Twelve Days of Terror: A Definitive Investigation of the 1916 New Jersey Shark Attacks

by Richard G. Fernicola

An account of the 1916 New Jersey shark attacks that inspired Peter Benchley's Jaws chronicles the twelve-day period during which four swimmers were killed and a fifth seriously injured, examining clues and evidence to consider what actually took place.

Review:
"Beginning July 1, 1916, a spate of shark attacks off the Jersey shore befuddled maritime experts and terrified the public. In the first incident, an unsuspecting vacationer's thigh was bitten off; he eventually died. Over the next 12 days, three more people were killed and another seriously injured. These two books by New Jersey authors re-create differing theories as to who, and what, was responsible for the carnage, a subject that scientists still debate today. Philadelphia Inquirer journalist Capuzzo (nominated four times for a Pulitzer) unwaveringly adheres to the most popular theory (that a single, juvenile great white shark was responsible for all the carnage), but his book's strength lies in its lively reconstruction of the age and its consciousness, in which a new leisure class was emerging, with many of its members venturing into the ocean for the first time. (He also recounts the shark's movements and supposed feelings from an omniscient, third-person perspective to strained, unintentionally comical and inevitably misleading effect.) The encounters between people and sharks make for some tense and gruesome reading, and the rest of the book is equally page-turning: the zeal to find the "Jersey man-eater," the sensational "feeding frenzy" of the press and the befuddlement of a scientific community, which then devoutly believed that sharks did not bite humans. On that last front, Fernicola, a physician specializing in post-stroke and post-injury recovery, adds to his own investigation of this episode an exhaustive review of shark science today and theories of shark aggression toward humans, including possible environmental factors (heat, changes in human bathing habits, even bathing suit styles), speculations on the perpetrator's exact species, and well-reasoned arguments and conclusions. Fernicola is a recognized authority on the 1916 attacks (his work has provided the basis for Discovery Channel and History Channel documentaries on the subject), but he marshals so much data that his book fails to live up to its lurid title, giving its looming competitor the edge. (May; Capuzzo on-sale: May 8) Forecast: With bathing suit season just around the corner, these books are well timed. Fernicola's, which will be the subject of an upcoming spread in USA Today and is scheduled for coverage on Good Day New York, will provide grist to shark enthusiasts and fans of the Jaws films. Lyons Press has high hopes for its book and has committed to an unprecedented (for this house) 50,000 first printing. Capuzzo will tour six major cities on both coasts, along with stops on Cape Cod and, of course, the Jersey shore. His compulsive potboiler just may be the hot read on the beach this summer." - Publishers Weekly

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American History, Animals, Science, Nature, Historical

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was definitely this guy's first book, it's not really well written, and there are a lot of badly phrased and badly paced sections. I didn't really read it to be swept away by great writing though, I read it because I had heard that the movie Jaws was based on these attacks in New Jersey back in 1916, and I wanted to know more about them.
The material is so interesting, and the accounts that he gets with eyewitnesses are compelling enough to keep you reading. The last third of the book is pretty repetitive and clinical, as he tries to decide what kind of shark it was. He thinks a great white, and that would be cool and everything, but by that point you've read all the accounts of the actual attacks so going on and on about different bite techniques and whatnot is pretty dull.
I'd say this is a library book because all you really want to read is the first half, about the actual attacks. This shark actually swam a mile or so up a river in New Jersey and killed two people swimming in the river. A mile from the ocean! Bet they didn't see that coming.

[Jeff · Rating 1 out of 5]

A terrible book, in my opinion. The author, who previously published a similar book and also provided material for a Discovery Channel documentary, seems to be trying to make use of all of his collected research material on the subject and cash in on it. The detail is mind-numbing and long-winded.

Even more annoying is the author's high opinion of himself and his research. He often references himself and his own publications, invariably with the words "comprehensive" or similar adjectives. Even the title arrogantly includes the word "definitive". Yet the author is an M.D. and a hobbyist, a dedicated one but a hobbyist nonetheless.

A final gripe is the editing. I noticed several spelling mistakes and, as mentioned earlier, a lot of detail that is unnecessary, leaving me to wonder "how is this relevant to the shark attacks?".

It could have been a better book had it not been so bloated and self-important.

