Look, I need to tell you about a book that’s going to mess with your head in the best possible way. The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann hit shelves in April 2023, immediately shot to #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, and has since been called one of the finest nonfiction books in years. And here’s the kicker—Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio have already bought the film rights, making this their second collaboration with Grann after Killers of the Flower Moon.
But this isn’t just another “shipwreck survival story.” This is a twisted tale where two groups of sailors return to England months apart, each accusing the other of mutiny, murder, and treachery. It’s a story where the truth depends entirely on who’s telling it. It’s about what happens when civilization breaks down, when hunger turns men into monsters, and when the line between hero and villain becomes so blurred you can’t tell which is which.
So let’s dive into The Wager by David Grann—what it’s about, why it matters, and why you absolutely need to read it before Scorsese’s adaptation hits theaters.
What’s The Wager Actually About?
Here’s the setup: It’s 1740, and Britain is at war with Spain. The British Admiralty assembles a fleet of eight warships with a secret mission—sail around South America (one of the most dangerous voyages on Earth), attack Spanish colonies on the Pacific coast, and capture a Spanish treasure galleon loaded with gold and silver.
One of these ships is HMS Wager, a hastily converted merchant vessel that’s barely seaworthy. It’s crammed with about 250 men from every level of British society—officers, sailors, marines, “pressed” men forced into service, even a few teenage midshipmen who have no business being there.
The Voyage From Hell
The fleet sets out in September 1740, and almost immediately, everything goes wrong. Ships get separated in storms. Disease sweeps through the cramped vessels. Scurvy—that horrific vitamin C deficiency that makes your teeth fall out and your old wounds reopen—starts claiming lives.
The Wager encounters more atrocious weather and is blown onto rocks and shipwrecked on an island off the coast of Patagonia in May 1741. About 140 men survive the wreck and find themselves stranded on Wager Island—a freezing, desolate rock with almost no food, no chance of rescue, and winter approaching.
When Civilization Breaks Down
Here’s where the story gets dark. The captain, David Cheap, is determined to maintain naval discipline and continue the mission. But the crew is starving, dying, and increasingly desperate. Tensions explode. Violence erupts. The carefully maintained hierarchy of a British warship starts to collapse.
In the meantime the sailors are dying like flies, from hunger, the cold, disease, floggings for stealing food and outright murder.
Eventually, most of the crew—led by gunner John Bulkeley—decides to build a makeshift boat from salvaged materials and sail back to Brazil. Captain Cheap and a handful of loyalists refuse to go. The crew leaves him behind and sets sail in what might be the most desperate ocean voyage ever attempted.
The Twist: Two Stories
Here’s where Grann’s storytelling gets brilliant. In January 1742, about 30 survivors from Bulkeley’s group make it back to England. They’re hailed as heroes—men who survived the impossible and made it home against all odds.
Then, six months later, three more men show up in England. Including Captain Cheap.
And their story is completely different.
Accusations of rebellion, murder, and treachery between the first and second groups of survivors resulted in an investigation followed by a court martial.
Suddenly, the “heroes” are being accused of mutiny—a hanging offense. But they claim the captain was a tyrannical murderer who got what he deserved. Who’s telling the truth? That’s the central mystery of the book.
Why David Grann Is a Master Storyteller
If you’ve read Grann’s other books—Killers of the Flower Moon, The Lost City of Z—you know he’s not your average nonfiction writer. The man is a staff writer for The New Yorker and has a gift for turning meticulously researched history into page-turning narrative.
The Research Behind The Wager
Almost three hundred years later, Grann was able to access the ship’s logs and the transcripts from the ensuing court martial.
But here’s the problem with these historical documents: they’re all biased. As things worsened on the Wager’s journey and after its wreck, it became clear that each officer who kept a log recorded the events in a manner to put himself and his actions in the best light.
Grann had to sift through contradictory accounts, compare different versions, and piece together what actually happened. It’s detective work as much as historical research.
And he went further—he actually traveled to Wager Island himself, retracing the castaways’ desperate journey. That’s dedication.
The Writing Style
Grann’s prose and pacing is excellent, keeping you on the edge of your seat. One reviewer noted that as you read you feel the sting of freezing saltwater against the face, and the desperate pangs of hunger.
This isn’t dry historical recitation. It reads like a thriller. You’re there on the ship, feeling the storms, tasting the salt spray, experiencing the horror of watching men die from scurvy and starvation.
Grann has produced a volume so dramatic and engrossing that it may surpass his previous books.
The Characters: Real People, Unforgettable Personalities
What makes The Wager by David Grann so compelling is the cast of real people whose stories he brings to life.
Captain David Cheap
The captain of the Wager is a fascinating character—ambitious, rigid, obsessed with maintaining discipline and completing his mission even when it’s clearly impossible. He’s a by-the-book naval officer thrust into a situation where the book doesn’t apply anymore.
