Thur Heyerdahl (1914–2000) lived an interesting life, full of adventures. The Kon-Tiki raft expedition in 1947 brought him worldwide fame, and subsequent travels made him the most famous Norwegian on the planet. His books have been translated into many languages of the world. This is the first detailed biography of the famous traveler, which covers his entire life and career, and also introduces us to his personality. This volume is devoted to the period of his life that is least known to the general public - from 1914 to 1947 - before the voyage on the Kon-Tiki. The official sources used, letters, diaries, personal notes, memories of friends and relatives show in what environment the future famous traveler grew up and was formed, what influenced the choice of his life path, how his worldview developed, and his original theories arose, how he went to his success, how his personal life developed. The book is equipped with scientific reference apparatus, photographs, drawings and maps.