The Ra Expeditions

by Thor Heyerdahl

Ra tells of Heyerdahl's voyage from N. Africa to S. America in a 45' papyrus boat modelled on those depicted in Egyptian wall paintings. A violent storm ended the 1st expedition but within a year the seven men had embarked on their 2nd journey in Ra II.
One riddle, two answers & no solution
Why a reed boat?
To the Indians in the Cactus Forest
With Bedouin & Buduma in the heart of Africa
Among Black monks at the source of the Nile
In the world of the Pyramid-builders
Out in the Atlantic
Down the African coast to Cape Juby
In the clutches of the sea
Into American waters
RA II, by papyrus boat from Africa to America
Postscript

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, History, Adventure, Nautical, Anthropology, Science

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

Thor Heyerdahl (October 6, 1914, Larvik, Norway – April 18, 2002, Colla Micheri, Italy) was a Norwegian ethnographer and adventurer with a scientific background in zoology and geography. Heyerdahl became notable for his Kon-Tiki expedition, in which he sailed 4,300 miles (8,000 km) by raft from South America to the Tuamotu Islands. All his legendary expeditions are shown in the Kon-Tiki Museum, Oslo.

Thor Heyerdahl was born in Larvik, the son of master brewer Thor Heyerdahl and his wife Alison Lyng. As a young child, Thor Heyerdahl showed a strong interest in zoology. He created a small museum in his childhood home, with a Vipera berus as the main attraction. He studied Zoology and Geography at University of Oslo. At the same time, he privately studied Polynesian culture and history, consulting what was then the world's largest private collection of books and papers on Polynesia, owned by Bjarne Kropelien, a wealthy wine merchant in Oslo. This collection was later purchased by the University of Oslo Library from Kropelien's heirs and was attached to the Kon-Tiki Museum research department. After seven terms and consultations with experts in Berlin, a project was developed and sponsored by his zoology professors, Kristine Bonnevie and Hjalmar Broch. He was to visit some isolated Pacific island groups and study how the local animals had found their way there. Just before sailing together to the Marquesas Islands in 1936, he married his first wife, Liv Coucheron-Torp (b. 1916), whom he had met shortly before enrolling at the University, and who had studied economics there. Though she is conspicuously absent from many of his papers and talks, Liv participated in nearly all of Thor's journeys, with the exception of the Kon-Tiki Expedition. The couple had two sons; Thor Jr and Bjørn. The marriage ended in divorce and in 1949 Thor Heyerdahl married Yvonne Dedekam-Simonsen. They in turn had three daughters; Annette, Marian and Helene Elisabeth. This marriage also ended in divorce, in 1969. In 1991 Thor Heyerdahl married for the third time, to Jacqueline Beer (b. 1932).

Thor Heyerdahl's grandson, Olav Heyerdahl, retraced his grandfather's Kon-Tiki voyage in 2006, as part of a six-member crew. The voyage, called the Tangaroa Expedition, was intended as a tribute to Thor Heyerdahl, as well as a means to monitor the Pacific Ocean's environment. A film about the voyage is in preparation.
--from Wikipedia

Reviews

[Ahmed · Rating 5 out of 5]

مغامرة مثيرة تحبس الأنفاس



عالم الأجناس النرويجي الأشهر ثور هايردال
أراد أن يثبت أن قدماء المصريين وصلوا للمكسيك بواسطة مراكب مصنوعة من أعواد البردى
لوجود الاهرامات في كلا البلدين
وبرغم أن الإختلافات جوهرية بين الأهرامات
إلا أنه لم يكن هناك دليل قاطع على صحة أو خطأ نظريته
فقرر خوض التجربة من جديد كما فعل في كون تيكي قبلها ب22 عاما
لكن المشكلة الآن هي أين يجد مثل هذة المراكب الآن ( عام 1969 ) بل أين يجد البردي ؟ وقد إنقرض تقريبا من مصر
فزار الهنود الحمر في بوليفيا في بحيرة تيتي كاكا لوجود أعواد البردي هناك ثم زار تشاد في ظروف سيئة للغاية ثم زار هضاب إثيوبيا حيث منابع نهر النيل ووجود البردي بكثرة
و في النهاية إستقر على نجارين من تشاد ليبنوا له القارب
وأنشأ معسكرا عند سفح الأهرامات بتسهيلات من وزارة السياحة و الحكومة المصرية
وتم بناء المركب في 7 أسابيع تقريبا ونقل لمدينة الإسكندرية ومنه لميناء آسفي بالمغرب على ساحل المحيط الأطلنطي حيث سيبدأ القارب رحلته

