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| Kon-Tiki: Across the Pacific in a Raft | 
 enlarge | Author: Thor Heyerdahl
Publisher: Pocket
Category: Book
List Price: $5.99
Buy New: $0.01
You Save: $5.98 (100%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (58 reviews)
Sales Rank: 46546
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 6.6 x 4.1 x 1
ISBN: 0671726528
Dewey Decimal Number: 910.09164
EAN: 9780671726522
ASIN: 0671726528
Publication Date: May 1, 1990
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Kon-Tiki is the record of an astonishing adventure -- a journey of 4,300 nautical miles across the Pacific Ocean by raft. Intrigued by Polynesian folklore, biologist Thor Heyerdahl suspected that the South Sea Islands had been settled by an ancient race from thousands of miles to the east, led by a mythical hero, Kon-Tiki. He decided to prove his theory by duplicating the legendary voyage.On April 28, 1947, Heyerdahl and five other adventurers sailed from Peru on a balsa log raft. After three months on the open sea, encountering raging storms, whales, and sharks, they sighted land -- the Polynesian island of Puka Puka. Translated into sixty-five languages, Kon-Tiki is a classic, inspiring tale of daring and courage -- a magnificent saga of men against the sea. Washington Square Press' Enriched Classics present the great works of world literature enhanced for the contemporary reader. This edition of Kon-Tiki has been prepared by an editorial committee headed by Harry Shefter, professor of English at New York University. It includes a foreword by the author, a selection of critical excerpts, notes, an index, and a unique visual essay of the voyage.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 53 more reviews...
 Adventure and more November 1, 2008
After noticing numerous similarities between aspects of Polynesian culture and Inca culture, Thor Heyerdahl postulates an ancient connection between the two peoples: he argues that Inca traveled to the South Pacific islands and at least partially colonized them. His theory is immediately dismissed by anthropologists for many reasons. Foremost is the argument that the Inca did not have boats capable of crossing the Pacific. All they had were balsa wood rafts, which the experts argue would never survive the trip. Heyerdahl is so sure he is right, he sets out to prove that it is possible to cross the Pacific in a balsa wood raft by making the voyage himself!
He recruits five Scandinavian shipmates and heads down to South America to build a balsa wood raft. After wading through much red tape, his crew finally builds a replica raft and sets sail. Everyone thinks they will likely die on the trip, but they are determined to prove them wrong. And they do. On the way, they have fantastic adventures with sharks, unexplained huge creatures far below the raft, fish jumping on board for breakfast, men overboard, and a final exciting crash landing on a South Pacific island.
I can't say enough about how enjoyable this book was, but I also can't help but be sad that in the days of satellite mapping, GPS, and red tape, such adventures now seem out of reach. This book has a bit of everything: science, history, engineering, philosophy, and of course loads of maritime adventure from an era when the world's geography was a little more mysterious.
 Kon Tiki October 1, 2008
How did the Incan people make it to the Galapagos islands and the islands of Indonesia from the mainland of South America. Rumor has it that the Incan people used balsa wood to make a raft and drift all the way across the Pacific Ocean. Heyerdahl and a team of people are about to find out if this method really would work. What are they going to eat and drink on the way over? What sea creatures and new species of fish will they find along the way? Will they make it alive? Read this book to experience one of the greatest sea adventures ever written.
Kon-Tiki Across the Pacific in a Raft August 31, 2008
We recently had the pleasure of visiting Oslo, Norway and went to the Kon-Tiki Museum while there. They were sold out of the English language version of this book. I had read it in the mid-fifties and had lost the book sometime over the years. This purchase was to "re-stock" my library with what I have always considered to be a wonderful adventure story. I can recommend this book to anyone in the GPS generation who cannot imagine making passage across the Pacific as did Thor Heyerdahl. It's a wonderful story.
Kontiki paperback received June 28, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book was in great physical condition...it just looks way older than I expected...you know how old paperbacks get...kind of yellowish and pages don't totally lay flat...It won't stop me from reading it, and it was a bargain for the price, but I am not sure it was LIKE NEW.
Non-Fiction May 5, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
A very wow story.
When the author was told that a particular people's migration was impossible, given the ocean going technology and distance involved, he set out to prove it wasn't.
Crazy, brave, or whatever, but a pretty impressive real-life adventure tale, along with a spot of first-hand scientific historical research.
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