[Fishface · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a remarkably thorough examination of the 1916 Jersey Shore shark attacks. The author apparently went to great lengths to ferret out every possible source. Luck was on his side because a remarkable number of the dramatic personae proved to be hale and hearty specimens in their 90s and easily able to tell him what happened, as if it all went down the previous week instead of 85 years before. The author delved into local history and the scientific, cultural and purely speculative realms to form a basis for his conclusions. My only quibble with this book is the editing. Whoever edited the copy for this book should be fired, twice. Whoever it was thinks "site" and "sight" are the same word, along with "peak" and "peek" -- I even saw the same word spelled correctly in the first half of the sentence and incorrectly in the second half. The usage was bizarre and the prepositions were surreal. This could have been fixed easily.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the first 60 pages or so and found myself completely intrigued throughout the portions that were dedicated to the victims and what happened in 1916. However, towards the second half of the book, I felt that the author became repetitive and began to drone on about things a reader generally does not care about. It almost felt like he was writing just to acquire more pages. When I first began reading, I looked forward to picking it up again to continue, but as I neared the end the only reason I even bothered opening it was just to say I finished it. Again, decent first half, but the rest made me think I was reading a textbook where all you think about is counting down the pages until you're done.

[Stephen Bauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I live close to the Matawan creek, where three of the five shark attacks of 1916 occurred, so this story was of keen interest to me. The author did an admirable job of weighing the pros and cons of what actually happened in 1916 and why. He strove to rely on verifiable or credible information and witnesses, combined with current research on shark behavior. It was never known for sure what kind of sharks attacked the five victims or why the attacks occurred. The author explores the potential answers to both questions thoroughly and in great detail. At the time of the attacks, shark attacks on human swimmers were unknown to both the public and scientists. It was this series of attacks on the Jersey shore that is the genesis of the current fear of sharks and which was a major inspiration for the movie Jaws.

I appreciated the fact that the author included relevant social and historical detail from the time. It helped to understand how the public reacted the way they did. The author also wrote patiently about the fanciful and sensationalist theories, opinions, rumors and reports of the incidents at the time, of German U-Boats, German conspiracies to terrorize or destabilize America, mackerels and sea turtles, dogs in the water, sizes and kinds of sharks, etc.

The author, who happens to be an medical doctor, gave extensive descriptions of the bite marks, bite patterns, other wounds, and medical conditions of the victims. Perhaps they would be easily understood by physicians, but I found the descriptions of the bite marks hard to picture. In the author's tentative opinion, all of the attacks were committed by a rogue, juvenile white shark. That is not proven, but if you connect all of the factual dots, that is the picture that wants to emerge.

I admire people like this author who get interested in a phenomena and pursue it with passion. This book serves as an update of research into previous work about the attacks. The author is hoping that future research into shark behavior will be able to give a more certain idea of what kind of shark, or sharks, were involved and why the attacks happened. The research will contribute to preventing shark attacks in the future. The book also helps to contribute to a better understanding and appreciation of the ecology of the Jersey Shore.

I learned much more about sharks than I need to know, plus a fair bit about marine life in general off the Jersey Shore. Even though I think the book could have benefited from an editors attention, the overall narrative was well constructed. Once I got into the book, I had a hard time putting it down. I look forward to anything new that the author might publish on the subject.

[Nathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The somber historicity of the attacks is juxtaposed with luridly sensational retellings of the events as imagined by the author, and the effect of the two tacks tend to cancel each other out. The latter half of the book abandons this approach altogether and provides dated common knowledge on sharks in general, especially considering the book's relatively recent vintage. If you know nothing about sharks, this will be more interesting than it is to anyone who has ever cursorily viewed National Geographic on TV; either way, this is a strictly optional read.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most famous chain of events in shark attack history. Maybe the most famous. A series of attacks up the New Jersey coast that ultimately fell on the shoulders of a wayward Great White. It's a good book. Well researched and documented. A very interesting story and events. Events that inspired the writer of Jaws to create his killer fish.

[Sarah - All The Book Blog Names Are Taken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thorough look at 1916 shark attacks. For the longest time I've been fairly confident it was a bull shark. Now a great white seems just as plausible, given the author's explanation of the salinity of the Matawan. Review to come.

[Annie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review deleted.

[Dennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a hard time with this book. Interesting in parts, VERY slow in others. I'll give the writer credit for his exhaustive research but that's how I feel after reading this book. Exhausted.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Haley Hughes · Rating 1 out of 5]

Do you want a book that's not only boring and repetitive, but one that ALSO references the song 'Zombie' by The Cranberries when referring to shark attacks (It's the same old theme, since 1916)? Then this is the garbage for you.