وتجمع 7 رجال هضة المرة من جنسيات وقارات وديانات مختلفة

ثور هايردال : البروتستانتي النرويجي رئيس الطاقم
جورج سوريـال : مهندس مصري أرثوذكسي يجيد السباحة والغطس و الجودو وعدة لغات ويمثل الحضارة الفرعونية
عبد الله جبرين : النجار التشادي المسلم الذي لا يجيد سوى العربية ولغته المحلية
نورمان بيكر : البحار الكاثوليكي الأمريكي الوحيد الذي لديه خبرة واسعة بالبحار
سانتياجو جينوفيس : عالم أنثروبووجيا كاثوليكي مكسيكي يمثل حضارة المكسيك
كارلو ماوري : الإيطالى مصور الرحلة
يوري سينكوفيتش : طبيب الرحلة السوفيتي الملحد
والقرد : صافي والبطة : سندباد
وبدأت الرحلة بمرحها بمصاعبها وبعد أن قطع المركب 6500 كم تقريبا تحطم قبل بضع كيلومترات من جزر الكاريبي

مسار رحلتى رع 1 ورع 2

فقرر هايردال أن يبدأ من جديد في العام التالي 1970 لكن هذة المرة استعان بنجارين من بوليفيا من بحيرة تيتي كاكا وكانت المراكب و التصميمات أفضل من المرة السابقة
وأخذ نفس الرجال ماعدا عبد الله جبرين أستبدله بالياباني : كي أوهارا

ووصل رع 2 هذة المرة إلى السواحل الأمريكية سالما وأثبت هايردال من جديد صحة نظريته
وأنه ليس من المستبعد أن يكون الفراعنة أو حتى الفينيقيون قد وصلوا إلى الأمريكتين قبل كولمبس بآلاف الأعوام

وددت لو كنت معهم في هذة المغامرة بأي ثمن لكننى عشتها من جديد في هذا الكتاب

كنت قرأت مغامرتي ثور هايردال في كتاب أعجب الرحلات في التاريخ
ثم قرأت مغامرة هايردال الأولى رحلة كون-تيكي: 6 رجال وببغاء على طوف في المحيط الهادئ
ولم أصدق نفسي عندما عثرت على هذا الكتاب في معرض القاهرة للكتاب 2015 فإشتريته فورا وبجنيه واحد فقط
بالتأكيد سأقرأ لهايردال مغامرة جديدة ولكن بالإنجليزية ان شاء الله

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

during the last two days, I crossed the Atlantic twice in a boat made of papyrus reeds. I had already read Thor Heyerdahl's first work, the one which made him famous, regarding his Kon-Tiki voyage from Peru to Polynesia. However, I don't remember being effected by that book as I was by this one. Whether that is due to the slightly difference subject matter treated, the change in the author's style, or more likely a change in my own attitude, I do not know. While the book is, like Kon-Tiki, primarily about sailing an ancient boat across a huge, angry ocean, it starts with about 100 pages of Thor traveling all around the world learning about reed boats and finding the things he needs to build one.

I guess right now I just want to be an adventurer like him. Perhaps an academic career is one of the only ways to see some parts of the world? Antarctica and all those remote tribes that still live closely and harmoniously with the Earth aren't places you go as a tourist. Maybe I'll need to find some scientific pathway that will get me to the poles, and do Anthropology fieldwork in college. The Peace Corps sounds kind of attractive, except that it's part of the US Government. Something similar, anyway. There was a Peace Corps dude in the book who just drove around the Sahara alone in a jeep drilling wells in Arab towns to keep them from going to war against their repressive Christian post-colonial government (in Chad).

I thought The Ra Expeditions would be a scientific and a bit drier change of pace from Phantastes, to keep from using up all my magical fun books right away, but I was wrong; at least at the beginning, it is practically the same book in a lot of ways, except that it takes place in the real world. That of course only makes it more fantastical, though. I recommend this to you if you like Anthropology and adventures. Not necessarily something you need to rip yourself away from "Important College Work" or "Important Highschool Work" for, though.

