Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916

3.76 of 5 stars 3.76 · rating details · 1,410 ratings · 246 reviews

Combining rich historical detail and a harrowing, pulse-pounding narrative, Close to Shore brilliantly re-creates the summer of 1916, when a rogue Great White shark attacked swimmers along the New Jersey shore, triggering mass hysteria and launching the most extensive shark hunt in history.

During the summer before the United States entered World War I, when ocean swimming...more Combining rich historical detail and a harrowing, pulse-pounding narrative, Close to Shore brilliantly re-creates the summer of 1916, when a rogue Great White shark attacked swimmers along the New Jersey shore, triggering mass hysteria and launching the most extensive shark hunt in history.

During the summer before the United States entered World War I, when ocean swimming was just becoming popular and luxurious Jersey Shore resorts were thriving as a chic playland for an opulent yet still innocent era's new leisure class, Americans were abruptly introduced to the terror of sharks. In July 1916 a lone Great White left its usual deep-ocean habitat and headed in the direction of the New Jersey shoreline. There, near the towns of Beach Haven and Spring Lake-and, incredibly, a farming community eleven miles inland-the most ferocious and unpredictable of predators began a deadly rampage: the first shark attacks on swimmers in U.S. history.

For Americans celebrating an astoundingly prosperous epoch much like our own, fueled by the wizardry of revolutionary inventions, the arrival of this violent predator symbolized the limits of mankind's power against nature.

Interweaving a vivid portrait of the era and meticulously drawn characters with chilling accounts of the shark's five attacks and the frenzied hunt that ensued, Michael Capuzzo has created a nonfiction historical thriller with the texture of Ragtime and the tension of Jaws. From the unnerving inevitability of the first attack on the esteemed son of a prosperous Philadelphia physician to the spine-tingling moment when a farm boy swimming in Matawan Creek feels the sandpaper-like skin of the passing shark, Close to Shore is an undeniably gripping saga.

Heightening the drama are stories of the resulting panic in the citizenry, press and politicians, and of colorful personalities such as Herman Oelrichs, a flamboyant millionaire who made a bet that a shark was no match for a man (and set out to prove it); Museum of Natural History ichthyologist John Treadwell Nichols, faced with the challenge of stopping a mythic sea creature about which little was known; and, most memorable, the rogue Great White itself moving through a world that couldn't conceive of either its destructive power or its moral right to destroy.

Scrupulously researched and superbly written, Close to Shore brings to life a breathtaking, pivotal moment in American history. Masterfully written and suffused with fascinating period detail and insights into the science and behavior of sharks, Close to Shore recounts a breathtaking, pivotal moment in American history with startling immediacy.(less)

Paperback, 336 pages

Published May 21st 2002 by Broadway (first published January 1st 2001)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

Best Non-Fiction (non biography)

381st out of 2,082 books — 3,716 voters

The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Microhistories -- Sweeping Social Histories Of Just One Thing

176th out of 565 books — 836 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 2,405)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Aug 01, 2011 karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfictions, tastes-like-people, shaaaaarks

in 1916, fish eat you!!

every july, i get totally amped for shark week. and yet, i have not seen jaws since i was seven. (although i have seen open water both one and two. skip the second one - it is a complete waste of time). but the events in this book are the ones that inspired the movie jaws, so it is particularly awesome.

shaaaaaark!

sharks are the coolest of all apex predators. they will just bump you with their nose to see what you are and if you are delicious, then they will scraaaape you...more

like 65 likes · see review

Jul 03, 2012 Jeremy Forstadt rated it 3 of 5 stars

"The most frightening animal on earth"

Michael Capuzzo has the soul of a novelist; this is not only evident in the dramatic episode which forms the prologue of CLOSE TO SHORE, but also in the flowery and descriptive narrative which occurs in abundance throughout the rest of the book. Based around (and one might be tempted at times to add "loosely" here) a series of shark attacks which plagued the New Jersey shoreline in the summer of 1916, CLOSE TO SHORE is as much a history of the Edwardian Era...more "The most frightening animal on earth"

Michael Capuzzo has the soul of a novelist; this is not only evident in the dramatic episode which forms the prologue of CLOSE TO SHORE, but also in the flowery and descriptive narrative which occurs in abundance throughout the rest of the book. Based around (and one might be tempted at times to add "loosely" here) a series of shark attacks which plagued the New Jersey shoreline in the summer of 1916, CLOSE TO SHORE is as much a history of the Edwardian Era in America as it is a recounting of the shark attacks themselves. Taken as a broad history, it can be an enjoyable and rewarding reading experience.