Is he a hero trying to maintain order, or a tyrant who lost touch with reality? Grann lets you decide.
John Bulkeley
The gunner—a skilled, competent officer who eventually leads the “mutiny” (if it even was a mutiny). He’s practical, courageous, and determined to get his men home alive, even if it means defying the captain.
Hero or traitor? Again, it depends on whose account you believe.
John Byron
A young midshipman (and grandfather of the famous poet Lord Byron) who kept a detailed journal of the disaster. His perspective—as a teenager trying to navigate this nightmare—adds another layer to the story.
What Makes This Story Different From Other Survival Tales
You’ve probably read or heard about other famous shipwrecks—the Titanic, the Essex (which inspired Moby Dick), Shackleton’s Endurance. What makes The Wager unique?
It’s About Truth and Narrative
THE WAGER is a knotty tale of moral compromises and betrayal and a metaphysical inquiry into the elusive nature of truth and the power of stories to shape history and our perceptions of reality.
This isn’t just “here’s what happened.” It’s “here are multiple versions of what happened, and figuring out the truth is almost impossible.”
Grann explores how the survivors crafted their narratives to make themselves look good. How public opinion was swayed by whoever told the most compelling story. How history is written by whoever controls the narrative.
It’s About the Collapse of Social Order
When the Wager sinks, you’ve got this microcosm of British society—strict hierarchy, clear rules, everyone knowing their place. Within months, that entire system collapses.
Exploring what happens when this society, now governed by strict Royal Navy codes, is subjected to extreme stress is a reality TV producer’s dream.
It’s Lord of the Flies with real people. It’s what happens when civilization’s veneer is stripped away and you see what humans are really capable of—both heroic and horrific.
It’s About Imperial Hubris
Grann doesn’t shy away from the bigger context. This disaster happened because of British imperial ambitions—the arrogant belief that they could send a barely seaworthy ship around the world’s most dangerous waters in pursuit of Spanish treasure.
“The Wager” provides a vivid picture of life at sea during the 18th century, the perils of naval exploration, and the human capacity for both heroism and treachery in the face of adversity.
The Dark Details: What You Need to Know
Fair warning—this book gets brutal. Grann doesn’t sugarcoat the horrors of 18th-century naval life or the desperation of the castaways.
Scurvy: The Silent Killer
One of the most horrifying aspects is the detailed description of scurvy. Your gums swell. Your teeth fall out. Old wounds reopen. You bleed internally. Eventually, you die.
By the time the Wager wrecks, scurvy has already ravaged the crew. And on the island, with no fresh food, it only gets worse.
Starvation and Cannibalism
Men are reduced to eating seaweed, raw seabirds, shellfish—anything to survive. The book hints at (but doesn’t explicitly confirm) possible cannibalism among the desperate survivors.
Violence and Murder
There are floggings, shootings, beatings. Men kill each other over scraps of food. The veneer of civilization disappears fast when people are starving.
The Indigenous Perspective
One of the more interesting elements: the island isn’t actually uninhabited. Indigenous peoples (the Kawésqar) occasionally visit. The indigenous canoe people just bought them mutton, seafood and built dwellings, then left.
The contrast between the “civilized” British sailors descending into savagery and the “savage” indigenous people showing kindness is pointed.
The Court Martial: Who Was Right?
When the survivors return to England, the Admiralty convenes a court martial to determine what happened and who’s guilty.
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.
This is where Grann’s narrative really shines. He presents both sides—Bulkeley’s version and Cheap’s version—and lets you see how each man constructed his story to justify his actions.
The Verdict (No Spoilers)
In the end… nothing happens. The admiralty basically agree that they will turn a blind eye, never speak of it again, and that’s the end of that.
Some readers found this anticlimactic. But in a way, it’s perfect—it shows how institutions sometimes prefer to bury uncomfortable truths rather than confront them.
Critical Reception: What the Critics Said
The Wager by David Grann has been almost universally praised.
Matthew Teague of The Guardian commented, “There’s an expectation, in reviewing a book like The Wager, to balance its strengths with some discussion of its flaws. But The Wager is one of the finest nonfiction books I’ve ever read. I can only offer the highest praise a writer can give: endless envy, as deep and salty as the sea.”
The book appeared on countless “Best of 2023” lists. It won the Goodreads Choice Award for Best History & Biography. Critics compared it to classics of survival writing like Endurance and praised Grann’s ability to make 280-year-old events feel immediate and urgent.
Chris Vognar of The Boston Globe wrote, “Grann guides us through this process, step by step, storm by storm, man by man, in prose that the writers he references, including Herman Melville and Joseph Conrad, would appreciate.”