[Jānis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super, tas ir vienkārši super. Cilvēks ierauga kaut kādas kopīgas īpanības dažādās zemes pusēs un izdomā, ka tās ir saistītas, papēta nedaudz vairāk un, bum, uzbliež papīra laiviņu (divas), ar kuru šķērso okeānu.

P.S. Grāmatā ir aprakstīts arī tas, kas tikai mūsdienās tā kārtīgi tiek afišēts - piedirstie ūdeņi ar naftu, plastmasu un citiem sūdiem.

[Daren · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first part of the book describes Heyerdahl's research into reed boats in various parts of the world - Northern Africa, the Mediterranean, South America. Then there is the preparation for, and building of Ra. A quick crew selection, and the journey commences, from Safi, in Morocco.
The Journey of Ra is a leaning exercise, and falls only a few hundred miles short of achieving the goal of reaching the Americas - Barbados to be exact. An interlude during the book, presented as a conversation amongst the crew outlines the 'coincidences' between the isolated cultures of the world as they evolved - in isolation some, Heyerdahl's suggests migration and dispersion, but really only highlights the possibility, and again the 'coincidence'.
There is also some highlighting of pollution as an issue, particularly oil in the sea, but also plastics etc.
A new boat Ra II, a repeat voyage, this time arriving successful in Barbados.
Taking place in 1969 and 1970, this is an entertaining read, Heyerdahl's voyages precede others who recreate (with accuracy of vessel) historical sea voyages, Tim Severin and the likes.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

This books captures all of the emotional sense of failure attached to Ra I which I remember reading about in the newspapers when it first happened. It throws in a brief overview of the successful Ra II expedition. Having spent time on these reed boats in Lake Titicaca, I can attest to the fact that although they float, they are so low to the ground it must of taken king size balls to sail the Atlantic in a reed boat, especially the second time.

[Tegan Boundy · Rating 5 out of 5]

very interesting book.

[Lacivard Mammadova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tur Heyerdalın məqsədlərinin ardınca geydiyi bir səyahəti daha. "Ra 2" gəmisinin olduğunu bilmirdim. Son bölüm bütünlüklə ona həsr edilib. İnanılmaz əzmkarlıq nümunəsidir. Çox gözəl bir məsələyə dəyinir burda, Heyerdal qeyd edir ki, "Əgər alimlərdən soruşsaz, sizə çox saylı qaynaqla, kitabla, riyazi hesablamalarla istədiyiniz fikri təkzib vəya təsdiq edərlər. Amma sübut üçün gəmi düzəldib okeana çıxsaz xəstə deyərlər". Digər kitablarını da oxuyacağımdan əminəm. Şərhlərdə bu əsərinin digərlərindən daha elmi alındığını oxudum. Növəti kitabda müqayisə edərik :)

[Snejina · Rating 4 out of 5]

През 1969 година норвежкият изследовател Тур Хейердал закупува 12 тона папирус (вид тръстика) и строи своята Ра. Ра е папирусова ладия, направена по оригиналната методика на древните строители, базирана единствено на стенописи, схеми и догадки.. Пусната във вода, и то не в езеро или река , а директно във водите на Атлантическият океан, Ра показва забележителна плаваемост и стабилност и това дава началото на експедицията Ра. Начало - пристанището Сафи в Мароко, крайна цел - бреговете на Америка. Седем човека с различни професии, седем националности, седем различни религии, една маймунка, и по-късно една патица, са екипажа участващ в това пътешествие, имащо за цел да докаже, че хората от древните цивилизации ( в случая финикийците ) са можели да плават на далечни разстояния, и са имали с какво да го направят. Лодката успява да преплава близо 5000 км, и в самият край на пътуването поради проблеми с конструкцията , бива изоставена край бреговете на Барбадос, на стотина километра от крайната цел.. Осем месеца по-късно е построена ( с леки подобрения) РА II, и пътуването е осъществено наново, този път с пълен успех!
Тур Хейердал е бил етнограф по професия, занимавал се е с антропология, зоология и ботаника. Бил е изследовател и пътешественик по душа, и както се убедих изкусен разказвач. Експедицията не само успява да докаже, че подобни плавания са били възможни, и най -вероятно осъществявани, но и загатва доста убедително за това, била ли е " открита" Америка преди Колумб. Книгата прави и много интересен паралел между приликите в бита, уменията, начина на строителство, та дори и в начина на строеж на пирамидите, при древните цивилизации - маи, инки, ацтеки, финикийци и древните египтяни, като съвпаденията и доказателствата са забележително много, и единствено показват, че е имало начин за контакт между тези цивилизации, което би могло да стане единствено по море..
Много интересна за мен книга във стил "документална проза" , препоръчвам я на хората ,които се интересуват от подобни тематики, антропология и история. Както и книгата за другия голям успех и най-прочутото пътешествие на Тур Хейердал " Кон - Тики: Със сал през южното море"