That being said, I can certainly understand the complaints of some that Capuzzo is excessive in his "period history." In particular, at times he delves deeply into the biography and genealogy of characters that are, at best, only tangentially connected to the events surrounding the actual shark attacks. In addition, the author takes considerable license in ascribing thoughts, emotions, and motivations to his characters in a novelistic fashion. My criticism, however, remained mild through the opening chapters despite several warning signs. Again, if you allow yourself the explanation that you are truly witnessing the history of a place and a time, then the book actually works quite well.

The history, after all, has a purpose. Americans, in 1916, felt that they were on the cusp of a truly modern age where man had finally obtained physical and moral dominance over his environment. Yet, it was also an age of innocence or even naiveté. In subsequent decades, humankind would gain a greater recognition of their insignificance and powerlessness in the face of greater forces. The Great Depression, the World Wars, the Spanish Flu epidemic, and other events would soon strip this innocence violently away, but in the summer of 1916, Americans were blissfully unaware of what the century ahead would hold for them. The shark of 1916 would be one of the first agents of the changes to come in our national psychology.

However, when the chapter which, by its title, suggested the shark's long awaited appearance turned out to be merely an account of the courtship between of the shark's parents, the thoughts of Aristotle on the topic of shark mating, and the water temperatures of Long Island Sound, Capuzzo began to lose me a bit. And when the following chapter returned to the languid and fanciful descriptions of various Edwardians filled with their noble thoughts as they strolled along the boardwalks of their seaside towns, I realized (with some genuine terror), that I was approaching a quarter of the way through the book and had yet to see any blood. I am a huge fan of works exploring broad historical contexts, but enough is enough! I was ready for some shark attacks.

And, as long as we were taking our slow walks down the boardwalk, I would at least have expected the history to be accurate. Some of the facts splashed around exposed a shocking carelessness of the author, even to my unpracticed mind. To give just one small example, Capuzzo casually refers to the Winston Churchill of 1916 as "a young war correspondent," when, in fact, by that time Churchill's career had already included his serving as First Lord of the Admiralty for several years (1911-1915) while 1916 saw him commanding a battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers on the Western Front (he once had been a young war correspondent, but that had been during the Boer War of 1899. Furthermore, the quote attributed to the "young correspondent" was not actually written until 1923). These are minor facts to the story, but are numerous enough to disturb me even on my first unconscious reading.

In short, there is much to be enjoyed in CLOSE TO SHORE, but the book is flawed through its lack of direction and the loose fact-checking of the author. I would warn lovers of history or of natural history, that it is entirely possible that this book will be a disappointment to them, unless they also have a healthy love of the novel and a forgiveness of bending the truth for dramatic purposes.(less)

like 1 like · see review

Feb 26, 2009 bookczuk rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: bookcrossing, places-i-have-been

A few days before this book arrived in the mail from another BookCrosser, my sister-in-law and I were looking through some old photos from my father's side of the family. She was in search of figuring out from which grandparent her darling little boy has inherited his features. I was along for the ride. We stumbled upon these pictures of my father's parents Rae and Joe at the beach before my father was conceived, but after they were married...which puts it around 1916-1918. They lived in the Bro...more

like · see review

Jan 07, 2009 Trevor rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review is of the book entitled Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark attacks of 1916 by Michael Capuzzo. This book is about an ordinary summer on the shores of New Jersey and stories of shark attacks in great detail from start to finish. A great thing about this book is that it isn’t just shark stories but there are also some scientist studies and conclusions explaining why these shark attacks occurred.

