Julian Dorey Podcast #284 - Scorsese Writer on DiCaprio & Most Dangerous Story NEVER Told | David Grann
Mar 18, 2025
David Grann, a #1 New York Times bestselling author and award-winning writer for The New Yorker, shares captivating stories from his extensive research. He delves into the making of 'Killers of the Flower Moon' with Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese, revealing the complexities of adaptation. Grann also explores the harrowing tale of an 18th-century shipwreck that echoes 'Lord of the Flies,' touching on survival instincts and moral dilemmas. He discusses his five-year journey researching Wager Island and the importance of storytelling in uncovering historical truths.
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They Recruited Elderly Pensioners
- David Grann found the Wager expedition recruited elderly pensioners and amputees from soldiers' homes.
- He says this inhumane staffing planted the seeds for disaster before the voyage began.
Primary Sources Unlock Lost Details
- David Grann reads original 18th-century logbooks and diaries to reconstruct events.
- He visits British archives and handles brittle manuscripts to verify competing survivor accounts.
Survivors Had To Defend Their Lives In Court
- David Grann describes survivors being summoned to court-martial after shipwreck and hunger.
- That legal pressure pushed castaways to shape narratives and compete over truth.
