Non-Fiction Pick of the Week: 8 Men and a Duck

8 Men and a Duck by Nick Thorpe 2002

Could a reed boat built using ancient technology and sailed by 8 amateurs really make the 2,500 mile journey from Chile to Easter Island? That is the premise of journalist Nick Thorpe’s real-life story detailing his unbelievable luck in joining the crew on this “improbable voyage” and the amusing adventures they experience. Captain Phil Buck is entranced with the idea of completing this excursion and confirming Thor Heyerdahl’s theories that Easter Island could have been settled by South Americans. Thorpe shows himself to be the relatively paranoid and danger conscious but peace-making crewmember. He relates numerous anecdotes about the expedition including both exciting and terrifying storms, and engrossing tales relating the minor grumblings and major antics that can ensue from a mundane life of sailing on a small vessel carrying 8 adult men for 44 days.