When the news reached England, it was greeted with disbelief. But a figure who appeared to be in charge rose with an extraordinary exertion of will and announced that they were castaways from His Majesty's ship, The Wager, a British man of war. One soon gave out his laugh breath and died. Some were so weak they could not even stand. Their faces were enveloped in hair, tangled and salted like seaweed. The bystanders edging closer heard unnerving sounds. Seawater seep through the hull, and a stench emanated from within. About 50 feet long and 10 feet wide, it was a boat of some sort, though it looked as if it had been patched together from scraps of wood and cloth, and then battered into oblivion. It somehow, whether through destiny, as some would later proclaim, or dumb luck, it drifted into an inlet off the southeastern coast of Brazil, where several inhabitants laid eyes upon it. Once or twice, the vessel nearly smashed into a reef, which might have ended our story. For days, it watched as a strange object heaved up and down in the ocean, tossed mercilessly by the wind and the waves. It's been a long journey, not quite as long and arduous as The Wager men went through, but it's been a long one.Īlison Stewart: Would you begin by reading from the prologue of your book?ĭavid Grann: The only impartial witness was the sun. Happy pub day, David.ĭavid Grann: Thank you. David Grann will be hosting a book event tonight at Barnes and Noble Union Square at 7:00 PM but he joins me now on publication day of the book. Eventually, the crew split off into groups, and the question is, would they make it off Wager Island alive? The Wager: A Tale Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder is out today. There were threats of mutiny and all hope seemed to be lost. The crew settled on a desolate island, and amidst famine and desperation, factions emerged. After a relatively easy start to the journey, the ship eventually made it to the notoriously difficult sea around Cape Horn, where the ship encountered churning currents, enormous waves, and punishing wind.Īdd the misery of disgusting conditions and widespread disease, aboard the ship, The Wager shipwreck on the southern coast of Chile. The Wager sets sail from Portsmouth, England in 1740 on a mission as part of an ongoing conflict with Spain. The wild and true story of a shipwreck and mutiny on the high seas is the subject of New Yorker staff writer David Grann's new book. Alison Stewart: This is All Of It on WNYC.

The Wager by David Grann