This book is the epitome of a meeting that could've been an email.

[Michael Kott · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a classic example of science run amuck. After detailing the 1916 New Jersey shark attacks which inspired the Jaws movie, the remaining 3/4 of the book tries to pin the blame on a particular shark species in spite of the fact no evidence remains of the 1916 attacks. I guess it wasn't enough that at the time (1916-17) thousands of sharks were killed on the off chance they'd get the one responsible. Shark identification is difficult at best. I fail to understand why, over 100 years later, some so called scientist wants to pin the blame on a specific shark. I mean do we really care which species did the deed? If the sharks escaped they surely died long ago. Get over it!

[Sean Santalla · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book felt to me like two, maybe even three, separate stories mashed together - the first and most obvious being, the story of the 1916 New Jersey shark attacks. This was, undoubtedly, the most compelling, interesting, and well-told part of this book - the descriptions of the events, the people, and the context were all really well done. Unfortunately, this part of the story was overshadowed by the author telling his story of researching the shark attacks (in a very self-absorbed fashion) and his obsession with, what kind of shark carried out the attacks. To me, it goes too far with these mundane and distracting details and half-baked theories and reference after reference to his own expertise, that really take away from the experience of the actual story at hand.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the second book that I have read about the shark attacks of 1916 on the Jersey Shore. Unfortunately, Fernicola's book has nothing to add to the data that is already in print. He is trying to tell several different stories at once, and succeeded in telling not one of them very well. The actual account of the shark attacks is muddied by chapters on various types of sharks, their appearance and behavior. The details of life in the summer of 1916 could have added some depth to the story, but instead they just got in the way. After the movie "Jaws" had been cited for the dozenth time - ostensibly to reinforce a point the author was trying to make - I flipped to the bibliography. There were a hundred books on sharks listed, including Peter Benchley's _novel_ "Jaws", but not one of the first hand interviews that Fernicola claims to have conducted. A hand drawn map, made by a witness to one of the attacks and given to the author, oddly does not show up in the book, but plenty of illustrations of newspaper headlines, cartoons, and postcards of the time are included. No newspaper articles are cited, either, just a list of 25 newspapers. If you only read one book about the shark attacks of 1916, I suggest you pick a different one. If you want a good story about shark attacks, pick up "Jaws".

[Matti Karjalainen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard G. Fernicolan mielenkiintoinen tietokirja "kahdestatoista kauhun päivästä" kesällä 1916, jolloin viisi uimaria koki onnettoman kohtalon hain hyökätessä heidän kimppuunsa New Jerseyn lähistöllä. Neljä heistä menehtyi ja yksi vammautui pahoin. Peter Benchleyn kerrotaan saaneen tapahtumista inspiraatiota menestysromaaniinsa Tappajahai.

Fernicola kirjoittaa kiinnostavasti, kansantajuisesti ja on ilmiselvästi perehtynyt aiheeseensa. Hän kertaa kesän 1916 tapahtumat yksityiskohtaisesti, ja käy samalla läpi erilaisia tapahtumiin liittyviä teorioita niin aikalaistasolla kuin nykytietämyksenkin valossa. Ei ole esimerkiksi lainkaan selvää, oliko kyseessä yksi vai useampi eläin, ja mikä hailaji mahtoi olla syyllinen hyökkäyksiin; todennäköisesti kyseessä oli valkohai, tosin makeassa vedessä viihtyvän härkähainkaan mahdollisuutta ei voida sulkea pois, tapahtuihan kolme hyökkäystä Matawan-joessa.

Kirjailija luo samalla kiinnostavan katsauksen amerikkalaiseen elämänmenoon ja yhteiskuntaan ensimmäisen maailmansodan aattona, unohtamatta tapahtumien ekologista puolta.

[Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, if like me you are both an obscure history nut, and have a bit of a shark obsession, then this book is definitely for you. A thorough, play by play examination of the infamous 1916 New Jersey Shark Attacks- the first officially recorded shark attacks in the United States- this book reads partly as a novel, partly as a history book, partly as a science text and lastly as a survival guide. Fernicola can definitely get a little carried away, sometimes his descriptions border on the corny or the overly graphic, but in the end it's still good history and the fact that it makes for a good read on top of that is to be commended, not snubbed. Some fabulous little tid-bits of history and samples of the culture at the time- political cartoons, postcards, etc. Interesting overall study too of how fear can capture an entire country- to the point where you have people in Ohio scared of sharks popping out of their local swimming holes. A must read for shark fanatics and Americana buffs.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first part of this book was very interesting, telling about each attack in great detail, but the last part dragged on and on, exploring every theory and possibility as to why the attacks happened, what kind of shark it could or could not have been, whether it was one shark or more than one. The last half was very disjointed, and towards the end, I just wanted to get through it to at least say I finished it. It was also not edited very well as I noticed a number of misspellings. But I will give it 3 stars because I did enjoy the first half of the book.