According to his web site on his novel Michael Capuzzo was nominated for the Pulitzer Pri...more

like · see review

May 04, 2013 Cindy rated it 3 of 5 stars

In this young adult adaptation of Capuzzo’s adult book, “Close to Shore: A True Story of Terror in an Age of Innocence” reader’s can read about the historical events that inspired Peter Benchley’s famous novel “Jaws”. From July 1st through July 12th there were five attacks, four of which were fatal all off the New Jersey shore. With the first few attacks the community refused to believe that a shark would attack a human or could cause the injuries that the swimmers received. When the evidence pr...more

like · see review

Jan 29, 2013 Bruce rated it 3 of 5 stars

Since this doesn't rise to the level of Sherman's collected wisdom, I can really only offer up 2 1/2 stars. This was a breeze to read (once getting past the author's tendency toward hyperbole and nonfictional purple prose), but is a bit tricky to review in light of how derivative it is. There's no way to shake the sense that this entire book has been done before, and better.

Desperately seeking a riveting nonfiction adventure that will teach you a little something about great white sharks and a shark-watcher's obsession? That's Susan Casey's The Devil's Teeth. Want to read the fictional account of this history that perfectly hits all the proper dramatic marks? That's Peter Benchley's brilliant Jaws, of course. More interested in the Edwardian/Progressive era details that are this book's saving grace? Well, then you really want to read E. L. Doctorow's smart, sprawling Ragtime.

Capuzzo offers up a fine recap of the three attacks off the New Jersey coast in 1916 that presumably inspired Benchley's novel. However, it's a doggoned shame that Capuzzo chose to borrow so many of Benchley's narrative devices -- the shark-monster P.O.V., the "close-the-beaches" economic subconflict, italicized foreshadowing, etc.

The smell of the sea pulled him east. The Atlantic spread before him like a pool of diamonds, liquefied, tossing gently in gleaming tips and shards of changeable, fading bronze light. The sun climbed down toward dusk behind mountains of clouds swollen with moisture. The young man couldn't wait to get in the water. (page 1)

This comes about as close to literary theft as a nonfiction work can manage, distinguished only by the author's pilferings of Doctorow:

The ocean was the realm of men. The masculine ideal was Richard Harding Davis, the Philadelphia and New York war correspondent and icon of Anglo-Saxon dash and derring-do, the young Ernest Hemingway's hero. It was the custom for a man to take a dip in the ocean every day of his vacation. Many made a hardy show of heading down to the beach during a strong rain or big storm to challenge the waves. It was de rigueur for young men, upon checking into their hotel, to take an immediate dip in the ocean -- morning, afternoon, or evening, no matter how cold the water or how rough the weather. It was a test of mettle. To shy away from the ocean was to break the masculine code of a strenuous life set by ex-President Roosevelt. (page 80)

Maybe there was just no other way to treat this material effectively, but I strongly doubt it. Doctorow has more comprehensively captured the conflicts of the Progressive era that arise out of being trapped halfway between rustic Romanticism and mechanical modernity -- the clapboard-paved urban streets serving neither drayhorse-drawn milk and ice block carriages nor the new, reckless driving motorcars (already a greater menace to public safety than any ancient fish). Capuzzo tantalizes with glimpses of such tensions, and for many that may be enough.

Still, Benchley and Casey provided far more satisfying endings, the former ringing up literary closure (in a manner much more satisfying than that of Spielberg's marvelous movie, if less cinematic), the latter nonetheless managing to summarize and find meaning in all that has gone before. Since Capuzzo criminally fails to accomplish either, I can only damn his book with faint praise. Whether or not you have read the other books I've mentioned, you could do worse than to read Close to Shore.

