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Quick answer: If you loved Kon Tiki, read Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild, then Steven Callahan's Adrift, then David Grann's The Lost City of Z and The Wager, and Laurence Bergreen's Over the Edge of the World and Caroline Alexander's The Bounty. All are true adventure and exploration.
Thor Heyerdahl's Kon-Tiki (1948) tells of a raft voyage across the Pacific. These picks share its adventure.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Into the Wild | Jon Krakauer | Adult | readers who want adventure and reflection |
| Adrift | Steven Callahan | Adult | lost at sea |
| The Lost City of Z | David Grann | Adult | jungle exploration |
| Over the Edge of the World | Laurence Bergreen | Adult | Magellan's voyage |
| The Wager | David Grann | Adult | shipwreck survival |
| The Bounty | Caroline Alexander | Adult | true history |
| Undaunted Courage | Stephen E. Ambrose | Adult | exploration history |
| Wild | Cheryl Strayed | Adult | readers who like journey memoirs |
| Tracks | Robyn Davidson | Adult | desert journeys |
| The Worst Journey in the World | Apsley Cherry-Garrard | Adult | polar classics |
| Blood River | Tim Butcher | Adult | travel and history readers |
| The Outermost House | Henry Beston | Adult | seasonal solitude |
| Eighty Days | Matthew Goodman | Adult | readers who want true stories |
| Around the World in Seventy-Two Days | Nellie Bly | Adult | readers who like primary sources |
| Unbroken | Laura Hillenbrand | Adult | survival in captivity |
1. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
The story of Chris McCandless, who left his life behind to live in the Alaskan wilderness. Thoughtful and tragic.
Best for: readers who want adventure and reflection.
2. Adrift by Steven Callahan
Callahan survives seventy-six days in a small raft. A calm, detailed account.
Best for: lost at sea.
3. The Lost City of Z by David Grann
A journalist follows the trail of explorer Percy Fawcett into the Amazon. Gripping and atmospheric.
Best for: jungle exploration.
4. Over the Edge of the World by Laurence Bergreen
The first circumnavigation of the globe, told in detail. Epic and brutal.
Best for: Magellan's voyage.
5. The Wager by David Grann
A British warship wrecks off Patagonia in 1741, and the survivors tell conflicting stories. A tense sea adventure.
Best for: shipwreck survival.
6. The Bounty by Caroline Alexander
A modern historian re-examines the mutiny and its aftermath. Thorough and fair.
Best for: true history.
7. Undaunted Courage by Stephen E. Ambrose
The story of Lewis and Clark and the first journey across the continent. Detailed and gripping.
Best for: exploration history.
8. Wild by Cheryl Strayed
After her mother's death, Strayed hikes the Pacific Crest Trail alone. Honest and inspiring.
Best for: readers who like journey memoirs.
9. Tracks by Robyn Davidson
A woman crosses the Australian desert with four camels and a dog. Beautifully written and brave.
Best for: desert journeys.
10. The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard
A member of Scott's Antarctic team recounts the winter trek for penguin eggs. A classic of polar writing.
Best for: polar classics.
11. Blood River by Tim Butcher
Butcher retraces Stanley's journey down the Congo River. Adventurous and revealing.
Best for: travel and history readers.
12. The Outermost House by Henry Beston
A year on the dunes of Cape Cod, written in the 1920s. Lyrical and calm.
Best for: seasonal solitude.
13. Eighty Days by Matthew Goodman
The real race of 1889 between reporters Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland to circle the world. Fascinating nonfiction.
Best for: readers who want true stories.
14. Around the World in Seventy-Two Days by Nellie Bly
Bly's own account of her trip, in which she beat Fogg's fictional record. Lively and surprising.
Best for: readers who like primary sources.
15. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
An Olympic runner survives a plane crash and a Japanese prison camp. Epic and harrowing.
Best for: survival in captivity.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Kon Tiki: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Kon Tiki. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For exploration, read Into the Wild. For sea tales, try Adrift. For history, pick The Lost City of Z.
Related: Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer: Summary and Key Takeaways · The Lost City of Z by David Grann: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Kon-Tiki?
Thor Heyerdahl, in 1948.
Is there a film?
Yes, a 2012 film.
What is it about?
A raft voyage from Peru to Polynesia.
Which book here is best for survival in captivity?
Try Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, which suits readers looking for survival in captivity.
Which book here is best for readers who like primary sources?
Try Around the World in Seventy-Two Days by Nellie Bly, which suits readers looking for readers who like primary sources.
Which book here is best for readers who want true stories?
Try Eighty Days by Matthew Goodman, which suits readers looking for readers who want true stories.
Which book here is best for seasonal solitude?
Try The Outermost House by Henry Beston, which suits readers looking for seasonal solitude.
Which book here is best for travel and history readers?
Try Blood River by Tim Butcher, which suits readers looking for travel and history readers.
Which book here is best for polar classics?
Try The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard, which suits readers looking for polar classics.