In David Grann's account of shipwreck on the high seas, the Wager is on its way to the shores of South American to intercept a Spanish galleon filled with silver. Meanwhile, for the rank and file, daily life on board the 18th century man- of-war becomes a perilous reality. Luke Treadaway reads.

David Grann, the internationally best-selling and award winning writer, brings us the story of the treacherous events that took place on the Wager, an eighteenth century British warship, when it was lost at sea. Grann's enquiry into this story of shipwreck, mutiny, and murder sheds light on what happened when the Wager's crew were stranded on an uninhabitable island thousands of miles from home. The fate of those few men who made it home, reveals shocking insights into Great Britain's justice system in the Age of Empire.

David Grann is the author of The Lost City of Z, and Killers of the Flower Moon which is now a Hollywood blockbuster.

Abridged by Richard Hamilton
Produced by Elizabeth Allard Show less