The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and MurderThe Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder
What it's about
In 1740, HMS Wager, a British warship, set out with a squadron on a secret mission against Spain. Off the coast of Patagonia, it was wrecked on a desolate island. The survivors fought cold, starvation and each other, and split in a mutiny. Months later, two separate groups of castaways reached land thousands of miles apart, each with a story that made the other guilty, and both faced a court-martial in England. David Grann reconstructs what happened.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Goodreads Choice Award, spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list, and is being made into a Martin Scorsese film. It's a survival story, a mystery and a courtroom drama.
You'll love it if you liked
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex
Seabiscuit: An American LegendGood to know
It includes starvation, death and cannibalism. Maritime vocabulary is explained as it goes.
By the numbers
- Readers66 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller83 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz39 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #65 of the 198 history books we rank
- #66 of the 481 new books we rank
- #356 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Gripping, True story, Dark
More by David Grann
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the AmazonIf you like this, read next
The River We Remember
Framed: Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions
Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland
Trust
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Quick answers
Is The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder worth reading?
Yes. It won the Goodreads Choice Award, spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list, and is being made into a Martin Scorsese film. It ranks #356 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 80.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder about?
In 1740, HMS Wager, a British warship, set out with a squadron on a secret mission against Spain. Off the coast of Patagonia, it was wrecked on a desolate island. The survivors fought cold, starvation and each other, and split in a mutiny. Months later, two separate groups of castaways reached land thousands of miles apart, each with a story that made the other guilty, and both faced a court-martial in England. David Grann reconstructs what happened.
How long does it take to read The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder?
About 9 hours (352 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder won?
Goodreads Choice (history biography) winner (2023).
What should I read after The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder?
If you liked it, try Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann, In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick or Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand.