kimmykelly's review against another edition
4.0
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, War, Classism, Emotional abuse, Grief, Medical content, Murder, Abandonment, Cannibalism, Body horror, Cultural appropriation, Gore, Gun violence, and Violence
katiemack's review against another edition
4.5
Grann relies on admittedly conflicting accounts from those on both sides (some from the mutineers, some from the captain’s final crew), but he does an admiral job balancing these viewpoints. He also adds depth to what is, essentially, a true crime story about a shipwreck by discussing the broader implications of imperialism and racism that affected not only this crew, but also other militaristic endeavors by the British.
It’s short—the story itself is maybe 250 pages—so it’s worth a read if you’re at all interested in history.
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: War and Racism
Minor: Cannibalism
theabee's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Terminal illness and Violence
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Cannibalism, Slavery, War, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Animal death, Colonisation, and Murder
aus10england's review against another edition
3.75
Moderate: Body horror and War
Minor: Animal cruelty
maison's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Colonisation, Classism, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Violence, Racism, Alcohol, and War
Moderate: Slavery, Racial slurs, and Animal death
Minor: Cannibalism and Child death
mondovertigo's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Abandonment, Cannibalism, Animal death, Death, and Colonisation
Moderate: Body horror, Violence, Slavery, Racism, War, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Medical trauma
Minor: Blood, Vomit, and Excrement
bibliomania_express's review against another edition
5.0
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.
Graphic: Death, Medical trauma, Animal cruelty, Animal death, War, Medical content, Violence, Chronic illness, Xenophobia, Gun violence, Blood, and Alcohol
Moderate: Murder, Terminal illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Torture, Racism, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Slavery, Child death, and Cannibalism
marioosa517's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, Racism, Medical content, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Colonisation, Blood, Gun violence, Death, Murder, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Alcohol, Animal death, War, Excrement, Cannibalism, Confinement, Vomit, and Child death
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
bbbarttt's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Violence and Colonisation
Moderate: Slavery, Death, Murder, Animal death, and War
Minor: Kidnapping and Cannibalism
flowerrunner's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Suicide, Violence, Abandonment, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, War, Child death, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Cannibalism