[Ronald Wise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this book when in high school nearly 40 years ago, and was surprised this time by some of the scenes I remembered in vivid detail. This time the book was even more interesting because I followed Heyerdahl's travels on Wikimapia and could zoom in on satellite photos of the topography he was describing - including Lake Titicaca, Lake Chad, the Gulf of California, Ethiopia, and Morocco.

It was interesting to read again the evidence the author presented regarding a possible influence of Mediterranean or North African science and culture on the ancient empires of Central and South America. This time, however, I had instant access to online resources to check out his assertions. I was disappointed, however, to learn that nothing seems to have been discovered since 1970 to either support or dispell Heyerdahl's theories. They are still dismissed by most scientists as "pseudoarcheology". At least this time I had Wikipedia to provide photographs of the evidence the author described, and there are some truly amazing Olmec artificats that need explaining.

The 1969 and 1970 Ra expeditions brought the author in intimate and prolonged contact with people of varied cultures, including a Soviet shipmate during the height of the Cold War. Heyerdahl's commentary on them and the geopolitics of that time made me realize that he has a rather casual Scandinavian way of looking south from the top of Europe that I find refreshing.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that the first Ra expedition was a 'failure' (it wasn't, of course: like all scientific experiments, even a failure yields information, sometimes, as in this case, information vital to later success) colored the tone of this book. Kon-Tiki and Fatu-Hiva were both written by an admittedly younger, more optimistic Heyerdahl; this one wasn't. Still, it's good adventure, and as fascinating as the other two. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: DIscovery, NatGeo, History and all the other such channels owe a huge debt to Heyerdahl and his idea of putting anthropological theories to the test.

[Virginia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book in Oslo as a souvenir read and fell in love with the tale told by Heyerdahl. The writing was lively and vivid, as well as instructive. The people involved with these two expeditions were wonderfully characterized and I was sad to say good-bye to them when I closed the book at the end. I will need to re-read Kon-Tiki. I was a child and did not appreciate what a good writer Thor Heyerdahl was and what an adventure that journey represented.

[Sarah83 sbookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Die Geschichte der Ra und im folgenden der Ra II ist definitiv interessant,nur leider ist der Schreibstil nicht so,dass man das Buch gerne liest.
Allerdings habe ich mit diesem Buch viel über Schifffahrt und Gemeinschaftssinn gelernt.

[Zeka Vasch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Отличное чтиво.
Хорошо написано. как организовывалась экспедиция и как они искали по миру мастеров для изготовления лодки.

Читается в разы лучше чем у Сенкевича про этот же поход.

рекомендую

http://zeka.su/2017/12/21/4628/

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great true adventure story. It is amazing what some people do in their life. What courage.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

I might have some issues with some of the anthropology and language choices, but this was a fun adventure story with unexpected (but very welcome) messages regarding both environmentalism and peace and tolerance amongst humans. Besides, I am always here for a tale of experimental archaeology, and anyone who decides to sail across the Atlantic in a papyrus boat (twice!) certainly has my respect!

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't think it could get much more adventurous and unbelievable than Kon-Tiki, but it turns out it can. Thor Heyerdahl's second major voyage makes the first one look like a leisurely sail.

[Bremar · Rating 5 out of 5]

En ekte visjonær og eventyrer. Inspirerende reise, men et enda mer inspirerende tankesett.

[Valerie]

Another good adventure story by Heyerdahl. Barely possible? Yes. Likely? You decide.

What I remember most about this book is the crew, on the first try, singing "We don't want a yellow submarine" as the boat sank.

The second try was less melodromatic--but became more and more a lament about the filthy state of the Atlantic, even that early. Tar balls, sewage, various sorts of flotsam...

Heyerdahl points out in one of his books (This one?) that nobody need starve at sea who has a fine cloth (his crew used their shirts) to seive out plankton. This was also noted by Darwin in The Voyage of The Beagle--but it may not be universally so. Both the Beagle and the Ra expedition went by commonly traveled routes. And I hadn't thought of this before, but it may be that the frequent passage of ships (and their tendency to jettison their trash) may have increased the supply of nutrients to the plankton. Hmmm...THAT might repay an investigation.

