The Wager

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From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Killers of the Flower Moon comes a gripping tale of shipwreck, survival, and savagery, culminating in a court martial that unveils a shocking truth. The narrative delves into the events surrounding the Wager, revealing that the trial extended beyond the captain and crew to challenge the very concept of empire. On January 28, 1742, a dilapidated vessel washed ashore in Brazil, carrying thirty emaciated men who had an extraordinary story. They were survivors of His Majesty's Ship the Wager, which had embarked on a secret mission during an imperial conflict with Spain. After wrecking on a desolate island off Patagonia while chasing a treasure-laden Spanish galleon, the crew faced starvation for months. They constructed a makeshift craft and sailed for over a hundred days, covering nearly 3,000 miles of treacherous seas, only to be hailed as heroes upon arrival. However, six months later, another battered boat reached Chile with just three castaways, who told a starkly different tale. The men who landed in Brazil were labeled mutineers, countering with accusations against a tyrannical officer. Anarchy had erupted among the crew on the island, leading to warring factions. As charges of treachery and murder surfaced, the Admiralty convened a court martial, where the stakes were life or death. Grann's masterful storytelling captures the extremes of human behavior and the twists of f