The China Voyage: Across The Pacific By Bamboo Raft [Paperback]

Tim Severin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1996

The China Voyage is the extraordinary story of how Tim Severin and his crew made maritime history by sailing across the Pacific on a bamboo raft. Their purpose: to test the theory that Asian mariners reached America some 2,000 years ago. Their experience provides armchair explorers with one of the most remarkable sea voyages ever, and offers a unique perspective on what happens when historical theories are literally put to the test.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Severin has made a career of re-creating voyages and journeys of the famous and legendary and writing chronicles of his adventures (In Search of Genghis Khan, LJ 4/1/92). Here Severin becomes interested in the possibility of travel and cultural exchange across the Pacific prior to the European discovery of America. He recounts arguments of cultural specialists and puts forth the theory that bamboo rafts were the most likely craft used by Asian navigators of the time. The bulk of the book recounts the building of a raft in Vietnam, the gathering of a crew, and the attempt to reach California via the Kuroshio and the North Pacific currents. There is some good incidental information about Vietnam and the character of Severin's multinational crew. But there is mind-numbing detail of bad meals and dangerous weather situations, as well as the slow deterioration of the raft. Thorough, accurate, and intelligent, this work is not as exciting as the general public might desire.?William R. Smith, Johns Hopkins Univ. Lib., Baltimore
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Severin has undertaken previous adventures inspired by historical journeys of significance. His latest expedition was motivated in part by the findings of experts who believed it possible that a Chinese explorer crossed from Asia to America perhaps 2,000 years ago on a bamboo raft. In what Severin considered to be an archeological experiment, a replica raft was built in Vietnam and christened Hsu Fu, after the revered mariner. Severin and his crew of four then set sail from Hong Kong to Tokyo before embarking on a crossing of the North Pacific. This rousing account of the journey is vividly detailed, never dreary. Nearly 1,000 miles off the Mendocino coast, these persistent sailors finally had to abandon the ancient seafaring craft that up to that point had served them so well. Alice Joyce --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (October 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201441977
• ISBN-13: 978-0201441970
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,099,131 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well written adventure, October 28, 1999

By 

Dean Caldwell ([e-mail]) (South Korea) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The China Voyage: Across The Pacific By Bamboo Raft (Paperback)

In this book, Tim Severin has demonstrated the sense of scholarly adventure of Thor Hyerdahl while showing the enthusiasm for new experiences of Richard Haliburton. His adventure has purpose in trying to understand how the ancients may have been able to make trans-pacific voyages. He makes the reader feel as if the reader is experiencing the adventure with the others on the raft. This involvement is achieved through an exploration of the human struggles as well as the physical struggles that such an epic adventure requires. It struck me while reading the book that this would be a good book for managers to read to learn about teambuilding skills. This book is instructional, well researched, and entertaining to read. If you have enjoyed Tim Severin's previous books, you will certainly enjoy this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More brilliant testing of theory., May 16, 2002

By 

A. J. Watson "Bones" (Newcastle-on-Tyne, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The China Voyage: Across The Pacific By Bamboo Raft (Paperback)

Cross the Pacific in a raft made from bamboo - You must be joking!

I first read about this trip in a one-page National Geographic article, which didn't do the trip nor Tim Severin and his crew justice.
A long-time fan of Mr.Severin, I know what to expect from his books; very intense, often repetitious eulogies on the strengths and weaknesses of the craft; the pros & cons of his theories and the methods used to explore the possibilities opened up by these theories.
This book is no exception, refusing to take any modern assistance (except mandatory safety equipment), insisting on traditional materials and building techniques, he constructs a raft which has never been seen outside Vietnam for a century, in order to test his theory that Asian culture could have migrated via the Pacific (either by accident or design) to the Americas.

The trip is punctuated by storms, any one of which would destroy your average 60foot yacht, but Hsu Fu calmly lets the mightiest waves run right through her, barely disturbing the crew at their supper.
A bonus is that the raft needs no helmsman, once set on a tack she steers herself, her attendant shoals of fish ensure continuous supplies of fresh food, the only problem is after 5 months at sea, she's falling apart at the seams.
Having seen the original Sindbad dhow (parked on a roundabout in Muscat, Oman), I can attest to the workmanship and attention to detail that goes into each one of Mr.Severin's boats, so it must have been heart-breaking for him to see his journey cut short by the break-up of the raft, due to no fault of his own, and so near to the final goal.

I'd love to see the videos that they took on the voyage - the narrative gives you a real feeling of being at one with the sea, but I'd like to compare the picture in my head with the real thing.
Thoroughly recommended reading; I'm just about to start on 'The Spice Islands Voyage - In Search of Wallace', which should combine two of my favourite subjects:- Exploration and Evolution ... more on that later.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Spice Islands Voyage, December 14, 2009

By 

gazalvan (australia) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The China Voyage: Across The Pacific By Bamboo Raft (Paperback)

Very interesting review of the concept of evolution and a fascinating revisiting of Alfred Wallace's travels in Indonesia 150 years after the original exploits. great reading.