Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

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

29 reviews

tinytrashqueen's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Cannibalism and Medical content

mmccombs's review against another edition

adventurous informative slow-paced

3.5

I leave this book unsure exactly how I feel about it (and wanting to watch Master and Commander, and also very thankful I don’t have to experience life on a ship in 1740). This was adventurous, well-written, and focused in a way that helped this story feel manageable. But I also finished this wondering if this was the story to tell or the way to tell it. The last like 3 chapters were the most interesting to me, asking questions about imperialism and what stories remain through time as a result of that imperialism. At its core, this was a story of white supremacy and imperialist incompetence, but we are still left to be wowed by the survivalist, seafaring-ness of it all. The little story Grann shares at the end of the book, almost as an afterthought, of the true “mutiny” of Indigenous, enslaved men taking over the Spanish ship immediately sparked my interest, more so than the story told this entire time. I’m always down for a story that expels the grand mythos surrounding “brave, cunning, European explorers” to show that most of them were bloodthirsty and inept, a degree away from murdering each other out of their own self interest. I’m just unsure if this book did that enough or if I came in with the wrong expectations.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Murder, Racism, Gore, Colonisation, and Medical content

koboldmartian's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative sad tense medium-paced

5.0

5/5. 

I do not really have any good experience reading non-fiction so forgive me if this review is not as eloquent, but this was the most gripping and fascinating non-fiction story I have ever read. David Grann's writing is so immersive and clear and painted such a vivid picture of the turmoil, and horrors that these men were put through. 

The book is structured beautifully, it flowed well, I was angry at people, I sympathized with people, I was disgusted by what they did or what they had to do, I was all the proper emotions needed to read this book. 

This book was so educating and the life that people had to live back then on the ocean is just absolutely terrible. The entire time, I felt pulled by both "parties" involved in this stories and I don't think you can really blame anyone of the decisions made in this situation; it really makes you think about what you would do put in these men's shoes. 

I will be picking up Grann's other works to read and this book has opened the floodgates for non-fiction for me. I hope to read more especially if they are this engaging. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Animal death, Cannibalism, Cultural appropriation, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Vomit, Gun violence, Medical content, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Death, Abandonment, Alcohol, Trafficking, Chronic illness, Child death, Death of parent, Gore, Pandemic/Epidemic, Animal cruelty, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Classism, Confinement, Racism, Violence, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Murder, Suicide, and War

sherlocktomes's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

David Grann back with another excellent blend of informative, entertaining and somewhat reflective writing. 

Highly researched, approachable and balanced, this account details the birth and death of The Wager, a ship in 1700’s Britain tasked with colonising and plundering native and non native peoples to increase the British empires hold over the worlds land and resources.

Grann helps paint a vision of the sheer unrelenting and unpredictable nature of the sea, at times you wonder how much more these sailors can endure, and yet the story carries on. 

As with KOTFM, I felt I would have liked more commitment from the author towards documenting the extent of the genocidal and colonial actions of so many western countries at this time, particularly their treatment of native peoples who, on the whole, were far more intelligent, resourceful and organised than the people who reduced them to a stereotype of “savages”. I do feel more of a background of the British empire as it stood at that time, and their use of the Navy to do so would have been beneficial for giving more context for the average reader. 

Overall, a thorough and very enjoyable read (albeit grim and miserable). 5/5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Colonisation, Murder, Child death, Death, Confinement, and Suicide

Moderate: War, Racism, and Slavery

ktdee9's review against another edition

informative sad medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Animal death, and War

cait's review against another edition

adventurous informative mysterious sad slow-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Blood, Medical trauma, Pandemic/Epidemic, War, Xenophobia, Alcohol, Violence, Vomit, Torture, Abandonment, Animal death, Excrement, Gore, Ableism, Confinement, Classism, Murder, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Colonisation, Death, Medical content, Body horror, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Animal cruelty, Cannibalism, Child death, Chronic illness, Grief, Hate crime, Mental illness, and Slavery

marietheo's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative sad tense fast-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Murder, Slavery, Gore, Medical content, Cannibalism, Torture, Death, Kidnapping, Colonisation, Confinement, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, and War

sampcupp's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Murder, Mental illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, War, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Cannibalism

Moderate: Alcohol and Slavery

abicaro17's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark informative inspiring mysterious slow-paced

4.0

This starts out incredibly slow but after chapter 5 grows into a story of mutiny, murder, and survival. You become involved in this insane story of how a British ship and its sailors fight off scurvy, the rough seas, and other crewman to eventually end up back in England depleted and desolate anywhere from a year to five years later. I'm traditionally cautious of non fiction historical books because I find them tedious and boring but, with The Wager, once the initial accounts of send off and troubles at sea are finished, you're immersed into a tumultuous account of the shipwreck. It was interesting and full bodied. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Chronic illness, Abandonment, Colonisation, Confinement, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Violence, War, Animal cruelty, Child death, Death of parent, Deportation, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Slavery, Suicide, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Classism, Grief, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, and Toxic friendship

daughterofatom's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative medium-paced

4.0

I enjoyed this. I appreciate the authors non judgemental perspective, never casting blame or guilt on any party, and keeps first hand accounts of native people in perspective. It's a tale of mutiny and horrible situations, but you never think "dang what a villain", you see the motivations of each party and are given ample details about the people to not just see them as pawns. They all had families at home they hoped to return to, some were on their first voyage, some were seasoned enough to doubt some choices. Great read for anyone looking to learn about 1700s seafaring, British navy shenanigans, or for folks looking for empathetic compelling tales of souls stuck in a true no win scenario 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Colonisation, and Violence

Moderate: Torture, Alcohol, Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Xenophobia, War, Gun violence, Genocide, and Animal death

Minor: Medical content, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, Classism, Excrement, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Trafficking, and Racism