The Wager by David Grann is a gripping work of narrative nonfiction that recounts the true story of an 18th-century British naval expedition that ends in disaster and leaves a group of survivors stranded far from home. As they struggle to survive and later recount their experiences, the book explores questions of leadership, loyalty, truth, and the ways people shape narratives about their own actions. Combining meticulous research with the suspense of an adventure story, it examines human endurance and the complex nature of survival under extreme conditions.