Physical description

Illustrated book with dustjacket. Book is bound in front cover, with image of a Polynesian mask embossed on the front. Title, author's and publisher's names are stamped in gilt on spine. Front cover of dustjacket has a black and light brown illustration of a raft at sea, along with title and author's name printed in white. The spine has similar information plus publisher's name in light brown print along with another illustration of a raft and a Polynesian mask. The back of the dust jacket (again in black and light brown) is a route map and labeled diagram of a raft (the Kon-Tiki)

Publication type

non-fiction

Inscriptions & markings

On the front-end page is an inscription in black ink: ' The Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital 172 Lonsdale St, Melbourne The Natalie Morris memorial Prize awarded to Audrey B. Krautil for the best practical Midwifery Nurse for the year 1951-1952
Below this there is a printed black and white donation sticker: black Maltese cross in circle, "This book was donated to Alfred Archival Association Nursing Division by " Audrey Doig (handwritten in ink) Previous catalogue number is also handwritten in ink on this label. There is also a small brown sticker with white print: F. W. Cheshire Pty. Ltd. 338 Little Collins St. Melbourne

Summary

The story of a daring voyage by the author and five companions on board a primitive raft from the coast of Peru to the Pacific Islands. Mr. Heyerdahl was convinced that the original Polynesians had come by sea from South America, and to prove that such a voyage was possible at that remote period, he and his party built the 'Kon-Tiki', similar to the rafts then used and embarked on it. After a voyage full of danger, but packed with interest they reached the islands where the Kon-Tiki was recked on a coral reef