[Li · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story of the 1916 shark attacks is fascinating. The author's writing style, however, instead makes it something of a chore. Awkward or confusing phrasing, over-dramatized recountings of the attacks (not quotes from period papers but the author's wording), and seemingly constant deviations from the actual story that drag on so long that you've forgotten the original point when you come back around. I'm not terribly familiar with shark science or the history of the attacks so I can't speak to the accuracy of either, but the writing made it difficult to retain any information anyway.

[Anthony Giancola · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 I am once again asking for Goodreads to add a half star capability.

Some books sit on shelves for all time. They gather dust and their pages yellow without ever having their spine cracked or a page turned. For a while, it seemed that Twelve Days of Terror would be one of those books on my shelves. Let’s roll it back real quick: the year is 2004 and I’m on vacation with my family. We’re at a beach, and my favorite movie is Jaws, and on TV that night is a movie called: “12 Days of Terror”. Which is billed as the story that inspired Jaws. So naturally I fight sleep and I stay up late and watch it on the hotel TV. For years I will insist that the movie is as good as Jaws (it isn’t, but is much better made than a TV film has a right to be in 2004), and the credit that stuck with me was one that read: Based on the Book By Richard G. Fernicola.

Naturally, I spent the next few years asking and asking for the book, and it was impossible to find. I found it, oddly enough, in a book store at Cape May, NJ, just a few miles away from where the events of the book had happened nearly a hundred years before. My Mother purchased the book for me, and I said I’d read it when I was older. On my shelf it sat for years and years, surviving yard sales and Half-Price Books bins for at least fifteen years, and on a whim I picked this book up the other day and decided to finally read it.

And I’m so glad I did. My only regret is that I took me so long to finally get around to reading it, because this is a really fun and fast read. The information is laid out efficiently and effectively and Fernicola has a conversational style which makes it easy to follow.

The most compelling part of this book is the narrative throughout of Fernicola attempting to find firsthand, or secondhand, witnesses to the events. Sometimes they’ve been dead for years, other times they are still alive well into their 90s, and one dies mere hours before he can get a meaningful interview.

This isn’t a great book, though, as the Shark Attacks of 1916 are not complicated enough to stretch out through the entire book. The first half of the book is devoted to detailing the 1916 attacks, while the second half focuses more on the theories of which shark was responsible for the attacks as well as the fallout in Jersey.

If that sounds boring, you’re only half right. Sometimes Fernicola goes off on these tangents that are funny or interesting, but other times it sounds like he’s filibustering cause the publisher wants a longer book. He does a good job outlining how the demonization of the shark began to damage the shark population in a panic after the attacks.

The most compelling part of this book comes in the publication year. In 1916, the shark attacks were subsequently ignored by the ongoing World War I and the forthcoming scarlet fever. Had Fernicola not written this book when he did, it’s reasonable to assume any firsthand account would be lost to time.

What’s so compelling to me is how history repeated itself. In 2001, a string of shark attacks captured the media attention in a sensation known as “The Summer of the Shark”. However, it was also forgotten quickly in September of that year after 9/11 and the subsequent war. Eighty five years later and the 1916 attacks are once again overshadowed by other shark attacks which is also forgotten by a national tragedy.

The book, for me, is representative less of anything to do with sharks and more so with the fragility of life itself. Much like Charles Vansant on July 1, 1916, one second you’re floating on the surface of a cool still water, the next you’re pulled under, and in a week, forgotten.

[Kaleria · Rating 3 out of 5]

The telling of the attacks was really well done. It was detailed and what I was looking for, having read the children's book "I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916." I wanted to better understand the story I'd read with my students. If I were to recommend the book to friends, I would recommended accessing it for FREE and only reading the relevant first few chapters.

HOWEVER, chapters 5-11 could have been significantly shortened. It was frustratingly repetitive and at times there would be significant chunks of information that did not directly relate to the 1916 attacks at all. And, because this was clearly made for laypeople, I would have expected it to remain more on-point and concise.