I can't leave this review without mentioning what Capuzzo succeeds in revealing of fin de siecle American attitudes. These are brash know-at-alls willing to publish a 1915 New York Times editorial declaiming sharks harmless to humans, because no one had taken up a tycoon's bet proving otherwise... never mind the pages of evidence to the contrary provided by US consular staff posted in South Africa, Australia, and Indonesia. Thank heavens upstanding citizens had the good sense to panic after the second attack took place in US territorial waters the following year. It's just such a relief to see that some things -- like defiant ignorance -- never change.(less)

like 1 like · see review

Sep 28, 2012 Vincent rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: history

Those of you who have seen the movie "Jaws" or any other shark movie will notice the cunning, stealth and relentlessness of these shark attacks. Some may even realize that they were based on a series of attacks that hit the New Jersey shore AND bays of 1916. At the beginning of the 20th century there was a group of scientists and educated amateurs that tried to show contrary to popular myth - sharks were not dangerous to men. They pointed to the fact that there were no documented shark attacks a...more Those of you who have seen the movie "Jaws" or any other shark movie will notice the cunning, stealth and relentlessness of these shark attacks. Some may even realize that they were based on a series of attacks that hit the New Jersey shore AND bays of 1916. At the beginning of the 20th century there was a group of scientists and educated amateurs that tried to show contrary to popular myth - sharks were not dangerous to men. They pointed to the fact that there were no documented shark attacks against people. In fact, many sharks do not present a danger to humans, but three - Bull, tiger and great white are deadly. The fact that several attacks on 5-6 people occurred over a period of twelves days was not fully recognized till it was over.

The narrative gives background on the people and places in the story, perhaps too long at some points. There are passages that leave you hanging as to the purpose only to weave back to that person or place later to show its relevance. The prevailing thought now is that this was the work of a single great white that eventually made its way up the Raritan Bay and into Matawan Creek. The author may not add anything to the history of the shark attacks - the history is well presented and researched, but the way it is presented build the anticipation and the terror of an attack you know is coming and hope the person you are reading about is not involved. In some cases they are, in other they escape.

The aftermath of the attacks adds to the mythos of this disaster. The author believes that the great white involved in this attack was actually caught off Long Island by accident as the shark that was caught did have human remains in its stomach, but this has never been verified. It is also a tale of science reinventing itself as new information came to light and experts had to re-evaluate what they were advising. In a sense of impotence this so affected the populace that the President was forced to act, although given the circumstances if shows a quaint naivety to expect industry and might to effectively deal with this animal like it was a fleet of German u-boats.

This is an interesting book for someone like myself who lives in this area, or interested in real-life horror stories or just interested in the history of the event. At times the story is drawn out a bit too much, but well worth the read.(less)

like · see review

Nov 28, 2009 'Aussie Rick' rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history

I have just finished reading `Close to Shore', it took just two days to read which is an indication of how good the story is and not that it's a short book. The author, Michael Capuzzo tells the horrifying story of how a rogue shark took a number of innocent lives in the United States back in 1916. The narrative runs for 298 pages and although it may appear to start off sluggish when the book begins with the lead up to the first attack it becomes hard to put down.

Some reviews have mentioned that...more I have just finished reading `Close to Shore', it took just two days to read which is an indication of how good the story is and not that it's a short book. The author, Michael Capuzzo tells the horrifying story of how a rogue shark took a number of innocent lives in the United States back in 1916. The narrative runs for 298 pages and although it may appear to start off sluggish when the book begins with the lead up to the first attack it becomes hard to put down.

Some reviews have mentioned that the author fills up the story with subsidiary information but I don't think that is the case. I believe he is trying to put a picture into the reader's mind of how people lived back in those days and why they thought and acted as they did, some what foreign to us modern people of the 21st century.

I was amazed to read how Americans never considered the Great White as a potential threat, but back then they didn't and sadly quite a few people suffered for it. The story of the shark and the attacks it made on humans along the East Coast of American is very well told and held my interest throughout. I would have to agree with a previous review that a few photographs would have been of enormous benefit to this book.

I don't know if this book is any better or not than the other book currently on the market titled `Twelve Days of Terror' by Richard Fernicola. However I can honestly say that `Close to Shore' has sparked my interest so much that I am going to buy that book as well. The story is very well told and the author has placed numerous facts about the shark in general and the Great White in particular throughout the narrative. I never got bored with the story and I found myself reading late into the next morning.

