REVIEWS

Judith Dickinson

The Wager is a true story set in the eighteenth century. A story of a warship sent across the world against all the odds. The thing that really draws the reader are the characters. From the young boys in their teens to the captain, facing the same horrors and challenges. David Grann has accessed all the possible historic documents to bring these people to life. Leaving Portsmouth in 1740 on a secret mission the crew had little idea what they would have to face. The highs and lows of the voyage are clearly set out, those horrors draw the reader into the challenges faced by the crew. This is a fascinating read, a truly engaging non-fiction epic.

Barbara Dobson

Without detailed knowledge, it is easy to think of sailing in an English Royal Navy masted man-of-war as an exciting adventure. For King and Country, sailors left home for years to gain power and wealth for their homeland. Yet these wars against other nations were part of ‘the long grim history of nations sending their troops off on ill-conceived, poorly funded, bungled military adventures.’ Because of Grann’s research through original documents and diaries, whilst meeting eminent scholars on the subject, this book gives a true picture of what such a voyage could be like. It is a horrifying picture of the squadron and in particular the ‘Wager’ and its last journey. The pressganged men, the poor seaworthiness, the terrible food, diseases, vermin, murders, mutinies, not to mention the constant atrocious weather – all gives a frightening yet gripping read. The photos, whilst interesting, add to the imagined glamour. An added interest is the origin of popular words and phrases – e.g.: ‘knots’ for measuring mileage at sea, ‘under the weather.’ This book is scholarly and beautifully written and one to be recommended - but not for the faint hearted.

Carolyn Gowdy

Although delighted to receive a copy of David Grann’s The Wager to review for Viking Book Club, it was with a certain trepidation that I viewed its cover depicting a distressed ship struggling against heavy waves, and read how the opening sentences of the prologue described the ship as a “strange object in the ocean, tossed mercilessly by the wind.” We were about to set off on a Viking Mediterranean cruise to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary - was this the best and most suitable preliminary reading material, I wondered? This meticulously researched text - more of a documentary than a novel, based as it is on the seamen’s records and journals of an actual ship, the Wager, part of a fleet sent out from England in 1742 to attack a Spanish treasure-filled galleon - held nothing back in its uncomfortable description of life at sea, admittedly around South America and the notorious Cape Horn and the Straits of Magellan. We hear how the sailors “felt the ship hurtling on an avalanche of water, cascading into a chasm devoid of light.” Under the force of the waves, the ship suffered “broken back stays, clew lines, buntlines, leech lines, halyards, braces, tackles, ladders, stoves, hand pumps, gratings and gangways.” All the ships in the fleet were “in the utmost distress”, while The Wager “pitched, she heaved, she groaned, she splintered.” Under these conditions, already badly weakened by scurvy, and occasionally swept overboard by the power of the wind and waves, the already greatly depleted crew “lay themselves down in despair, bewailing their fortunes, wishing for death as the only relief to their miseries.” Through his research, Grann has been able to turn the sailors’ adventures into those of a real-life Robinson Crusoe - perhaps even more exciting, as so many men were involved in the expedition and each has their own dramatic and often tragic part to play. Shipwreck, mutiny, starvation, even cannibalism, are included in this gripping tale, which illustrates the heroism and powers of endurance of humanity, particularly when isolated on sea or cast up on desolate shores. I found the book increasingly gripping as the story unfolded, with its myriad characters, feuds, friendships and changing alliances. It is written with detailed descriptions of hardships at sea and on land, particularly in that age of total reliance on human capabilities rather than technology as a navigational and survival aid. Altogether a challenging and worthwhile read! However, it is with great relief that I turn to illustrations of our modern Viking ship and look forward to a very different experience as we set out next month on our anniversary cruise!

