The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder | 
pickA very good shipwreck book (I‘ve read one or two 🤣). Neat to fit in some reading about the 1700s, which is a bit underrepresented in my reading. Also did not know Lord Byron‘s grandfather was in the navy (he was in this shipwreck).
This Samuel Johnson quote appeared in both The Wager and The Invasion of Canada: « No man will be a sailor who has contrivance enough to get himself into a jail; for being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned. »
My Godson, Isaac, gave me this book as a (God)Mother‘s Day gift! ☺️ 📕
There‘s illustrations scattered throughout and the end papers have maps of the ship‘s journey!
Can‘t wait to read it!
pickI love a good shipwreck or mutiny story, and this has both! Grann is such a great writer and crafts a great narrative story here that‘s completely engrossing. And as far as the audio, I need only say two words: Dion. Graham. 🤩
pickThe best descriptor of this piece is HARROWING. 😳 What ever could happen to a ship & its crew on the high seas did happen. Simply unbelievable any one of them made it home.
I learned the word origin of limey!
Totally out of the norm for me, but let me say, so far, I LOVE IT! #TheWager#MaritimeAdventure#ShipwreckMutinyMurder#KillersOfTheFlowerMoon#DavidGrann
pickIt takes a talented writer to make a story riveting when you know the ending. It‘s absolutely incredible that anyone could have survived the Wager and the attempts to return to England. Between sailing on a man of war in 1740, enduring the storms near Cape Horn, getting scurvy and/or shipwrecked, repairing a boat and have it come apart at sea, and deciding to mutiny or not, this was one hell of a book.
pick44/150 One of the best non-fiction books of 2023. It's an amazing story of courage, resilience, honor and betrayal. The Wager was wrecked while sailing around the Cape of Good Hope, leaving the survivors stranded on a desolate part of Patagonia. What they went through, and what they did to survive was tragic, at times inhumane, but ultimately inspiring. 5 🌟
TW: cannibalism, animal cruelty
2nd book finished for #MarvellousMay @Andrew65
pickGrann is just so good! He really brings history alive. This is one tense and thrilling tale. I guess Scorsese and DiCaprio are teaming up yet again for the adaptation. If you have a few minutes, I highly recommend watching Grann‘s recent 60 Minutes profile (link in comments).
Riveting. David Grann is one of the very best historians and storytellers around, and this tale of an eighteenth-century cataclysm at sea (and on land) is alive with heroes and villains, unbelievable competence and spectacular stupidity. Every time the world intervened and I had to put the book aside, it would be in my mind as I tried to imagine how the sailors and castaways were going to make it through yet one more day. I just loved it.
pickI could not believe how compelling this book was! First of all, David Grann's writing puts you right on the ship with the crew of the Wager. I felt like I was experiencing the entire journey with them. I also truly enjoyed understanding both sides of this tragedy, and how desperation can lead honorable men down very different paths. I love how Grann also emphasized the humanity of these brave men who risked it all for country and fortune.
pickThe fascination story of the 1700's British vessel that was sent on a secret mission against Spain and found themselves shipwrecked on an island in Patagonia. Starving and abused, the crew mutinied against the captain and managed to return to England only to be tried and court martialed for their actions. This is their story.
Did you guys see that a new Grann is being released next spring?! I love a good story of intrigue & mutiny & have been eagerly awaiting a new Grann.
