I have read a couple of David Grann’s novels prior to this, which was why I wanted so desperately to read The Wager.
If ever authors, or storytellers of any kind, wish to romanticize the idea of sailors, castaways, and/or the capabilities to survive, then it is clear after reading this novel that they have not done proper research.
The Wager is just one man of war ship, part of a group sailing under Captain Anson, with orders to capture Spanish treasure ships. Unfortunately, the expedition is seized with bad weather, disease, and eventually death. The Wager, separated from Anson, is later crashed between racks, and the remaining crew make to the island now known as Wager Island.
The narratives become conflicting as the Captain David Cheap is left behind on the island by gunner John Bulkeley. According to Bulkeley, Cheap was determined to continue with his orders, despite the devastation and despair of the crew. Cheap had even murdered an unarmed man, which resulted in their desperate mutiny. Cheap’s account did not even give details of the murder, but he was quick to point out how he had been tied and assaulted before Bulkeley and company left them to die.
Given the various accounts, I have to agree with the outcome of the court-martial. Since these events are close to 300 years old, I find it difficult to pass judgment on any group of people who simply wanted to survive. They looked to their captain to save them, and some found him to be unfit, so they went to the next intelligent authority. Under the conditions that David Grann described, and hearing survivor tales from our current timeline, could anyone truly say that they would have handled anything differently?
I think the main reason why I find David Grann to be authentic is the fact that he doesn’t just rely on others’ accounts of the events. He conducts the reason from so many sources, primary and secondary, but then he makes the attempt to go to those places. In this case, he writes that he underwent a three-week voyage to Wager Island. David Grann goes above and beyond in pursuit of the research.
Overall, I rate this novel 5 out of 5 stars.
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