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The Wager
- Narrated by: Dion Graham
- Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
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The Wager
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Summary
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES NO. 1 BESTSELLER
*LONGLISTED FOR THE 2023 BALLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION*
*SELECTED AS ONE OF BARACK OBAMA'S FAVOURITE BOOKS OF 2023*
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.
Critic reviews
'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
‘Combining impeccable research with exceptional storytelling powers, [Grann] spirits the reader aboard a creaking wooden ship trapped at the eye of a howling storm… No book that you are likely to read this year or next will prove more dramatic and enthralling than Grann’s magnificent story of both life at sea and out on the desolate, mist-laden island whose solitary peak the Wager’s unfortunate crew aptly named Mount Misery’ Miranda Seymour, Financial Times
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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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Andrew McGregor
- 20-07-23
Amazing story of the challenges of life at sea and leadership
A great effort to pull all the threads of source material to bring an honest account (as best one can) of an extraordinary story. Understand a film is in the works and I look forward to it.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Rafique Rahman
- 17-11-23
Brilliantly done
Really enjoyed this one a good adventure story the narrative was very interesting and easy to follow. I listened to it in one night
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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
- Charles
- 21-05-24
A great story
Not my usual cup of tea, gripping and written very well. Time to go back to more of the genre.
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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
- Steve
- 30-04-24
Solid and captivating history
I really enjoyed this. It was history at its most captivating, told in a way that never got too dense or complex. A fascinating cast of characters whose actions are, in someways, understandable. Maybe not then, but certainly nowadays as we have learnt so much about the horrors of deprivation and stress.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Samantha
- 15-05-24
Remarkable knowledge of History
Loved this book, of old tale & history. An exciting yet deep narrative of a world gone by.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- @leeboy83
- 26-01-24
Interesting Story
Really enjoyed this story, it didn’t read as a history book as much as an eyewitness account of the story. The only reason I marked the performance down slightly wasn’t to do with the ability of the narrator who was great, but it was just very American for a book about the British navy in 1740s. It was a great book and that point is nitpicking you do get used to it. Recommend reading!
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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
- Sam
- 31-05-23
Remarkable Story
The most incredible story, Masterfully written and excellently narrated.
I can't wait for the movie to he made!
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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
- 25-06-23
Great book
Great telling of an amazing story. A slow start but well worth committing to. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
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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
- Michael Henry
- 12-06-23
Enthralling
Could not stop listening to it. The writing was excellent and the narration clear and precise.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Stan
- 23-06-23
Captivating history brought to life
The author did a fantastic job threading together various accounts into cohesive storylike narrative
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