The Wager

The tragic tale of the British naval cruiser Wager from the 18th century is told in David Grann’s book “The Wager.” The Wager appears to vanish during a mission in the War of Jenkins’ Ear, which was fought between the Spanish and British Empires. In reality, though, it sank on a barren island on the southern tip of South America’s Patagonia coast. The Wager’s remaining crew members are introduced in the prologue.

They land in Brazil and Chile six months apart. After returning to England, the survivors begin to tell differing tales, which prompts concerns about the reliability of the established hierarchy, the brittleness of social order, and how imperial powers fabricate and obliterate history to maintain their claim to govern.