[Liliana · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual Heyerdahl keeps me spellbound. I had already read the Kon Tiki and the Tigris Expeditions some years ago and after reading Ra I plan to take another look at the other expeditions, nostalgia I guess. The possibilities touched during such expeditions leave me with a whole lot of questions especially about the Phoenicians, Malta's possible part, trans Atlantic crossings in the era BC etc. I especially found intriguing the reference to the start of the Mayan calander which is 12.08.3113 BC as this year is the year of the end of this calender.

As you can see this book just opens up a whole lot of questions for me and leaves me eager to know more. Such books offer one a jolt, a new or renewed interest, something exciting to look up and think about.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rousing adventure on the high seas with one of the great adventurers, Thor Heyerdahl and his multi-cultural crew. And a duck and a monkey. I don't think I share his theories about Egyptian contact with the New World, but I really enjoyed the book. I marveled at what audacity it took to sail a reed boat from Africa to the Caribbean - hard to believe they came out of it alive. I would never have the guts to do something like this. What a crackpot. I was inspired to read this after my visit to the Kon Tiki museum in Oslo - otherwise I never would have given a thought to reading it. Glad I did, and I intend to read all his other books now.

[Greg]

After reading Kon-Tiki, I was hungry for similar kinds of accounts, so when The Ra Expeditions came out, I snapped it up. I enjoyed it, but not quite as much as Kon-Tiki. The first hundred pages were considerably more dry, basically describing his research into reed boats. Somehow it wasn't as fascinating as the research he described in . Nonetheless, it held my attention, and satisfied (for a time) my itch to know more about the ancient world and travel. It also stoked the fire of my dreams about someday traveling the world, which (three decades later) I have done to some degree, though not in the adventure-like fashion of Thor Heyerdahl.

[Auralia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the other two books that I have read by the author and so I decided why not try this one. I hope it lives up to the others... I liked this one, but not as much as the other two. This one is a bit like the other two, it is about replicating a crossing by an ancient civilization. This time with a different type of boat. I did enjoy parts of this book, but would recommend reading Fatu Hiva before reading this one.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

And this is Mr. Crazies first book/trip. (Also read when we used wood-burning computers, but that's not what is important, now.)

Papyrus was beat into masses of sticky fibers (or fibres as the Brits would say), dried and used for writing on. And this guy built an ocean-going vessel out if the stuff and tried to sail it across a really big ocean. Nuts? You be the judge. Unearth a copy of a classic obsessive-compulsive's adventure and have a good read.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lopulta sain luettua tämän. Ja oli todella hyvä! Ja vielä kun olin nähnyt laivoja Oslon Heyerdahl-museossa, olin todella vaikuttunut. Uskomattomista olosuhteista selvisivät ja todistivat vielä, että on mahdollista, että Afrikasta on purjehdittu Amerikkaan jo ennen viikinkejäkin. Aina ei tieteenteko ole nenä kirjassa istumista :)

[Rod White · Rating 5 out of 5]

As far as adventure is concerned, I don't think there is anyone around today who could be better than Thor Heyerdahl. The book is fantastic, it has really opened my eyes to the wonder of history and archaeology. Apart from the first chapter which was maybe a bit slow going, I was totally gripped and couldn't put the book down for the rest of the book.

[Forn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Als ich ein Kind war, schwärmte meine Mutter mir immer von Thor Heyerdahls Abenteuern vor. Ich muss sagen, dass ich sie gut verstehen kann. Auch (oder gerade) heute hat dieser Bericht nichts von seiner Faszination verloren. Sind wir wirklich so fortschrittlich, wie wir glauben?

[Ben Reeves · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of fun, definitely channeling some Cold War anxiety, though, making "The Ra Expeditions" less engaging and whimsical than "Kon-Tiki." Also, the general theory seems rather more half baked. Kudos to Heyerdahl for making the trip, but he had a little tunnel vision here.

[Artie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thor might just blow your mind. Plus you gotta see these boots he is wearing while building the first Ra behind Giza.

[John]

My copy is actually a 1971 Doubleday hardcover I got at Powell's.

[Boreal Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think i was 12 when i read this-spurred my love of adventure, travel the sea. I need to reread it.