Angela Keane

It is rare for me to choose a non fictional book to read, so I started out reading The Wager with an open mind, whilst fully expecting a rather slow moving academic description of a fateful journey, given the conclusion of the story is detailed on the cover of the book. I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly I was drawn into the storytelling, which switches between the main characters detailing their painful experiences, often with graphic details, as the voyage unfurls. David Grann artfully intersperses first person descriptions with quotes taken from the crews personal accounts and reflections, both during the voyage, shipwreck and return to England. At its conclusion the reader is left to ponder who’s account is more believable and whether there could have been any other outcome for all involved considering the less than ideal circumstances and questionable practices employed to prepare for such a perilous journey. That there were any survivors at all, makes the story all the more compelling.

Susi Collins Howgill

Subjectively, we found the book a bit daunting to see, the cover invoking doom and despair, the print on opening the cover slight panic... the print is tiny! This is a “docudrama” style book, where the author has taken well-researched facts and documentation and woven them into a novel. There is therefore a story line and time line, and in parts is written in a way that draws one in. However, we personally disliked the way that the author: flitted between fact and fiction rather than weaving seamlessly together; jumped back and forth between historical events in terms of dates/ eras; was not consistent in style of writing. This is a book that needs persistence rather than a “can not put it down“ book.

Susan Smyth

This was not a book I would have chosen but it did not disappoint. This tale of shipwreck and mutiny set in the late eighteenth century read like a novel, but this true story was engaging from the outset. A small ill equipped, ship, The Wager, which was unfit for its purpose of plundering Spanish ships for treasure, sets out as part of a small expedition to go around Cape Horn. With a motley crew, many who had been press ganged, it was bound for the tragedy which they encountered off the coast of South America. This true story would have been difficult to believe if it were fiction. Murder, mutiny, disease and betrayal all feature. It is a tale of its times, although the author does try to impose 21st century ideas on an 18th Century event. It is a gripping tale all the way through to the end even with its unexpected and disappointing outcome, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It caught my imagination from the beginning and maintained it throughout. The author, David Grann, has the ability to hold your attention all the way through. Characters are well described, as is his ability to ensure that you know what life was like on board this vulnerable small ship at the mercy of the sea. If you are interested in naval history read this book. You will not be disappointed.

John Pierce

Having received the Viking Book Club book of the month The Wager, I was not expecting to enjoy this work of Non-fiction, as the vast majority of my reading is fiction. A non-fiction read is definitely a rarity. Having started the book I found the initial part of the book relating to preparation of the boat and its crew fairly slow, but having got past this part of the story, I got hooked and completed the book in one session on a rainy Sunday afternoon. It was a rattling good true historical yarn and certainly described the horrors and hardships of being a sailor of any rank from deck-hand to Captain. Without spoiling the ending it was an interesting twist that in summation the stories of the various main characters in the book were laid out and it is up to the reader to decide who did what and who's account you believe (or not!) The book has obviously been thoroughly and exhaustively researched, and there are nearly 50 pages of notes and selected bibliography relating to the story. Also in the book there are a number of everyday sayings such as 'under the weather' which come from this era of the Royal Navy which add interesting snippets of information. The book is to be thoroughly recommended. I will also buy further non-fiction books by David Grann.

Grace Mountjoy

With a week to go before boarding Viking Jupiter for my South American & Chilean Fjords Cruise, I received a copy of The Wager from the Book Club. The front cover reads "A tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny & Murder" - the story tells of The Wager, a British vessel pressed into service during England's war with Spain in 1741, and shipwrecked off the coast of Patagonia, with the crew being stranded on a desolate island near Cape Horn - no inhabitants, no source of food. The men who survived scurvy, lice etc had to decide whose authority they would obey. The Captain, Gunner and Midshipman all have a story to tell. Eventually, a number of crew manage to leave the island on a makeshift boat and are later washed up off the coast of Brazil spending 2 years in Spanish captivity - some time later 3 castaways, including the Captain, land up on the shores of Chile, again being held by the Spanish. All eventually are returned to England and held for trial by mutiny led by the Gunner... or was it? You will have to read the book to find out; once you start it you won't want to put it down!