Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann

66 reviews

maison's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, Violence, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Animal death, Racial slurs, and Slavery

Minor: Child death and Cannibalism

mondovertigo's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative tense medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Cannibalism, Abandonment, and Colonisation

Moderate: Body horror, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Medical trauma, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Blood, Excrement, and Vomit

bibliomania_express's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad medium-paced

5.0

The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder by David Grann is a gripping and thought-provoking account of the voyage and shipwreck of HMS Wager in the 1740s. Drawing on primary sources and thorough archival research, Grann reconstructs the hardships of the voyage from before the ships set sail, through its perilous journey, shipwreck, mutiny, and court-martial. If you are squeamish about descriptions of disease and death, take care, but I do think Grann tow the lines of factual without going into excessive details. 

The story of the Wager is heartbreaking and amazing, with falliable human ingenuity and the unrelenting power of hope coming up against the forces of nature, disease, delerium, and himan depravity. 

I really enjoyed Grann's writing. He made the story feel engaging as a living narrative rather than a historical account. I also appreciated how he took the time to call out the intrisic racism and imperialist motives of the venture. He made space for the indigenous peoples of South America, the African slave trade, and even class divides amongst the British. 

I was mainly surprised by how the court martial ended, and I appreciated Grann's discussion of why it went the way it did. 

Overall, a fantastic book.
 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Alcohol, and War

Moderate: Physical abuse, Racism, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Murder

Minor: Child death, Slavery, and Cannibalism

bbbarttt's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative tense medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Colonisation

Moderate: Animal death, Death, Slavery, Murder, and War

Minor: Kidnapping and Cannibalism

creativerunnings's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful informative inspiring sad tense fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

robdawgreads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark informative sad tense medium-paced

4.0

There are some gory scenes described in the book but, otherwise, I really enjoyed learning about this historical event!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gun violence and Violence

Minor: Animal cruelty, Slavery, and War

linneak's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring tense medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical trauma, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Blood, Cannibalism, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Colonisation

Minor: Animal cruelty, Slavery, Trafficking, Grief, and Colonisation

ninjamuse's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Physical abuse, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, and Abandonment

chronologically_charlie's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative medium-paced

4.5

The only thing that kept going through my head while reading THE WAGER was “ohhh the boys are fiiiighting” in a really sing-songy tune. I continued to gasp, much to the annoyance of those around me, whenever the drama was turned up a notch because damn, these sailors knew how to be catty. Yes, yes, there were circumstances that lead them to their demise and all that jazz, but oh man, nothing like a little mutiny, murder, and manipulation to ruin a voyage at sea. 

Now, I am not a boat girlie or a military girlie or a crime girlie, but I am a geography girlie and a pirate girlie and, most importantly, I am a girlie who loves to see the downfall of men. THE WAGER checked off all my boxes, with the exception that the writing is somewhat dry in random sections. Partly because of the terminology of the time and partly because it felt like I was in a history lecture, but by adding in the dramatic-flair to my internal reading voice, it became a lot more exciting. 

how did I read it: physical copy from my public library + audio copy from Libby

will I buy it: sure! when it’s on sale! 

do I recommend it: yea…but only to certain people, you know? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Violence, and Xenophobia

Minor: Racism, Slavery, and Cannibalism

shelfofunread's review against another edition

adventurous informative medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Xenophobia, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism