BYRON OF THE WAGER

This is a first edition of Byron of the Wager, written by the British historian Peter Shankland in 1975. The wreck of the Wager stands next to the mutiny on the Bounty as one of the most powerful and gripping stories in maritime history. The HMS Wager was a square-rigged Royal Navy ship of 28 guns, which was detailed to accompany George Anson in his famous 1740 voyage in search of Spanish treasure ships. Wrecked in the terrible weather in the middle of a Patagonian winter, many of the ship's crew survived (including the future grandfather of Lord Byron) but there were terrible personal tensions. Incredibly, the two sides managed to work together to get themselves home. Five years later, nine out of 300 reached England after adventures and privations that tested the limits of human endurance. This copy is in mint condition. There is a small tear to the dust jacket and a little fading to the dust jacket (which is unclipped). The book itself is pristine.