The Wager
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The Wager
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Narrated by:
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Dion Graham
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By:
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David Grann
About this listen
*LONGLISTED FOR THE 2023 BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION*
'The beauty of The Wager unfurls like a great sail... one of the finest nonfiction books I’ve ever read' Guardian
‘The greatest sea story ever told’ Spectator
'I cannot think of anyone who would not love this book . . . It is an extraordinary true story, beautifully written' Richard Osman
‘A cracking yarn… Grann’s taste for desperate predicaments finds its fullest expression here’ Observer
From the international bestselling author of KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON and THE LOST CITY OF Z, a mesmerising story of shipwreck, mutiny and murder, culminating in a court martial that reveals a shocking truth.
On 28th January 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on the coast of Brazil. Inside were thirty emaciated men, barely alive, and they had an extraordinary tale to tell. They were survivors of His Majesty’s ship The Wager, a British vessel that had left England in 1740 on a secret mission during an imperial war with Spain. While chasing a Spanish treasure-filled galleon, The Wager was wrecked on a desolate island off the coast of Patagonia. The crew, marooned for months and facing starvation, built the flimsy craft and sailed for more than a hundred days, traversing 2,500 miles of storm-wracked seas. They were greeted as heroes.
Then, six months later, another, even more decrepit, craft landed on the coast of Chile. This boat contained just three castaways and they had a very different story to tell. The thirty sailors who landed in Brazil were not heroes – they were mutineers. The first group responded with counter-charges of their own, of a tyrannical and murderous captain and his henchmen. While stranded on the island the crew had fallen into anarchy, with warring factions fighting for dominion over the barren wilderness. As accusations of treachery and murder flew, the Admiralty convened a court martial to determine who was telling the truth. The stakes were life-and-death—for whomever the court found guilty could hang.
©2023 David Grann (P)2023 Penguin Random House Audio US
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What listeners say about The Wager
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dr OC Cockerell
- 28-07-23
Anti English
A great story ruined by bizarre anti English sentiment and a need to reference the history in contemporary terms of empire and race. Is this the fate of all modern writing? If so I’m back to Lord McAuley
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- S. Rattray
- 28-01-24
Good story, poor narration
An otherwise captivating and well-told story spoiled slightly by the distractingly odd narration. I didn't mind the accent at all, or the pronunciation of 'lieutenant', but the erratic timing of certain phrases and the breathless, almost comical over-excitement at times was a big distraction.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- lium
- 19-02-24
Poor Narrator Choice
The story is incredible but the American narration really ruined it. He was far too overdramatic and his voice didn't suit the story that was being told.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Gordon
- 03-12-23
This books takes you right into what early seamen ship of that period was about and in such gripping detail.
The accent of the reader. An English accent would of been so much more appropriate for the story.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Larissa
- 10-09-23
Great story
Fascinating story delving deep into human nature, also loved the narration, not sure why the negative reviews. After adjusting for the enthusiastic tone I found it a very appealing listen.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 08-09-23
Excellent!
I thoroughly enjoyed this fascinating and well-researched story. Also the narrator was great and well matched to the book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Douglas
- 22-05-23
Excellent
Thoroughly enjoyed this very well, narrated, gripping true story of the 18century Royal Navy, shipwreck and mutiny. How anybody survived what they went through, is beyond me .
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mrs Rosemary K Arnold
- 05-07-23
Fascinating account of an incredible journey
I really enjoyed this book- well written and researched. The tale he tells is spellbinding and a fascinating invite into how humans behave under extreme stress and hardship.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Nathan Chapman
- 14-01-24
Awesome book
I listened to the whole thing on an international flight, as I just couldn’t get enough. Was hoping it would put me to sleep but instead had me on the edge of my seat.
The fact it’s a true story/ non fiction is incredible.
Great story, structure, and narrator
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Roberto Griva
- 01-02-24
Material would have been better in more skilled hands
My enjoyment of this true seafaring tale was marred by: 1) odd pronunciation and American anachronisms (e.g. incorrect pronunciation of lieutenant rather than left-tenant); 2) an oddly flat narrative than veers between sensationalism and mundanity.
It’s so-so. I can’t help thinking a more skilled historian would have handled the terrific material better. And a more suitable performer.
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