The Kon-Tiki Expedition: By Raft Across the South Seas

Summary

The book «The Kon-Tiki Expedition: By Raft Across the South Seas» tells the thrilling story of Norwegian ethnographer Thor Heyerdahl and his team, who in 1947 set out on a balsa wood raft to cross the Pacific Ocean. Heyerdahl aimed to prove his theory that ancient South American peoples could have settled the islands of Polynesia using primitive seafaring methods. The raft, named «Kon-Tiki» after an ancient sun god, departed from Peru and traveled more than 8,000 kilometers to the Tuamotu Islands. The journey lasted 101 days and demonstrated the possibility of such migrations, despite the dangers and hardships faced by the expedition members. The book describes not only the voyage itself, but also the preparations, as well as the scientific and cultural aspects connected to this unique expedition.