I couldn't help but tell my wife snippets of information about the Great White as I was reading the book and she complained of having nightmares that night! This is a good book, I don't know if its the best book on the market at the moment but I can say that it's worth the time to sit down and read. Very enjoyable!
(less)

like · see review

Apr 12, 2009 Eric rated it 3 of 5 stars

An exhaustively researched reconstruction of the 1916 Jersey Shore shark attacks that served as the basis for Jaws, Michael Capuzzo's Close to Shore is a tremendous achievement of historical journalism that is somewhat undermined by its stiflingly repetitive narrative style. Reading Capuzzo's "Sources and Acknowledgements" drives home his formidable journalistic chops. The guy, if he's too be believed (and I think he is), read every page of the Penn University student newspaper during the years...more An exhaustively researched reconstruction of the 1916 Jersey Shore shark attacks that served as the basis for Jaws, Michael Capuzzo's Close to Shore is a tremendous achievement of historical journalism that is somewhat undermined by its stiflingly repetitive narrative style. Reading Capuzzo's "Sources and Acknowledgements" drives home his formidable journalistic chops. The guy, if he's too be believed (and I think he is), read every page of the Penn University student newspaper during the years that one of the victims was a student just to get a sense of the era. This extreme diligence comes across clearly throughout: Capuzzo is as fascinated by the quirks of the "Edwardian period" as he is by the shark. Like Eric Larsen's The Devil in the White City, Close to Shore is at its best when evoking the forgotten celebrities and daily routines of a bygone era.

Yet like The Devil in the White City, the book's attempt at crafting an entertaining history leads it up a murky creek of storytelling laziness. The characters, real people all, become cutouts from WWI-era men's magazines&mdashbroad shouldered sportsmen, worldly scientist-adventurers, frail matrons. Eager to make the book an easy read, Capuzzo oversimplifies his case, reiterating again and again the same opinions about the "Edwardian period," often using the same words. Reader-aiding repetition seems to be the reigning popular nonfiction style (as anyone who has read Malcolm Gladwell's books can attest) and here it serves to make each chapter seem like it's only vaguely aware of the information the previous chapters have imparted. An astute reader could start up at any page and, like a TV viewer who catches the "on the previous episode of" lead-in, know every critical development that had gone on up to that point.

This really is quibbling though, because to those of us who might, like David Foster Wallace, request a spare bucket of au jus drippings to chum for sharks when aboard a cruise ship (see "A Supposedly Fun Thing That I'll Never Do Again"), Close to Shore is a hell of a ride. I read the final two hundred pages in one sitting, and as mediocre as it often is, damn if it isn't also great in its own beautifully pulpy way.

(less)

like 2 likes · see review

Oct 01, 2009 jeremy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nature

having grown up captivated by tales of the infamous jersey shore shark attacks, i'd been looking forward to reading this book for some time. close to shore recounts the two weeks in july of 1916 when five swimmers off the new jersey coast were viciously attacked. it is believed to have been the result of a single great white shark (though some maintain it may have been a bull shark). of the five attacked, four died from their injuries. two of the deaths came of an attack and failed rescue that a...more

like 1 like · see review

Sep 13, 2011 Monica! rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: badass-book-club, tastes-like-children-i-mean-chicken, iceberg-right-ahead, no-dragons-so-it-must-be-true, read-in-2011, now-youve-read-the-book

I don’t care what my book club said about this being boring, or over-written, or stilted, or containing information no one cares about.

I loved it.

The author (who clearly was paid by the word, if his extensive "sharks-eye view" vignettes are anything to go by) does a fantastic job of setting you in the mindset of the people of the time period, when mankind had Conquered the Natural World through Science. Ocean swimming had just started taking off—those rebellious kids, going into the water in s...more I don’t care what my book club said about this being boring, or over-written, or stilted, or containing information no one cares about.

I loved it.

The author (who clearly was paid by the word, if his extensive "sharks-eye view" vignettes are anything to go by) does a fantastic job of setting you in the mindset of the people of the time period, when mankind had Conquered the Natural World through Science. Ocean swimming had just started taking off—those rebellious kids, going into the water in skimpy bathing costumes rather than just walking along the promenade the way decent people do—and it never crossed anyone’s mind that a) they might want to learn to swim first before plunging into the sea, and b) the ocean is basically a big jungle full of wild animals waiting to kill you in a variety of painful ways.

