The Jaws of Death: Sharks as Predator, Man as Prey

by Xavier Maniguet

Biggest of all fish and the best equipped for hunting, sharks live in every ocean. No natural predator except the killer whale threatens them, and they possess an extraordinary physiology...including those unrivaled jaws. They have become the stuff of movies, books, and nightmares, but some of what we commonly believe is fiction, not fact. Through the examination of case histories, including gruesome attacks on man, The Jaws of Death documents the truth. It discusses why sharks are essential to the equilibrium of the marine biotope and what benefit they have provided to science and medicine. In addition to sharks, other "jaws of death" receive attention, including piranhas, crocodiles, and barracudas.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Animals

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1955

Reviews

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm kind of in two minds about this book, on the one hand it does have some very good and well detailed sections on shark anatomy and shark behaviour but then on the other the stories of shark attacks are nothing new and seem more about scaring the reader than trying to understand why they happened. This is briefly touched upon when discussing attacks off the RSA coast but only because this is done but a local organisation anyway and is not something the author has mimicked through the rest of the book. Having said that the biology and anatomy details is something that I haven't come across in these kinds of books before so that was a refreshing change, and the shark directory at the back of the book was interesting, especially seeing their distributions and actual risk posed to man. Maniguet also includes a few small sections on how man uses sharks, from medicines to food, which is both interesting and disturbing, especially when you consider the number we kill in comparison to the number they do. An interesting read but not quite as comprehensive as I thought it would be.

[chucklesthescot · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book starts with a section on the shark myths and shark gods and devotes a section to a scientific look at the various senses of the shark and what each does for their hunting. I did find that a bit technical for my brain as I tend to run screaming from detailed science! I'm sure a more scientific person would like it. There is a huge directory of shark types to look at and a section of truly gruesome photographs of shark and crocodile victims, which I found interesting. Not for those of a nervous disposition! I liked the section on the accounts of shark attacks including a bit on the Jersey Shore attacks which I plan to read more about. I think there will be bits of the book that each type of reader will enjoy and bits that might not be so interesting depending on what you want to know about sharks but overall it is a decent read with sections I will look at again.

[Loren · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this book is 30 years old at this point, it still reads alright. Some of the information is outdated, and I'm sure there's some translation errors that didn't lend to the tone of the book; it did focus a lot on shark attacks and had some particularly 'scare-factor' moments. The attack photos insert was grossly intriguing, but is easy to avoid if you don't want to see those pictures. Other shark photos are included in an earlier insert. This book is better than some of the other shark books from this decade, but is not as fleshed out or modern as the newer books (that's to be expected). I liked that Maniguet had some different perspectives and sources than other shark books (nice to see Davis and the NSB covered in fuller detail) but found it uncouth to disregard the context of the work that Baldridge did for the ISAF. Not the best for casual readers hoping for current facts, but an interesting read for those who can understand its age.

[Karen Waller · Rating 4 out of 5]

So informative! It covered everything from historic attacks and proven defense against sharks to scientific facts and conservation to fishing and recipes.

[Matti Karjalainen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Näin Steven Spielbergin "Tappajahain" ensimmäisen kerran vähän liian nuorena. Elokuva oli monessa mielessä onnistunut: toisaalta se säikytteli minut puolikuoliaaksi ja täytti siten alkuperäisen tarkoituksensa, ja toisaalta se herätti allekirjoittaneen näihin päiviin asti kestäneen kiinnostuksen haita kohtaan.

Olen yrittänyt lukea lukea mahdollisimman paljon näitä mahtavia vesipetoja käsittelevää kirjallisuutta, jota ei tosin suomeksi ole sanottavammin saatavilla. Niinpä tilasinkin joku aika sitten pari englanninkielistä opusta netistä, ja niistä toinen oli ranskalaisen Xavier Maniguetin "The Jaws of Death: Shark as Predator, Man as Prey" (Sheridan House, 1994).

Maniguetin kirja on nimetty b-luokan kauhuelokuvan tavoin. Se sopii sinänsä tyyliin, sillä teoksessa käsitellään melko yksityiskohtaisesti vuosien aikana sattuneita haihyökkäyksiä. On samanaikaisesti sekä kauheaa että kiinnostavaa lukea esimerkiksi saksalaisen sukellusveneen upottaman Nova Scotia -aluksen kohtalosta Etelä-Afrikan rannikolla toisen maailmansodan aikana. Tekstiä täydennetään vielä melko kuvottavaa materiaalia sisältävällä valokuvaliitteellä.

Mutta on teoksessa toinenkin puoli: "Jaws of Deathissa" käsitellään myös vähemmän raflaavia aiheita, kuten haiden elintapoja, aisteja, ruumiinrakennetta ja muuta sen sellaista. Sävy on näiden lukujen osalta kuivan asiallinen, mutta kirjan loppupuolella tekstiin on tullut mukaan hieman pilkettä; kirjailija muun muassa piikittelee amerikkalaisia ja laskee myös leikkiä ranskalaisuudesta käsitellessään haita gastronomian näkökulmasta.

Vaikka kirjan pääpaino onkin haissa, on muutaman luku omistettu myös muille vesipedoille kuten pirajoille, krokotiileille ja barracudoille, mikä on sinänsä kiinnostavaa mutta vähän tarpeetonta.

Kiinnostavana yksityiskohtana voi mainita, että kirjailija oli yksi niistä Ranskan tiedustelupalvelun asiamiehistä, jotka olivat vuonna 1985 upottamassa Greenpeacen Rainbow Warrior -alusta Uudessa-Seelannissa. Ei olisi ensimmäisenä arvannut miehestä, joka kirjansa lopussa toivoo haiden suojelusta kiinnostuneiden ottavan yhteyttä häneen!

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love sharks and so have read several books on the subject. This wasn't one of the best but not the worst either. It does contain alot of information about sharks however some of it is questionable, other parts actually incorrect.

We are learning new things about sharks all the time which may mean this book is simply outdated but alot of the content seems to be less about the scientific study of these facinating animals as horrible tales of man-eating terrors from the deep.

The sealed section in the centre of the book contains graphic photographs of some of the worst shark-attack related injuries. If you are squeemish at all best to give this section a miss completely however if a bit of gore doesn't worry you too much have a look as it is interesting.

One feature of the book that further proved alot of this book is about frightening the reader rather than educate them was images of human body parts being removed from the stomachs of alligators and crocodiles...what has this to do with sharks you may ask? What indeed...perhaps the author ran out of horrible shark attack wounds (they are very rare after all) so decided to find a few alligator ones just to make the book a little thicker.

[Lindsey.parks · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you really want to know about sharks, you need to read this. This book covers the organs of the shark and how they function, the senses of the shark, reports of attacks and shipwrecks and why sharks were attracted to them. It has great pictures as well.

If you want to know about sharks and how they function, you have to read this.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

one of the first books about sharks i ever read. it comes complete with graphic pictures of shark attack victims. i used to invite people over, have lots of beer, and then show everyone the pictures. ahhh....good times!

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book about shark attacks and attacks by other animals like crocodiles. Very graphic photos.