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4/5
Very interesting read about the wreck of the Wager. You learn a lot about how sailors were “hired“, the rules and living conditions on a ship at that time. Being stranded in the wilderness is something that is happening less and less, hence I think our fascination with such events from the past. The book also focuses on human interactions when it comes to survival instincts.

Fun fact: scurvy isn't a illness of the past, it's coming back.

I enjoy castaway survival stories. And I love Grann‘s writing. This did not disappoint.

Fantastic story about the shipwreck of the HMS Wager and the crew's survival despite disease, hunger, murder and mutiny. Easy read and very interesting.

Really getting into this gripping account of shipwreck, mutiny, murder and castaways. The perfect book to take along on our first adventure on a lake with our new houseboat! 😂😂😬😬😬😳

Widely hailed as one of the best books of 2023, David Grann's latest, “The Wager“ is a remarkable true story that amazes at every turn. We discuss Grann's gift as a story teller and the various fascinating layers to this best selling book.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6C6qxwj0c4CJPNJsiUMCgy

Guaranteed to make the reader rethink their desire to board a ship. Press gangs, disease, and a difficult launch were merely the beginning. It is difficult to believe anyone survived. The strengths and weaknesses of the men were well described.

1. I would love to sit around with a bunch of people discussing books!
2. My son says The Wager is terrific..been waiting for my library copy for months.

#two4Tuesday @TheSpineView

Fantastically written account of a shipwreck and the ensuing development of different factions on the island, plus the eventual return to England with competing stories. Very readable adventure story. Highly recommended.

I just recently read Killers of the Flower Moon and was so excited to read this book with my book club. Very well researched as always, I enjoyed how the facts were put together in such a way to feel like a novel. It was fun to read a story set on a ship. The hardcover had so many extras like the maps and photo pages, loved it!

The book is a testament to Grann's impeccable research and attention to detail. His ability to unearth historical records and piece together a gripping narrative is truly remarkable. I found myself captivated by the authenticity and depth of the story, as well as the insights into the challenges faced by the sailors....
Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5637178426

I love the author's ability to keep as close to the sources as possible, while still including a handful of modern concepts in mind. At one point he briefly points out recent studies about how hunger impacts our ability to think and reason, before continuing to describe the accounts of the starved and shipwrecked crew. It's a subtle talent that blends seamlessly with the story telling. The perfect read on a rainy weekend!
#pantonereadingchallenge

It‘s been a bit drizzly all weekend, making it the perfect time to start a book about the stormy seas and shipwrecks ⚓️🌊⛈️

And I legit stole husbands coffee mug this morning bc it matches so perfectly 😆

When a British fleet set sail in 1740 to hunt down a Spanish treasure ship in the Pacific, they had no idea that only a handful of survivors would return 2 years later.
After a voyage beset by storms, typhus, malnutrition, and scurvy, the Wager ran aground off the coast of Patagonia. Soon, the crew split into factions, battling nature and each other to try to make it home.
Harrowing, heartbreaking, and frustrating, a fantastic book about survival.

#Ship. #StorySettings

@Eggs
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

This was super, very much in the same vein as 'Madhouse at the End of the World' (although not quite as good as it, in my opinion).

Although the narrator is excellent, the narrative felt a bit disjointed. I think I might have followed the timeline better if read. Very well researched.

Just a look at some of the times mentioned in our latest episode "An April TBR Extravaganza"

https://spotify.link/dPMcHUjFQIb

Dion Graham narrates the heck out of this true tale of shipwreck and mutiny. It reminded me of my perennial fav The Terror but truer and less supernatural.

This one has taken me a bit to get through. Amazing like all of Grann‘s books, but full of difficult situations, amputations, and cannibalism. It‘s a lot, y‘all. Modern life may be tough but this is a good reminder that it could be worse! #BookspinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

Bags 2 and 3 of Friends Lego. Holy Hannah this book was 🤯 it might be one of the best audio books I‘ve ever listened to! So much drama, everything that could go wrong went wrong, anyone who could die died, absolutely bonkers I can‘t figure out how we survived this phase of human history. I was riveted

Time for a new Lego set. I‘ve been saving this forever. Thinking about what theme of books to pair with it on my bookshelves 🤔 what do you think? Friends, early 20‘s, chick lit?

Next up on audio ( another book seen on multiple lists)

Grann explores another fascinating, lost to the mists of time moment in history that is fantastical & utterly compelling. With painstaking research, he examines a hard to believe story filled with hubris, the randomness of chance & what people will/won‘t do in the face of adversity. It is the stripping away of the thin veneer of humanity to what lies below when survival is at stake that makes this an unforgettable story about the human endeavor.

⭐️⭐️two stars for the effort of the narrator.

I know this book has super high ratings but it just didn‘t hold for me. I‘m sure the narrator was being very melodramatic so that it could hold one‘s interest but overall it was pretty boring. I loved killers of the Flower Moon and stories at sea, this definitely wasn‘t it for me.