The Few Critical Voices
Not everyone loved it. Some readers felt the ending was anticlimactic. Some thought Grann’s commentary on imperialism was heavy-handed or anachronistic—judging 18th-century sailors by 21st-century moral standards.
But these criticisms are relatively minor compared to the overwhelming praise.
The Scorsese/DiCaprio Adaptation: What to Expect
In July 2022, Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio acquired the screen rights to the book. The project is supposed to reteam the key actors and companies standing behind the recent adaptation of Grann’s previous book Killers of the Flower Moon.
This is huge. Scorsese and DiCaprio adapting a Grann book worked brilliantly with Killers of the Flower Moon. Now they’re tackling this nautical nightmare.
What the Film Might Look Like
Imagine:
- DiCaprio as Captain Cheap or John Bulkeley
- Brutal, visceral storm sequences
- The slow descent into chaos on Wager Island
- The courtroom drama of the court martial
- Scorsese’s trademark exploration of masculinity, violence, and moral ambiguity
The source material is cinematic gold. A survival story, a mystery, a courtroom drama, and a meditation on truth and power—all in one.
Why You Should Read This Book
Let me give you five compelling reasons to pick up The Wager by David Grann:
1. It’s a Masterclass in Narrative Nonfiction
Grann shows how to take historical sources and craft them into a propulsive, page-turning story without sacrificing accuracy. If you want to see how nonfiction can read like the best thriller, this is it.
2. It Makes You Think About Truth
In our era of competing narratives, fake news, and “alternative facts,” this story about how truth is constructed and contested feels remarkably relevant.
3. It’s Educational Without Being Boring
You’ll learn about 18th-century naval warfare, the dangers of scurvy, the geography of Patagonia, British imperial history, and naval law—and you won’t even realize you’re learning because the story is so engrossing.
4. The Characters Are Unforgettable
These aren’t cardboard historical figures—they’re fully realized people with motivations, flaws, and complex moral calculus.
5. It’s Just a Damn Good Story
Sometimes that’s reason enough. This is a ripping yarn—adventure, survival, betrayal, mystery, and a courtroom climax. What more do you want?
Who Will Love This Book?
The Wager by David Grann will appeal to:
- History buffs who love deep dives into forgotten historical events
- Survival story addicts who devoured books like Endurance, In the Heart of the Sea, or Unbroken
- True crime readers who appreciate the mystery element and courtroom drama
- Literary nonfiction fans who value beautiful prose and thoughtful analysis
- Anyone who loved Grann’s previous books (Killers of the Flower Moon, The Lost City of Z)
- Maritime history enthusiasts fascinated by age-of-sail adventures
- People who enjoyed Patrick O’Brian’s naval novels but want real history instead of fiction
Who Might Not Love It?
Fair warning—this book might not be for you if:
- You want a fast-paced thriller with a neat resolution
- You’re squeamish about graphic descriptions of disease and death
- You prefer straightforward narratives without moral ambiguity
- You’re looking for heroes to root for (everyone here is compromised)
- You hate nautical terminology and detailed descriptions of sailing
The Bottom Line
Here’s my take after diving deep into The Wager by David Grann: this is one of those rare books that works on multiple levels simultaneously.
It’s a gripping adventure story. It’s a thoughtful meditation on truth and narrative. It’s a character study of men under extreme stress. It’s a critique of imperialism. It’s a survival manual for what not to do when shipwrecked.
Grann has taken a footnote in naval history—a disaster that was largely forgotten or deliberately buried—and turned it into one of the most compelling nonfiction books of the decade.
The prose is elegant. The research is meticulous. The storytelling is masterful. And the questions it raises about truth, justice, and human nature linger long after you finish the last page.
Is it perfect? No. Some readers wanted a more definitive answer about who was right. Some felt the imperial critique was too heavy-handed. But these are minor quibbles about an otherwise extraordinary book.
At 352 pages, it’s substantial but not overwhelming. Grann’s prose moves quickly enough that you’ll finish faster than you expect. And when you’re done, you’ll immediately want to discuss it with someone—which is the mark of great nonfiction.
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder reminds us why David Grann has become one of the most respected nonfiction writers working today. He doesn’t just tell stories—he excavates them, examines them from every angle, and presents them in ways that make you see history differently.
So if you’re looking for your next great read, pick up The Wager. Read it before the Scorsese film comes out. Experience the story in Grann’s masterful prose before Hollywood interprets it.
Just maybe don’t read it right before booking a cruise. Trust me on that one.
Rating: 5/5 stars
Published: April 18, 2023 by Doubleday
Pages: 352
Genre: Narrative Nonfiction, History, Maritime History, Survival
Perfect for: Fans of Killers of the Flower Moon, In the Heart of the Sea, Endurance, and masterfully told true stories
Bottom line: A tour de force of narrative nonfiction that will haunt you, teach you, and keep you up way past your bedtime turning pages. Read it.
