In The Footsteps Of Adam

When the Norwegian anthropologist and explorer Thor Heyerdahl travelled from Peru to Polynesia on a small craft in 1947, the voyage into adventure enthralled the world, and the Kon-Tiki became one of the best known sailing craft of all time. The book that Heyerdahl wrote about the adventure became a massive bestseller, and was translated into 67 languages. The journey was also conclusive proof of his theory that the islands could have been settled by people from South America. Now, at the age of 84, Heyerdahl has set out on his most remarkable journey yet: a voyage through the extensive memories and experiences of his longer and eventful life. From the Ra expedition to discern if the ancient Egyptians had crossed the Atlantic to the Tigris expedition to examine the spread of Sumerian culture, the reader becomes totally involved in these journeys. But the adventure in the author's life was not confined to his official expeditions: during the war, Heyerdahl carried out secret missions, and his friendship with world leaders such as Fidel Castro and Mikhail Gorbachev are detailed with just as much fascination for the reader as his many near-fatal accidents on his trips. Some may disagree with hsi views on religion and politics, trenchantly expressed here, but this remains the compelling life story of one of the great explorers of our time. (Kirkus UK)