"The Kon-Tiki Expedition" has made history in the worlds of publishing, the cinema and science. It is the true story of one of the most daring voyages of our time, undertaken in an endeavour to prove Thor Heyerdahl's theory that the Polynesian Islands of the Pacific are populated by descendents of early American Indians.
The experts were sceptical: how could primitive men navigate a crude sailing craft over the vast expanse of ocean? So Thor Heyerdahl with five intrepid companions built a raft of balsa logs, and with the aid of a solitary sail set of westwards from Peru, encountering adventures which stagger the imagination. On the 101st day, 4,300 miles from Peru, they landed on the Raroia Reef, justifiably exultant at their success.
Heyerdahl is as good a writer as he is an explorer; his book is written in a clear modest style. He took some excellent photographs many of which are included in this special Club volume. The end-papers were drawn by a member of the crew.