A bit tedious for me, but still an interesting read. My #doublespin for the month @TheAromaofBooks

Grann knows how to tell a complex story in a way that compels you to keep turning the pages. Much like the story of the Endurance‘s struggles, the Wager‘s journey in the 1700‘s highlights just how difficult a journey by boat could be. I‘m often left wondering how I would do in a situation like this: a raging sea, climbing up masts to lower the sails in the middle of snow squalls, starving, & dealing with a murderous mutiny. I‘d give up early on.

Barnes & Noble‘s latest email had #BlindDateWithABook

The one on the left ended up being The Wager, the tagged book.

Excited for my picks this month! @TheAromaofBooks ##bookspinbingo

Here is my #readyourkindle list. Numbered in order left to right. Thanks for the challenge @CBee

We‘ve had three days of fog and rain…the weather matches the cover of this book perfectly so logically, it‘s the next one I should read, right? Right!

I should have liked this more, as it's set in my favourite time period, but I'm not getting the hype around this book?! I did it on audio, too!

#52bookclub24 #featurestheocean @BarbaraBB @Kristy_K @LaraReads @KarenUK @Hooked_on_books @BarkingMadRead @brittanyreads @Magpiegem @BookBelle84 @Larkken @julesG @Deblovestoread @MidnightBookListener @Librarybelle @triplem80 @Tove_Reads @Read4life @Bluebird @eeclayton @hissingpotatoes @Book_Lover95

My first book of 2024 was a banger. Grann can do no wrong, and if he writes it, I‘m reading it. His writing is on point, and he makes these historical figures and their voyage at sea intriguing, fascinating, and weirdly relatable. I loved it!

Castaways and scurvy and mutiny, oh my! Not a tale for the faint-hearted. 😳 The author did such an amazing job of gifting us this linear, well-told account of the shipwreck and aftermath of The Wager. (Am I the only one who doesn‘t read blurbs and thought the book was about a ship-related bet of some kind and not an actual ship called The Wager? 🙄) Fantastically narrated! I definitely would not have loved it as much using my own brain-voice. 5⭐️

#NewYearNewBooks
#ShipsOrSailing
@Eggs
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Fave NF of last year. 💜🖤💜

This was truly an interesting #nonfiction read that read as a fictional story. Very engaging and I was totally sucked into this historic event. #doublespin #bookspin @thearomaofbooks

#SundayHyggehour #Midwintersolace #Hyggehugs

I hope you've had a lovely hour. Mine was so nice, I'm continuing for the rest of the evening. 😴

I've had a lovely day relaxing with the 4 beasties. Everyone is back at school/college tomorrow. 🥺

After a candlelit bath, I'm snuggled up in bed, finishing The Wager (bloody brilliant!) on Audible. Then, I'm starting Wild for #BookedinTime 📚😊

@Chrissyreadit @TheBookHippie @jenniferw88 @Cuilin

A little late in posting this but we‘ve got a winner for my #2023readingbracket !!! The Wager, to no one‘s surprise, takes the top spot. I could tell since I read that it would be hard to beat, and indeed it was! This was my first time making a bracket like this so I‘m excited to do it again in 2024!

#12Booksof2023
@Andrew65

July: THE WAGER by David Grann: my only favorite nonfiction book of the year. I have spent more time looking up and learning about Cape Horn because of this book. I've even watched people trying to sail around it in 2023. I can't even imagine how they did it in the 1700s. What a ride! 🤩

#12Booksof2023 ⭐️ Favorite Audiobooks ⭐️

I really enjoyed this one. The author does a fantastic job setting up the context for life at sea in the 1740s. He also brings to life the men at the heart of the story and vividly details the hardships they faced as sailors and then as castaways. My only criticism is with the marketing blurbs that make the court-martial trial out to be a significant part of the book. It is not. This was my December #Doublespin @TheAromaofBooks

May's choice was an amazing book, a harrowing true story, and a definite pick on my list of the ten best books of 2023.
#12booksof2023 @Andrew65

Wow, what a way to start.

I listened to this one over audio. I liked it but I don‘t think I‘d put it in my top books I‘ve read/listened to this year. It was interesting & fascinating that there were accounts kept. But these are also accounts mainly from privileged individuals. I liked Killers of the Flower Moon more. The narrator was very enthusiastic (even when reading about cannibalism). #bookspin #nonfiction2023 prompt: Rolling in the Deep

Hoping I love this one as much as Killers of the Flower Moon 🌖

I had never heard of the Wager and its trials and tribulations, and it is a fascinating sea tale, especially since it‘s a true story. The depictions of life on a ship, any ship, are disturbingly graphic, especially the dearth of information about basic hygiene and how to prevent scurvy (which description of said disease almost made me toss my cookies). The stories of the crew‘s survival will curl your hair. This is such a thrilling book.5⭐️

great untold history of shipwreck and survival.

Engaging narrative nonfiction about the crew of a ship who became deserted on an island. Betrayal and adventure abound! I was impressed with the amount of detail, due to the fact that first person accounts of the events exist today. I actually listened to the audio which was exciting.