Both of his first and second marriage ended in divorce. As well as being chairman of the board at the kontiki museum for 22 years, he has had a long career as a marine scientist. When this biography deals with the single thing heyerdahl is most famous forthe kontiki voyageit merely quotes heyerdahl s own book on the subject. The raft was named kontiki after the inca god viracocha, for whom kontiki was said to be an old name. Thor heyerdahl and ra ii set sail from safi in morocco on 17th may 1970 and arrived in barbados on 14th july 1970. In 1991 thor heyerdahl married for the third time, to jacqueline beer b. He later completed similar achievements with the reed boats ra, ra ii and tigris, through which he championed his deep involvement. The original name for virakocha was kontiki or illatiki, which means suntiki or firetiki. He was a director and writer, known for akuaku 1960, galapagos 1955. Heyerdahl has incredible facility with his prose, and this sentence is as perfect as anything written by the masters. Heyerdahl s book the kontiki expedition has been translated into 70 languages, selling at least 100 million copies over the world thor heyerdahl used the earnings from his books and documentaries to finance further expeditions.
It was heyerdahls first voyage on an improbable craft over a challenging and dubious route. Thor heyerdahl primary author only author division. Thor heyerdahl books list of books by author thor heyerdahl. October 6, 1914 april 18, 2002 was a norwegian adventurer and ethnographer with a background in zoology, botany and geography. Thor heyerdahl biography, cognac, museum, quotes, spouse. Thor heyerdahl wurde in larvik geboren, wo sein aus christiania stammender vater eine brauerei betrieb. This article is within the scope of wikiproject biography, a collaborative effort to create, develop and organize wikipedia s articles about people. Her original homeport being hamburg, germany, she was used for the next 50 years as a freighter. Eventually sailing unter the flag of panama as minnow and then. He acame notable for his kontiki expedeetion in 1947, in which he sailed 8,000 km 5,000 mi athort the paceefic ocean in a haundbiggit raft frae sooth americae tae the tuamotu islands. Thor heyerdahl 19142002 is one of historys most famous explorers. He later completed similar achievements with the reed boats ra, ra ii and tigris, through which he championed his deep.
Heyerdahl is notable for his kontiki expedition in 1947, in which he sailed 8,000 km 5,000 mi across the pacific ocean in a handbuilt raft from south america to the tuamotu islands. Thors book the kontiki experiment sold over twenty millions of copies, and it was later filmed in 1951. The last king was made a sultan by a pious foreigner who came by sea and started local history. Now a major motion picture, kontiki is the record of thor heyerdahl s astonishing threemonth voyage across the pacific. In 1936 heyerdahl married liv coucherontorp with whom he had two children. Kontiki was high priest and sunking of these legendary white men who left enormous ruins on the shores of lake titicaca. The secret of easter island, was published in english in 1958. He believed that, long before columbus, early ocean. He wrote a book about the adventure, naming it after his raft the kontiki.
Thor heyerdahl read the authors books online bookmate. Now a major motion picture, kontiki is the record of thor heyerdahls astonishing threemonth voyage across the pacific. Kontiki is also the name of heyerdahls book, the academy awardwinning documentary film chronicling his adventures. Intrigued by polynesian folklore, biologist thor heyerdahl suspected that the south sea islands had been settled by an ancient race from thousands of.
His 1947 kontiki expedition proved that the incas were capable of sailing across the pacific. Jacqueline beer, liv coucherontorp, yvonne dedekamsimonsen father. He became notable for his kontiki expedition in 1947, in which he sailed 8,000 km 5,000 mi across the pacific ocean in a handbuilt raft from south america to the tuamotu islands. His book are at the top of the list of books that have taken me on great adventures and they are all nonfiction. Thor heyerdahl death thor died on april 18, 2002, in colla micheri, liguria, italy, where he had gone to spend the easter holidays with some of his closest family members.
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. 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. Thor heyerdahls darker final years norways news in english. Thor heyerdahl biography childhood, life achievements. This book has a biographer using heyerdahls own words to supplement his and does so effectively. October 6, 1914 april 18, 2002 was a norwegian ethnographer and adventurer with a background in zoology, botany, and geography.
In 1947 he crossed the pacific ocean on the balsawood raft kontiki. Thirty years after his triumphant kontiki expedition, heyerdahl lost. This was his first expedition to be captured on film, and was later awarded academy award for best documentary in 1951. Thor heyerdahl october 6, 1914, larvik, norway april 18, 2002, colla micheri, italy was a norwegian ethnographer and adventure. Across the pacific by raft and in a documentary the following year that won the academy award. Thirty years after his triumphant kontiki expedition, heyerdahl lost contact with his daughter after hed left his second wife to move in with his physiotherapist. The actual details of the expeditions are chronicled in heyerdahls book the ra expeditions and a documentary film. Heyerdahl recounted the epic voyage in the bestselling 1950 book kontiki.
