Reviews tagging 'Child death'

Les Naufragés du Wager by David Grann

25 reviews

ifeanart's review against another edition

adventurous informative reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Racism, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Vomit, Cannibalism, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

madmaura's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child death, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, and Classism

koboldmartian's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative sad tense medium-paced

5.0

5/5. 

I do not really have any good experience reading non-fiction so forgive me if this review is not as eloquent, but this was the most gripping and fascinating non-fiction story I have ever read. David Grann's writing is so immersive and clear and painted such a vivid picture of the turmoil, and horrors that these men were put through. 

The book is structured beautifully, it flowed well, I was angry at people, I sympathized with people, I was disgusted by what they did or what they had to do, I was all the proper emotions needed to read this book. 

This book was so educating and the life that people had to live back then on the ocean is just absolutely terrible. The entire time, I felt pulled by both "parties" involved in this stories and I don't think you can really blame anyone of the decisions made in this situation; it really makes you think about what you would do put in these men's shoes. 

I will be picking up Grann's other works to read and this book has opened the floodgates for non-fiction for me. I hope to read more especially if they are this engaging. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

sherlocktomes's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

David Grann back with another excellent blend of informative, entertaining and somewhat reflective writing. 

Highly researched, approachable and balanced, this account details the birth and death of The Wager, a ship in 1700’s Britain tasked with colonising and plundering native and non native peoples to increase the British empires hold over the worlds land and resources.

Grann helps paint a vision of the sheer unrelenting and unpredictable nature of the sea, at times you wonder how much more these sailors can endure, and yet the story carries on. 

As with KOTFM, I felt I would have liked more commitment from the author towards documenting the extent of the genocidal and colonial actions of so many western countries at this time, particularly their treatment of native peoples who, on the whole, were far more intelligent, resourceful and organised than the people who reduced them to a stereotype of “savages”. I do feel more of a background of the British empire as it stood at that time, and their use of the Navy to do so would have been beneficial for giving more context for the average reader. 

Overall, a thorough and very enjoyable read (albeit grim and miserable). 5/5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Suicide, Medical content, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Racism, Slavery, and War

cait's review against another edition

adventurous informative mysterious sad slow-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

abicaro17's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark informative inspiring mysterious slow-paced

4.0

This starts out incredibly slow but after chapter 5 grows into a story of mutiny, murder, and survival. You become involved in this insane story of how a British ship and its sailors fight off scurvy, the rough seas, and other crewman to eventually end up back in England depleted and desolate anywhere from a year to five years later. I'm traditionally cautious of non fiction historical books because I find them tedious and boring but, with The Wager, once the initial accounts of send off and troubles at sea are finished, you're immersed into a tumultuous account of the shipwreck. It was interesting and full bodied. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Deportation, and Pandemic/Epidemic

daughterofatom's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative medium-paced

4.0

I enjoyed this. I appreciate the authors non judgemental perspective, never casting blame or guilt on any party, and keeps first hand accounts of native people in perspective. It's a tale of mutiny and horrible situations, but you never think "dang what a villain", you see the motivations of each party and are given ample details about the people to not just see them as pawns. They all had families at home they hoped to return to, some were on their first voyage, some were seasoned enough to doubt some choices. Great read for anyone looking to learn about 1700s seafaring, British navy shenanigans, or for folks looking for empathetic compelling tales of souls stuck in a true no win scenario 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, and Colonisation

Moderate: Animal death, Genocide, Gun violence, Mental illness, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Ableism, Child death, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

maison's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, Violence, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Animal death, Racial slurs, and Slavery

Minor: Child death and Cannibalism

bibliomania_express's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad medium-paced

5.0

The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder by David Grann is a gripping and thought-provoking account of the voyage and shipwreck of HMS Wager in the 1740s. Drawing on primary sources and thorough archival research, Grann reconstructs the hardships of the voyage from before the ships set sail, through its perilous journey, shipwreck, mutiny, and court-martial. If you are squeamish about descriptions of disease and death, take care, but I do think Grann tow the lines of factual without going into excessive details. 

The story of the Wager is heartbreaking and amazing, with falliable human ingenuity and the unrelenting power of hope coming up against the forces of nature, disease, delerium, and himan depravity. 

I really enjoyed Grann's writing. He made the story feel engaging as a living narrative rather than a historical account. I also appreciated how he took the time to call out the intrisic racism and imperialist motives of the venture. He made space for the indigenous peoples of South America, the African slave trade, and even class divides amongst the British. 

I was mainly surprised by how the court martial ended, and I appreciated Grann's discussion of why it went the way it did. 

Overall, a fantastic book.
 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Alcohol, and War

Moderate: Physical abuse, Racism, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Murder

Minor: Child death, Slavery, and Cannibalism

mariposa517's review against another edition

adventurous informative tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Excrement, Vomit, Cannibalism, Alcohol, and War

Minor: Fire/Fire injury