Finally, I found the inclusion of Christian quotes and phrases a mere quirk at the start and quite unprofessional at the end. Unless this is to be published as Christian Science, I don't see how delving EXTENSIVELY into Jonah and the Whale (was it a whale or a shark, he explores) had a relevance to the 1916 attacks. It made later references to Christian beliefs about human's relationship to animals (he assumed all readers share his Christian worldview) quite annoying since I had already waded through a number of paragraphs analyzing biblical passages.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very thorough, and accurately researched, telling of the multiple shark attacks that occurred in New Jersey in 1916. I like how this author continued to expand his findings, even from his research in the 80's, to make sure that he could give us, as the reader, a chance to make our own decisions about what kind of shark was responsible for the attacks and how it matched up with his conclusion. Not only that, he gives us the atmosphere of the world at that time which brings about some interesting theories as to why the attacks might be happening. Some peoples' theories are really out there, but it's fun to see how they might put two and two together. I also love some of the weird ideas people had for catching the culprit. This book is probably best read when not planning to go the beach or any body of water connecting to it (fresh, brackish, or otherwise).

[Laura Diamond · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who has lived my entire life in New Jersey, I’ll admit to telling people: “Did you know that Jaws is based off of a true story that took place in New Jersey?” and then feeling disappointed when that doesn’t elevate their opinion of my home state.
Years ago, I read “Close to Shore” and “Jaws” back-to-back while literally sitting on the Jersey beach like the pretentious little weirdo I can be sometimes. I. Was. Fixated.

This was factually, a very interesting book. I obviously like that the author didn’t make sharks out to be the blood thirsty man eater than so much media claims them to be. He included many historical facts about New Jersey and sharks. I did learn quite a bit. However, I found the writing to be pretty dry. “Close to Shore” had a prose that was just easier and more engaging. This often felt like a textbook and I really found myself struggling at times.

[Zeke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read on the 1916 New Jersey shark attacks. The author gives pretty good accounts of each attack and then later he gives medical analogies. No one will ever know for sure why these fatal shark attacks happened so suddenly at the same time since it was so long ago and due to the fact that shark behavior is still mostly a mystery. The author gives us many different theories for us to ponder at the end. The bottom line is that sharks are in the ocean and swimming in it carries the risk of bumping into them.

[MajorEpic · Rating 5 out of 5]

The shark attacks in 1916 have always interested me and I really appreciate this book. It is truly a definitive investigation into the events that happened and Mr. Fernicola leaves no stone unturned. I had went into this book already having a lot of knowledge on what happened and was still able to learn a lot and my mind was even changed on some aspects that I had taken to heart.
As other reviewers have said, he does drone on a little bit in the later sections of the book, but to me it seems like he is just being thorough with the investigation.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sharks have been the source my waking and sleeping nightmares since I watched Jaws as a kid. This book looks into the attacks of 1916 that inspired the book Jaws. While this book didn't help with my most irrational fears it was an interesting account of those events and other string of attacks a little over a century ago.

The author does repeat themselves a few times, but the way they sourced other scientists and news papers of the time and even found the graves of the ones that died was really good investigative journalism.

[SouthWestZippy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I advise you to read the first three chapters and skip the rest of the book. It is filled with politics, guessing, second guessing and things that have very little or nothing to do with shark attacks. The author is repetitive and stories are either drawn out with unnecessary fluff or snippets of what happened, he is very inconstant.
I am giving it two stars but if you hang in there it has some fascinating facts, stories and information. you just have to wade through the nonsense.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very detailed book about the shark attacks on the New Jersey shore in 1916. I was expecting to only get the history of the events, but Fernicola also dives deep into the known science of sharks, marine life, and marine environments to set a backdrop for his theory of what happened back then and which species of shark(s) were the most likely attackers. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but be prepared for a deep dive.

[Dubzor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was both fascinating and concise. All too often non-fiction authors offer far more information than is really needed out of nothing more than the love of the subject. Not this book. It gives you everything you need to know to present the situation, present a theory, and form a solid defense for their particular opinion.

[Luca Rotondo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is this book slow at times?Maybe. Is it sometimes repetitive? Probably.
Having said this, the author gives an amazing insight of the 1916 Shark attacks and also provided interesting information and insights on more recent shark attacks. I personally appreciated the research described in the book and thoroughly enjoyed the read.