great details really bring this book to life and Paul Raffeale does a fantastic job of putting us in his shoes (hiking boots, realistically). Whether with a tour guide with a reluctant taste for flesh or deep in the jungle, you're there with him.
He's an editor for Smithsonian, so you know he has the chops (eugh).

On the negative (for me--probably not all readers) I was a little put off on some of his adjective use. I'm a scribbler when it comes to books and there's a big exclamation point next to where he described cannibals as "demonic". Please leave that to the reader. Again, I was looking for an anthro type book...take this with a grain of salt.


What's to love:
+It's about cannibals! 'nuff said.
+How travel fiction should be on such an amazing topic. He's gutsy! (double eugh)
+You're right next to Raffeale as he travels to exotic locales and experiences tremendous characters & cultures.

The distracting bits:
-Raffaele was a little too judgmental for my taste.
-Not the book I went to the store for...negative on me not the book.

If you're into travel narratives, odd topics (yes, please), or want to take a break from all of that fluff, summer reading on the shelf right now, this book will give you something to sink your tee- just kidding, I won't go that route. It's an fascinating but imperfect book that I can happily recommend. Eat up!