Scan barcode
A review by chrschn
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder by David Grann
adventurous
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
4.25
Extremely well researched and as captivating as any fictional naval adventure. Plenty of seafaring adventures to be had, as well as some incredible human endurance, which I’m not typically interested in reading about but was amazed by here.
Flew through this one, Grann is a very gifted author, telling the events so as to be informative but compelling. The events are thorough in their retelling, but without becoming a tedious logbook of what transpired. The two main “factions” for lack of a better word are both represented fairly and the events are not sensationalized, though he notes that other accounts have done so in order to paint the Admiralty in a more impressive light. Grann is rightfully critical of imperialism without the writing redirecting focus away from the crew of the Wager. Part of me wishes this was explored a bit further, but Grann trusts the reader to be able to put two and two together.
Flew through this one, Grann is a very gifted author, telling the events so as to be informative but compelling. The events are thorough in their retelling, but without becoming a tedious logbook of what transpired. The two main “factions” for lack of a better word are both represented fairly and the events are not sensationalized, though he notes that other accounts have done so in order to paint the Admiralty in a more impressive light. Grann is rightfully critical of imperialism without the writing redirecting focus away from the crew of the Wager. Part of me wishes this was explored a bit further, but Grann trusts the reader to be able to put two and two together.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Cannibalism, and Slavery