The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder Summary: David Grann

By Snap Read

We offer you comprehensive summaries and analysis of David Grann's book "The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder," journalist David Grann unravels the true story of a harrowing shipwreck and its aftermath.  Adrift on a desolate island, the crew of the 18th-century vessel the Wager descends into chaos.  Accusations of mutiny and murder lead to a shocking court-martial that exposes not only the dark side of human nature, but also the fragility of truth in the face of survival.

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This is an unofficial summary and analysis of The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Snap Read
• Release date: May 6, 2024
• ISBN: 9791223037270

Book preview

The Wager:

A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder

Summary

David Grann

Snap Read

Table of Contents

Copyright

Overview

Part 1: The Wooden World

Part 2: Into the Storm

Part 3: Castaways

Part 4: Deliverance

Part 5: Judgment

Quotes from the book

Copyright

This book is protected by copyright law. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Copyright © 2024 by Snap Read.

All Rights Reserved

Overview

The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder is an incredible true story. David Grann, a writer known for his past works on crime and naval history, dives into the real-life events surrounding the 18th-century shipwreck of the Wager. Published in 2023, the book explores a dark chapter in maritime history.

The Wager was a British ship caught in the middle of a war between Britain and Spain. After the ship tragically wrecked off the coast of South America, a group of survivors, including their Captain, David Cheap, found themselves stranded on a lonely island in Patagonia. What started as a struggle for survival quickly turned desperate. With dwindling food supplies and rising tensions, some crew members who survived resorted to stealing and even murder.

The situation reached a boiling point when Captain Cheap himself killed a crew member. This prompted a revolt headed by a lower-ranking officer named John Bulkeley. Bulkeley and his fellow mutineers believed they could escape the island on their own and eventually return to England.

Back in England, the surviving members of the Wager faced a court martial. Shockingly, the British government, embarrassed by the entire ordeal, condemned no one for the shipwreck or the crimes committed on the island.

Part 1: The Wooden World

Chapter 1

The First Lieutenant

This chapter dives into the crew and circumstances surrounding the doomed voyage of the Wager.

Leading the Wager was a man named David Cheap. Driven by financial woes and a family inheritance dispute with his brother, Cheap saw the voyage as an escape. Unlike his older brother, who inherited their father's Scottish noble title, David received nothing. He hoped to climb the ranks under Captain George Anson, recently promoted to Commodore. Cheap believed