The Wager

Synopsis: In the mid 18th century, Spain and England were vying to control the earth’s mineral riches (and its native people) and bank the wealth produced by enslaved laborers. The two nations sent shiploads of men out to square off on the high seas in this pursuit. These imperial encounters boiled over when a Spanish officer boarded a British brig, accused the captain of smuggling sugar and cut off his ear. Thus began the conflict known as The War of Jenkins Ear. It was in this conflict that the British man of war The Wager set out from Plymouth England, to chart a course around Cape Horn in pursuit of the Spanish ships laden with treasure. Friends, it didn’t go well. Typhoid, scurvy, rats and hurricanes. Navigators lost their way, men lost limbs, their minds, and their lives. They ran aground off the coast of Chile in their effort to get to (you can’t make this up) Robinson Crusoe island. They fought, drank, stole, drowned, got sick and died. How could it get any worse? And yet, it does. A group of 30 sailors managed to sail a small boat 3,000 miles back to Brazil, arriving emaciated and barely alive. Six months later, a smaller boat washes up in Chile with only three survivors, delirious and near death. The newcomers blamed the first group of mutiny, leading to counter charges of murder and treachery. They all go back to England for a court martial, where Admirals (and the interested public) will try to sort out what really happened.

Review: David Grann is known for brisk, detailed story telling. This is an adventure tale gone wrong, yet it goes extremely right for the reader who just can’t get enough of the horror and misery. What on earth is the lure of the sea? I don’t get it! Journeys taking months, or even years, in leaking, wet, unheated vessels packed with unwashed people, sailing into gales with no privacy, no GPS, and no Gore-Tex. This was an amazing, brutal story of depravity and violence, but also brotherhood and unfathomable true grit. The amount of research and detail in this book is impressive, and it is a story that just keeps the forward momentum going.

Rating: 4/5

Recipe: I considered the idea of seaweed soup, but truthfully, it’s not something I really think I would want to make for myself. I settled on creamed chipped beef, known as a military recipe, and certainly dried beef was a staple on the ship. We’ll just leave out the insects. You can buy this in 4 oz jars or packets.

4 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup all purpose flour

3 cups whole milk

1 teaspoon black pepper

4.5 oz dried beef, cut into strips

Texas toast slices, biscuits, or english muffins for serving

1) Melt the butter in a large skillet until bubbling, then stir in flour. Add whole milk, whisking until flour is completely incorporated.

2) Stir constantly until the sauce is thickened.

3) Add pepper and strips of beef to sauce mixture, stirring until the beef is evenly coated.

4) Serve over toast or biscuits.