Kontiki is the record of an astonishing adventure across the pacific ocean. The photos are also helpful in following his exploits. Thor heyerdahl was one of the twentiethcenturys most famous adventurers and he recreated many ocean voyages made by ships based on ancient designs. For instructions on how to use this banner, please refer to the documentation. The thor heyerdahl institute is a foundation whose purpose is to honour thor heyerdahl and develop new projects in his footsteps. Thriftbooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. Thor heyerdahls expeditions thor heyerdahl instituttet. Heyerdahl claimed that in incan legend there was a sungod named contici viracocha who was the supreme head of the mythical fairskinned people in peru. We are additionally including in this lot another childrens book, kontiki and i, written and illustrated by heyerdahls navigator, erik hesselberg. October 6, 1914 aprile 18, 2002 wis a norse adventurer an ethnografer wi a backgrund in zoology, botany, an geografie. Kontiki is the record of an astonishing adventure a journey of 4,30. Kontiki is the record of an astonishing adventurea journey of 4,300 nautical miles across the pacific ocean by raft. This copy of heyerdahls book is a lushly illustrated adaptation of his bestselling account of their journey, signed by heyerdahl.
Founded in 1997, has become a leading book price comparison site. Thor heyerdahls grandson, olav heyerdahl, retraced his grandfathers kontiki voyage in. I have read heyerdahls autobiography in the footsteps of adam and this book kon tiki man does a better job of moving through his life chronologically. Thor heyerdahls daughter was annette heyerdahl thor heyerdahls daughter is marian heyerdahl thor heyerdahls son is helene elisabeth heyerdahl thor heyerdahls son is thor heyerdahl jr.
It was heyerdahls contention that precolumbian polynesian natives had regularly made trips across the ocean in similar rafts. Both expeditions were intended to prove the possibility of ancient transoceanic contacts between distant civilizations and cultures. Thor heyerdahl ranks very high on my list of authors. The kontiki expedition was a 1947 journey by raft across the pacific ocean from south america to the polynesian islands, led by norwegian explorer and writer thor heyerdahl. He died on april 18, 2002 in colla micheri, liguria, italy. Thor heyerdahl, who died in april at the age of 87, spent much of an active and sometimes inspiring life in the thrall of one good story.
Thor heyerdahl is currently considered a single author. Norwegian author and biographer ragnar kvam jr details heyerdahl s final years in his new book thor heyerdahl mannen og mytene the. My mother, liv coucheron torp, was married to thor heyerdahl, the norwegian scientist and explorer whose kontiki expedition in 1947 became one of the great enduring adventure stories of all time. Three of the six crew members from the 1947 adventure were still alive in 1990 when the book was published. A 1951 documentary about the journey won an academy award. That relationship didnt last either, and he married for a fourth time at the age of 82. A most notable naysayer was ethnologist thor heyerdahl whose 1947 kon tiki raft expedition advanced the drift idea that colonization occurred only as vessels simply traveled on the tides. To prove his theory, heyerdahl set sail in the kontiki in 1947, successfully completing a 4300mile journey from peru to tahiti. Kon tiki across the pacific by raft thor heyerdahl. See more ideas about thor, adventure and easter island. In heyerdahls case, according to the new book on his final years, his family.
As with heyerdahls book about the voyage of kontiki, this book was also a best seller. C this article has been rated as cclass on the projects quality scale. He was married to jacqueline beer, yvonne dedekamsimonsen and liv coucherontorp. Thor heyerdahl has 40 books on goodreads with 50109 ratings. Kontiki was the name of a tiny balsawood raft, constructed by norwegian explorer thor heyerdahl. All interested editors are invited to join the project and contribute to the discussion.
Ra is the story of heyerdahls voyage from north africa to south america in a 45 ft papyrus boat modelled on those depicted in the pharoahs wall paintings. He was a director and writer, known for akuaku 1960, galapagos 1955 and kontiki 1950. Thor heyerdahl, born october 6, 1914, larvik, norwaydied april 18, 2002, colla micheri, italy, norwegian ethnologist and adventurer who organized and led the famous kontiki 1947 and ra 196970 transoceanic scientific expeditions. Heyerdahl became notable for his kontiki expedition, in which he sailed 4,300 miles 8,000 km by raft from south america to the tuamotu islands.
Thor heyerdahl was born on october 6, 1914 in larvik, norway. Most of the illustrations are based on photos from the expedition. Kontiki is the record of an astonishing adventure a journey of 4,300 nautical miles across the pacific ocean by raft. He once noted that he did not share from birth the affinity for the sea that his norwegian heritage and lifelong work might. In the footsteps of adam, which is actually his autobiography he leads the reader through his early life, the middle age, and up to the point when the book was written in 2000something. Norwegian author and biographer ragnar kvam jr details heyerdahls final years in his new book.
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