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About the The Wager by David Grann Discussion category
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1
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20
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March 27, 2025
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What audience would you recommend The Wager to? Is there another book or author you feel has a similar theme or style?
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20
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82
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March 27, 2025
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Overall, what did you think of The Wager? (no spoilers, please!)
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19
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111
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March 27, 2025
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Did you know about the wreck and mutiny of The Wager before reading the book?
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17
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43
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March 27, 2025
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Grann is the author of several non-fiction books (The Lost City of Z and Killers of the Flower Moon among them). Have you read any of his previous works, and if so, how do they compare to The Wager?
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15
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45
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March 27, 2025
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To crew ships, the Admiralty relied on the process of “pressing” men into service. What did you think of this process? Was there any advantage to it?
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12
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36
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March 27, 2025
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What was the attraction in going to sea for the men who chose to do so? Would you have been tempted, in similar circumstances? Have you ever spent an extended period of time on a boat or ship?
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11
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33
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March 27, 2025
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In the introduction, David Grann writes that he “tried to present all sides, leaving it to you to render the ultimate verdict.” How did this note affect your approach to the book, if at all? Do you think he succeeded in his aim?
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10
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37
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March 27, 2025
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In what ways, in your opinion, did the crew’s interactions with the indigenous peoples help or hurt their ability to survive?
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10
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26
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March 27, 2025
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Cheap believed that to keep the castaways from turning on each other, that they needed rules and a rigid structure, and he consequently tried to adhere to the Articles of War. What do you think of his approach to the situation?
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10
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35
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March 27, 2025
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Are any of the individuals in the book reliable narrators?
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10
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46
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March 27, 2025
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Is there a quote or scene that stood out for you? Why do you suppose it resonated?
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9
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45
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March 27, 2025
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Do you think the wreck of The Wager and its aftermath were in any way avoidable?
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9
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30
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March 27, 2025
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What aspects of life in the British Navy were familiar to you before reading the book? Did you learn anything new, or did anything surprise you?
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9
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27
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March 27, 2025
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How did you feel about the outcome of the court martial? What did you think about the admirals’ approach to the trial, and why do you believe they chose the course of action they did?
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9
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26
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March 27, 2025
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The crew blamed the captain “for their misery and wondered what he was doing to rescue them.” Do you think they were right to do so? Is there anything Captain Cheap could have done to improve their situation?
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8
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33
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March 27, 2025
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Admiral Anson’s men loved him, while Cheap’s men generally despised their captain. What qualities did each have that impacted their crews? What do you think inspires people to loyalty?
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6
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29
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March 27, 2025
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Some of the crew stole rations, and Cheap had them whipped and then abandoned, but some of the crew thought this punishment too lenient. What are your thoughts on this scene? Do you think that under the circumstances the punishment was just?
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5
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19
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March 27, 2025
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Bulkley wanted to sail up South America’s west coast, while Cheap wanted to stick with his original orders and travel along the east coast. Whose plan do you think stood a better chance of success? Which group do you think you would have joined?
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5
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27
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March 27, 2025
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What did you think of the level of responsibility required for a captain? Is it achievable? Did Cheap live up to the demands of his profession, either before or after the wreck? Do you know of other professions that require so much accountability?
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5
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22
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March 27, 2025
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How did the political climate impact the voyage and the crew's time as castaways?
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5
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22
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March 27, 2025
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Which individual did you ultimately have the most sympathy for? Who did you end up having the least sympathy for? Did the actions of any of the officers or crew make you angry, and if so, which?
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3
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16
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March 27, 2025
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The author writes that as accounts proliferated in the press, “perceptions of the Wager affair varied from reader to reader.” What was your final take on the affair? Did you believe any one person's account more than another?
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3
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13
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March 27, 2025
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