Best Selling Books by Thor Heyerdahl

“One of the great adventures of our time.” —Life “Am going to cross Pacific on a wooden raft to support a theory that the South Sea islands were peopled from Peru. Will you come? . . . Reply at once.” That is how six brave and inquisitive men came to seek a dangerous path to test a scientific theory. On a primitive raft made of forty-foot balsa logs and named “Kon-Tiki” in honor of a legendary sun king, Thor Heyerdahl and five companions deliberately risked their lives to show that the ancient Peruvians could have made the 4,300-mile voyage to the Polynesian islands on a similar craft. For three months, the bold young men made their way across the pacific at the complete mercy of the ocean. They encountered storms that threatened to tear their raft apart, whales large enough to sink them in the blink of an eye, and sharks ready to feast on any man unfortunate enough to fall overboard. In the true spirit of adventure, they held on until finally making landfall on a remote Polynesian island, proving Heyerdahl’s theory possible after all. On every page of this true chronicle—from the actual building of the raft through all the dangerous and comic adventures on the sea, to the spectacular crash landing and the native islanders’ hula dances—each reader will find a wholesome and spellbinding escape from the twenty-first century.

Discusses the mysteries of Easter Island including how the statues were made and moved, and where the Easter Islanders themselves came from?

A fascinating, lavishly-illustrated biography of the explorer- adventurer-anthropologist who in 1947 voyaged on a balsawood raft named Kon-Tiki from Peru to the Polynesian islands. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Thor Heyerdahl is one of the greatest explorers of our day. At the age of 84 he has chosen to take a journey through his memories. This is not a chronological autobiography but rather an epic exploration of the world and the amazing events that Heyerdahl has pioneered, participated in and observed. IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ADAM is an account of life where personal experiences of a dramatic and emotional nature - secret missions during the war and near-fatal accidents - are woven together with his views on religious fatih politics and ecology. It is a book that focuses on the author''s own remarkable life, and also brings us back to the dawn of civilization and out into the future. Thor Heyerdahl has spent a long lifetime wandering in the footsteps of mankind. He invites the reader to participate in that journey by sharing generously the details of his private and public life, his accumulated wisdom, and his friendships with a wide range of influential world leaders such as Fidel Castro and Mikhail Gorbachev.

In the late 1930s, Thor Heyerdahl left his home in Norway and set off with his new wife for paradise. Fulfilling a long-held ambition to return to nature, the couple sought, and to a degree found, a natural and unspoiled world on the remote island of Fatu-Hiva in the South Pacific. Based on his original journals, Heyerdahl''s documentary account charts how the dreams of a lifetime were transformed into a magical year of hope, excitement and unexpected danger. A timeless story of love and adventure, GREEN WAS THE EARTH... is also an impassioned plea for the preservation of the cities and the seas against the tide of pollution and the pursuit of profit, ideas and beliefs, a cry which would shape one man''s life and the environmental concerns of successive generations. Powerful and poignant, GREEN WAS THE EARTH ON THE SEVENTH DAY is a very special kind of autobiography.

Discusses the ships, navigational systems, achievements, and discoveries of ancient seamen and examines their influence on the spread of culture in the ancient world and on subsequent exploration.

Was the shaping of nation states in Northern Europe governed by military might, or by Christian and democratic ideals? How has trade and cross-cultural exchange between Scandinavia and the British Isles shaped our historic identities, and what about the impact of global politics and marketing in recent times? These are some of the questions explored by the contributors in the context of forces that shape national identities today. Their analysis highlights the need for historical awareness when developing future cultural policy, brand profiles and marketing strategies. Looking back, Jesse Byock tells how democracy was first embraced in the north by the early settlers of Iceland, Bjorn Myhre delves into the unpredictability of historical interpretation, Edward Cowan discusses the role of ''battles and beddings'' in relations across the North Sea, John Purkis writes about William Morris'' fascination with Nordic culture, Stephen Harrison presents the ''winning ways'' of product development and marketing by Manx National Heritage, whilst Chris Powell looks at ''Cool Britannia'' today and Simon Anholt at national branding strategies. This is an inspirational book that sheds new light on old subjects, equally relevant for both public and private sector policy makers alike.

Describes Thor Heyerdahl''s archaeological exploration of the Maldive Islands.

The story of Heyerdahl and his wife''s first Pacific adventure in 1936. Fatu-Hiva lay outside the shipping lanes; there were no white inhabitants and no contact with the outside world.

"Well-illustrated synthesis of multi-year excavations at a city of the Lambayeque culture extending over 220 hectares with 26 major pyramids, and founded ca. AD 1100"--Handbook of Latin American Studies, v. 57.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Biografie van de Noorse ontdekkingsreiziger Thor Heyerdahl (1914- ).