You end up mostly feeling sad for the entire cast of characters. The shark is lost, and hungry, and not getting nearly enough nutrients from the various human shinbones he keeps happening upon, and is slowly being poisoned by the brackish water he stumbles (swimbles?) into, and all in all he’s pathetic and full of rage. The scientists are completely clueless—since everyone knows that sharks are scavengers who are terrified of humans and who lack the jaw strength to bite and rip flesh, it couldn’t possibly be a shark that’s attacking swimmers off the Jersey shore. It must be a swordfish. Swordfish are known to be deadly. Or a sea turtle! Frequently sea turtles tear people’s limbs off! And everyone else is just scared. They’re flocking to the seashore because the cities are filled with a Mysterious Infant Wasting Disease (read: polio), but now the seashore is filled not just with German U-boats, but with killer ~~sea turtles~~ sharks! It’s a hot mess for everyone involved, really.

An unexpected upside of the book is that I have learned numerous ways to protect myself from shark attacks. I will share some of them with you, so you too can be prepared. Don’t wear dark colors like blue or black when you swim. Don’t swim when the moon is full. Don’t swim in three feet of water. Don’t swim when you’re bleeding. Don’t swim in Australia. Don’t, for the love of God, swim with a dog. If you see people on shore screaming and waving their arms, swim faster. If your swimming partner leaps out of the water shrieking that he has been hurt by "something big" and you see that he’s bleeding profusely as though he has been scraped by sandpaper, don’t assume he was just poked by a stick. If you ignore this advice and manage to be bitten by a shark anyway, don’t let your doctor assume the wound is poisonous and thus refuse to treat it. Do tie off any missing limb areas with a super-tight tourniquet. And please, for all our sakes, don’t go diving for the mauled body of a dead neighbor until you’re sure the shark has exited the area.

The downside to the novel, if there is one, is that not enough people get devoured. The book is four hundred pages long, and only five or six people are attacked! There’s a lot of tension and omg-will-they-be-eaten moments, but most of them turn out to be red herrings. For those of us used to the drama and peril and blood and guts of Shark Week, it’s almost a letdown.

A strange, vaguely twisted letdown.(less)

like 4 likes · see review

May 15, 2009 Bryce Holt rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I like era stories; when the spirit of a times is observed in relation to an overwhelming and seemingly daunting struggle (whether it be terror, technology or societal growing pains...). That said, when I checked out this audiobook from the library, I returned it within two days.

Someone else I know said they loved this book and thought I was crazy for not giving it more of a chance, but what a disappointment. Not quite to the level where it is 1 star trash (that is a place where Clive Cussler a...more

like 2 likes · see review

Aug 16, 2010 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, nature

Take this book to the beach and I guarantee you that when you step into the ocean--even just the waves--you will be looking over your shoulder. Michael Capuzzo depicts the time period when people were starting to step into revealing swim suits (gasp!) and into the ocean--a place they knew little about yet thought they had full reign over. Sharks, in their mind, were docile, harmless creatures that Man could conquer. And then the Great White came--a creature that, to them, was more myth than fact...more

like · see review

Mar 23, 2011 Caroline rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: american-history

I zipped through this in less than a day, I couldn't put it down - which I guess is the mark of a good book. It's about the 1916 shark attacks off the coast of New Jersey that gripped the entire United States and were the inspiration for Peter Benchley's Jaws. It starts quite slowly, more than a quarter of the book goes by before the first attack, but it's very good at 'setting the scene', so to speak. The actual exploration of the attacks is very well-written, dramatic and graphic, but it works...more

like 1 like · see review

Aug 17, 2012 Cheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars

What I liked most about this book was that in the hands of another writer it could've just been a book full of dates, facts and opinions from the people who witnessed the shark attacks. Instead this is a book that tells a story, the victims all have back stories that we're told about, their activities on the day they were attacked are described to us, the aftermath is there in lurid detail - I wouldn't say you get a connection with them but you know a little about their lives, their potential if...more

like · see review

Jun 17, 2012 Eileen Granfors rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: animals, love-story, history, social-issues, non-fiction

Detailed, scientific, sociological look at society in 1916. I am finding this VERY interesting. Love the shark chapters most so far.

