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Reviews tagging 'Murder'
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann
163 reviews
adventurous
dark
informative
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Minor: Cannibalism, Murder
adventurous
dark
informative
tense
"The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder" was riveting. It is non-fiction but reads like a historical fiction thriller. The author's extensive research is evident, but serves to enhance the story rather than bog it down. Much of the story is taken directly from the actual journals of the men who were a part of the ill-fated expedition. Dion Graham is an excellent narrator, weaving together this mesmerizing story with his expressive voice. His pacing is excellent, adding urgency and suspense to an already dramatic story. Author David Grann is best known for "Killers of the Flower Moon" (*now a major motion picture*) which I read about 1 1/2 years ago. I liked "The Wager" even more than "Flower Moon". I listened to it every free moment I had. It definitely "un-romanticizes" life on the high seas, but that's part of why it's so good - it vividly portrays the gritty, unadulterated, harrowing reality of the experience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Physical abuse, Blood, Murder, War
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Slavery
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Racism
adventurous
dark
informative
medium-paced
This book gets five stars because in addition to being a fascinating and well-written historical narrative it also includes extremely important observations about the missing voices of black and indigenous witnesses and the impact of empire.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Gore, Murder, Abandonment, Colonisation
adventurous
informative
tense
fast-paced
A harrowing account of the misadventures of the HMS Wager and its unlucky crew. This book kept my attention and I tore through the back half of it. Grann compiles the subject matter into a gripping narrative that seems genuine and representative of the historical documents available on the subject.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Cannibalism, Murder, Colonisation, War
adventurous
informative
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Chronic illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
The Wager is a fascinating true(ish) tale of the HMS Wager's journey and subsequent wreck around the tip of South America. I find Grann's version of events to be believable, interesting, and backed by a huge amount of research and notation.
My main issue with this book is simply how long it took to get started. There was so much interesting information, but there was also so much information that was not necessary at all. At times it felt like I was reading a retelling of a castaway adventure with amazing tension and descriptions that had me cringing, and others it felt like I was reading a history textbook and studying for an exam.
I was rooting for the men, and I was fascinated by watching their "society" crumble when faced with hardships. I'm amazed that any of them survived at all.
My main issue with this book is simply how long it took to get started. There was so much interesting information, but there was also so much information that was not necessary at all. At times it felt like I was reading a retelling of a castaway adventure with amazing tension and descriptions that had me cringing, and others it felt like I was reading a history textbook and studying for an exam.
I was rooting for the men, and I was fascinated by watching their "society" crumble when faced with hardships. I'm amazed that any of them survived at all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Racism, Abandonment, Alcohol
Minor: Slavery, Cannibalism
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Gore, Racism, Medical content, Murder, Colonisation
adventurous
dark
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Pandemic/Epidemic
adventurous
dark
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
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
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Suicide, Medical content, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Racism, Slavery, War