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Kon-Tiki is the record of an astonishing adventure across the Pacific Ocean. 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. He decided to prove his theory by building a boat using the materials that would have been available to those pre-Columbian sailors and duplicating their legendary voyage.
On April 28, 1947, Heyerdahl and five other adventurers sailed from Peru on a raft built from balsa wood, bamboo, and hemp. After three months and 4,300 nautical miles on the open sea 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.
This edition includes a foreword by the author and a unique visual essay of the voyage.
Six men on a small raft sail four thousand miles across the Pacific Ocean, from Peru to the Polynesian Islands.
Anonymous
Posted May 26, 2007
This is a piece of history well told. Everyone said they would die in the attempt, but they arrived where they set out to go and proved what they wanted to prove.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 7, 2004
A tale of bold explorers risking life and liberty for an adventure and to prove an historical hypothesis. This is a great story that reflects 'freedom of spirit' in the world. Refreshing in this day of lazy, arm-chair, Monday morning quarterbacks.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 23, 2004
The premise of the book is very interesting (how the Pacific Islands were settled) but the book itself grew a little repetitive. I lost count of how many times a large fish came to investigate the raft, or a fish jumped or swam up onto the raft and became a meal. I would have liked the book more if it offered some insight into what the men on board were thinking. This was really not touched upon, instead I felt I was reading the same chapter over and over again.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted March 9, 2004
Kon Tiki is good read. Notice I said 'good'. This book gave me mixed feelings. At times it dragged on a little, yet at times, it really picks up. I am in the 8th grade, so thats probably why I wasn't as into it as other people. This is a good sea adventure book, unlike Treasure Island. Overall, I liked this book and thought it was a cool story. I would give it 3 1/2 stars, but in a way, it deserves 4. I hope you like this book, and I hope you won't get bored. :-)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 18, 2002
You want adventure? You want risk? You want thrills? You want a mind-out-of-body experience while reading? Then, by all means, read KON-TIKI! No one believed he could do it. They all said he was crazy. He didn't even know how to swim! But he sailed across the pacific and proved his controversial theory. I've read it 4 times and will undoubtedly read it 4 times more - at least. It's an amazing, thrilling read. Please don't miss this book. It's one of those books you never forget.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 19, 1999
After a somewhat slow beginning, Kon Tiki is hard to put down. The book takes almost a documentary approach with Heyerdahl spending almost no time developing characters or leading the reader to extract a theme or moral. Just as well! The action is sustaining with ample discussions of storms, sea creatures, and challenges with the raft. Read the book and then remind yourself that it is a true story that took place during the Truman presidency. No sonar and accompanying yachts here--just pure adventure! Get a copy with photographs; they're terrific.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 8, 2013
*sits on the ground staring at the sky emotionless*
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Posted June 10, 2012
THIS IS AN AWESOME ADVENTURE TAKING PLACE ON THE SURFACE OF THE PACIFIC.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.bookmaster2000
Posted March 24, 2009
Kon-Tiki is the tale of Thor Heyerdahl and his crew mates, who attempt to cross the Pacific Ocean in a raft in an attempt to duplicate a similar journey by Polynesians. Their journey spanned 101 days and they ended up crossing 4,300 nautical miles, and ended when they reached the Tuamotu Islands, part of the French Polynesians on August 7th, 1947. A few themes are prominent in the book, namely exploration and as curiosity. The crew embarks on an epic journey with technology as advanced as the Polynesians, only in an effort to prove that it was possible. Their journey, months in length is a remarkable example of perseverance, as well. Overall, it was a reasonable good read. The beginning was easy to get into, and the crews' travels in Peru to create the raft were very interesting. Once the trip was underway, though, the book turned towards monotony, with days and days of nothing noteworthy happening except fish and squid sightings. Some information seemed irrelevant. On the plus side, Heyerdahl creates vivid pictures of the environment, both on clear days of sailing as well as the mid-ocean storms that were endured. However, characters are relatively undeveloped aside from what can be learned from their actions, and it was hard to create connections.
If you are interested in exploration and are fascinated by the ocean, this book is for you. If you are interested in wildlife, you will enjoy the numerous accounts of fishing, whales, squids and other sea creatures. Avoid it if you prefer short and to-the-point stories, or if you think character development it critical to understanding. Also avoid Kon-Tiki if you are a strong animal rights advocate, as many different kinds of fish are eaten. Likewise, if you get sea sick, you might find it necessary to skip certain passages. If you have read this, you might enjoy cruise ship brochures, ocean related documentaries and beach novels. Also, if you find yourself short of time, there is a movie based on the book, though it is exactly recent. In summery, this book is deserving of a 3 out of 5: A predictable, almost documentary like read that tells an interesting tale of an epic journey.
0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 9, 2008
I Also Recommend:
this book proves that the indians were able to go all throegh the pacific without tech
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted October 24, 2004
while reading this book i thought my eyes were going to spontauiously burst into flames. It was like someone shoving trash into my eyes over and over again
0 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 29, 2004
after a couple of chapters you wont be able to put it down, its a great read and will certainly make you want to head for the nearest island. to anyone who dreams of the palms and silky sand of the south pacific this will be your book.
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Posted July 30, 2003
This book was beyond boring. If you would like to fall asleep, and suffer throughout reading a book, Kon-Tiki should be your choice
0 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 24, 2011
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Posted January 29, 2009
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Posted June 24, 2011
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Posted October 10, 2009
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Overview
Kon-Tiki is the record of an astonishing adventure across the Pacific Ocean. 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. He decided to prove his theory by building a boat using the materials that would have been available to those pre-Columbian sailors and duplicating their legendary voyage.
On April 28, 1947, Heyerdahl and five other adventurers sailed ...