I had a review written that disappeared into cyberspace.

Capuzzo gives us the history behind Benchley's "Jaws," as well as the habits/life cycle of sharks.
It's interesting that people didn't believe sharks were dangerous to man until the 1916 attacks--at least in America along the Eastern shore.

Another fascinating part of the book is the sociological commentary on th...more

like 1 like · see review

May 26, 2012 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Close to Shore by Mike Capuzzo is the true story about a series of shark attacks that took place off the New Jersey shore in the summer of 1916. The story is that a single shark became caught up in a strong current that kept him close to the shore, but separated from his usual food sources. As the shark was swept along by the tide he became hungrier and angrier and therefore more willing to attack humans in order to eat and survive. He attacked three people off the Atlantic Coast. Most of these...more

like · see review

Jul 30, 2012 Kendall rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fic

The over abundance of historical data just drowned out my interest in the actual story of the shark and its victims. I do have to hand it to the author, his descriptive skills and wording while amiable, become far from captivating at more than the occasional moment throughout this book. His research was in depth, and that I have to admit, impressed me most.
As far as recommending this particular book, I'd have to say two things. If you're looking for a book that centers on the victims, giving...more

like · see review

Jun 27, 2012 Angela rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read this true account of the 1916 New Jersey shark attacks awhile back but wanted to include it on my list of great reads. I'm not big on non-fiction, but this book had me at "shark attack!" The emergence of modern ideas, and the threat of WWI contributed to the sense of "inevitability" between shark and prey. Basically, the shark just kept moving and acting in spite of several attempts to stop it. Much like a war or a social movement seems to achieve a life of its own without regard for our...more

like · see review

Oct 24, 2009 Steve rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In 1916, shark attacks in the north Atlantic were unheard of. So when a juvenile great white shark started to attack people off the coast of New Jersey in July, scientists didn't believe it was a shark at all. Even after it was captured and the contents of its stomach were shown to contain human bones. the experts said it must have scavanged them. Of course, now we now better.

This book tells the story of those times and the people who were affected. It takes a long time before we get to the firs...more

like · see review

Sep 03, 2011 Karen! rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, no-really-that-happened

I wish I could give this 3.5 stars, but alas, no. This is one of those novels that engages the human interest. Much as none of us want to experience a traumatic event ourselves--be it a car accident, tornado, or shark attack--there is something wholly human about wondering. Rest assured, if you find yourself being attacked by a shark tomorrow, apparently you will feel no pain. If you would care to avoid a shark attack you should not swim with a dog, avoid dark blue or black swimsuits, remain in...more

like · see review

Jul 28, 2012 Israel rated it 3 of 5 stars

I've been reading a lot of books about the early 20th century and I must this this wasn't the pick of the litter. In a nutshell the author spends too much time romanticizing about 1916 and not enough time writing about shark attacks. The shark didn't really kill that many people so I guess the author had to fill the book with something but like the shark I smelled blood in the water and wanted more.

The last third of the book where the shark swims up stream into a local creek is by far the best....more

like · see review

Jun 28, 2012 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Maybe it is because I live in New Jersey and many of the geographic locations mentioned in this book are familiar to me, but this nonfiction read was fascinating to me. Told from the viewpoints of humans and the shark who terrorized the Shore area in early 1900s in alternating chapters. I learned so much about sharks and how smart and adaptable they are. And the gilded age of the Jersey Shore is detailed nicely in this book. You really get caught up with the lives of the characters and keep hopi...more

like · see review

Aug 14, 2012 Allison rated it 3 of 5 stars

This isn't my typical reading fare, but Capuzzo (The Murder Room) has a style that could make almost anything riveting. In a novelized history/journalistic style, the book shifts between a natural history of the great white shark (really fascinating stuff!) and the horrifying attacks on the Jersey Shore and Matawan Creek area. (It is noteworthy that the rash of shark attacks in 1916 were the inspiration for Peter Benchley's "Jaws". Only this was miles scarier due to the shark's attacks in shallo...more

like · see review

Oct 12, 2010 Tris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Nicely written. The story of the 1916 shark attacks at the NJ shore, the culture in which they occurred, and the science (or lack thereof) in explaining them at the time. There's a lot of cultural history packed in this book in addition to the really suspenseful, chewy, gorey parts. I enjoyed it, although I'm glad I never knew about these attacks when I was a kid at the beach in Asbury Park. "Jaws" is loosely based on this true story, but the setting and time period between reality and the movie...more

like · see review

Nov 01, 2009 Jerry Smith rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: general-interest, history, 2009-read

It's interesting to read about events in the first 20 years of the 20th century. It was truly a different world and the ydid things differently then.

