How did the Polynesians get there? Thousands and thousands of miles over the Pacific to thousands of islands, thousands of years ago? Thor Heyerdahl has thought it was by drifting on rafts from South America. Andrew Sharp is convinced it was by accidental blow-aways from Asia. They were there; no question of that. And the modern archeologists are finding that those seafarers antedated by longer and longer periods seafarers antedated the open-ocean sailors of of time.

This book relies on old Polynesian lore to present a new, simple theory based on old, simple present a new, simple to resolve the ancient enigma. It advances an exciting and plausible hypothesis of how they navigated by aligning stars both fore and aft of their canoes, using their little vessels in a wanner somewhat similar to the way we used our still much smaller compass needles.

Celestial navigation is the first part of the book. The next part on construction and design shows a multitude of sketches and plans of the vessels themselves, drawings by the first European artists who reported the Polynesian creation of double hulls, the origin of straddle stability and "catamaran" sailors.

This book which combines anthropology with very early, non-mathematical navigation and, equally early, superbly efficient sailing at sea will fascinate anyone interested in the mysteries of man making his course across the vast open ocean.

23.5cm x 32cm, 192 pages, Hardcover, 1972 (Condition: Very Good)

Condition Definition:
As New / Fine = New or almost without defect
Very Good = Showing signs of wear
Good / Fair = A bit worn but complete, with defects noted
Poor = worn with visible defects