A native of Connecticut, David Grann is a journalist. His work has focused on United States and South American history, crime, and European colonialization of the Americas. In addition, he has taught courses in creative writing at Boston University. He has written for The New Yorker, The Washington Post, and Slate, among other publications, and worked as an editor for The Hill and The New Republic.

The Wager (2023) was preceded by another book by Grann discussing the exploits of captains in the British navy, The White Darkness (2018). Grann’s other works include The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon (2009) and Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI (2017).

A younger son from a minor Scottish noble family, Cheap joined the navy for the sake of a career. Early on, Cheap rose to the rank of lieutenant. He was partially motivated to enter the navy because he was estranged from his older brother. However, Cheap also perceived himself as a “knight-errant of the sea” and was ambitious to become a captain (35). Eventually, he was appointed the captain of the ill-fated ship, the Wager.

As captain, Cheap had a reputation among his own men for being “stubborn” and “vainglorious” (133).