It was the time when the ocean was really first being used for recreational swimming and therefore bringing people into contact with sharks for the first time in mass numbers. Sharks were very poorly understood at the time and so there was great uncertainty as to what was attacking people off the coat of NY in 1916.

Intriguing story. There is natura...more

like · see review

Jun 22, 2010 Lee Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Everything I had hoped Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City would be, this book actually is. Toggling neatly between social history of the United States in the Gilded Age, and the habits and behaviors of a soulless killer, this book, unlike Larson's, manages to balance the dueling story elements into something genuinely exciting to read.

The chapters describing the burgeoning beach culture in New York and New Jersey are well-researched and interesting, with only a smattering of the "and that...more

like · see review

Jul 13, 2012 Tanja rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chn-informational

What an amazingly well-researched and informative - yet very scary - book on the first attacks of a white shark in 1916 along the coast of New Jersey! While at first the introduction seemed a bit too detailed and lengthy, I got to appreciate all that detail provided about the setting, the circumstances and the people of the time. I thought it was cleverly done as the tension kept rising as each attack loomed around the corner but I never knew when exactly the monster would hit. Gripping, thrilli...more

like · see review

Jan 30, 2011 Marti rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book was very interesting because I had never heard of this series of shark attacks. These attacks did not keep people out of the water. It was even thought by some that the attacks were made by orcas, or even swordfish. Naturally, hotel owners and others on the New Jersey shore didn't want the publicity about these deadly attacks to be known, for fear of keeping away prospective tourists. Arount 1916, the idea of swimming in the Atlantic Ocean was just catching on. It was discovered that s...more

like · see review

Jun 15, 2011 Christiane rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, disaster

Way before "Jaws" there were these unprecedented real-life attacks in the Atlantic off the coast of New Jersey. Since sharks had barely been studied in 1916, and scientists did not believe sharks attacked people, no one understood what was happening at first or how to stop it. The book also has a lot about the time, this lovely, innocent era that was about to be destroyed forever by the U.S. entry into WWI. I read this at Cannon Beach and highly recommend reading it at the ocean if at all possib...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 80 81 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (19)

More editions...

Genres

Non Fiction

92 users

History

68 users

Animals

7 users

Environment > Nature

6 users

History > American History

6 users

Science

4 users

Adult

3 users

Reference

3 users

Book Club

2 users

Literature > 20th Century

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Michael Capuzzo

Michael Capuzzo is a syndicated animal columnist and author of "Wild Things". Formerly a feature writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer and Miami Herald, Capuzzo has written for Esquire, Life, and Sports Illustrated. His numerous awards include the National Headliner Award and his animal stories have been honored by the ASPCA and American Humane Association. He lives in Wenonah, New Jersey.

A four-ti...more

More about Michael Capuzzo...

Books by Michael Capuzzo

The Murder Room: The Heirs of Sherlock Holmes Gather to Solve the World's Most Perplexing Cold Cases

Cat Caught My Heart: Purrfect Tales of Wisdom, Hope, and Love

Our Best Friends: Wagging Tales to Warm the Heart

Wild Things/the Wacky and Wonderful Truth About the Animal Kingdom

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Close to Shore: T...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from Close to Shore: The Te...

“Exactly what the great white eats in an emergency is a mystery ichthyologists solved by the late twentieth century after decades of investigation: whatever it wishes.” — 1 person liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916
avg rating	preview: Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916 Goodreads rating: 3.76 (1410 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/872971.Close_to_Shore?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320480344l/872971.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/872971.Close_to_Shore?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916 by Michael Capuzzo[/url]

Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website