The Wager — A tale of shipwreck, mutiny and murder by David Grann
In 1740 The Wager left Portsmouth for Cape Horn. Like Cook’s later voyage to Australia, the ship had a secret mission that only the Captain knew about - to capture a treasure-laden Spanish galleon. The venture soon ran into trouble in the terrible seas around Cape Horn, and ended up shipwrecked.
The deprivations the crew went through were hellish - freezing cold, malnutrition, starvation, fighting madness. The majority died. The book details the horrors of scurvy, a disease we now know to be caused by vitamin C deficiency but then not understood. I had previously read it to just cause blackening fingernails and teeth to fall out, but the symptoms described in this book are so much worse, with swelling limbs, brittle bones, bodies literally falling apart.
The psychological hell that the men went through was extreme, causing a breakdown in discipline and eventually mutiny. The “mind-forged manacles” of tradition and expectations were especially strong amongst many of the men - despite being so far from civilization many men still worried about how their actions would be perceived by others if they survived.
One lesson for me from this book is the value of journals. Much of the story would be lost to us if it wasn’t for the fact that many men kept detailed journals. In fact it’s quite amazing that they kept diligently journalling their trials even when on the verge of death and despair.
The book also offers insights into leadership dynamics. While the leader of the mutiny was self-serving and cunning, he managed to garner more favor among the sailors compared to the Captain, because he appeared to be more attuned to the sailors’ needs and their survival.
If only all non-fiction books were like this one. A great read. Finished Christmas day 2023.