The Real Jaws: The Attacks that Inspired the Movies

by Rachel Lee Perez

In the Summer of 1916, a series of shark attacks along the New Jersey shore would send shockwaves across its otherwise peaceful beach towns. Spanning a terrifying two weeks, including the deaths of nearly five people, these attacks would officially cement an innate fear of sharks that humans have felt since the beginning of time.

Although initially kept under wraps by the tourism industry, these attacks would ultimately plaster the front pages of newspapers across the United States and even overseas. As the news spread, the line between fact and fiction blurred, reshaping our cultural and scientific understanding of the beasts of the ocean. It was the 1916 shark attacks that would establish our modern-day misconstrued perception of sharks as evil, man-eating monsters, and would later inspire the film Jaws, which would perpetuate the same harmful narrative.

The Real Jaws takes an in-depth look at each one of the attacks and how they instilled a centuries-long fear of the ocean's apex predator. It explores the various theories explaining why these attacks may have occurred and the probability of something like this happening again. And finally, it analyses the way the harmful misconceptions derived from films like Jaws have redefined humanity's relationship with sharks, leading humans to become the predators and sharks to become the prey.

Genres: Nonfiction

224 pages, Hardcover

Published August 30, 2025

About the author

Also writes as Rachel Rebecca Lee


Rachel Lee Perez is an independent historian and author. She has authored several fiction and non-fiction books, as well as contributed several articles to history magazines and online forums. She is working on her second non-fiction history book now, set for publication in 2026.

Rachel holds a bachelor's degree in History as well as degrees in Social Studies, Arts, and Humanities. She is certified in Paralegal Studies, Constitutional Law, and Teaching Women's History.

She is the founder and host of the Hashtag History podcast which delves into history's greatest stories of controversy, conspiracy, and corruption. The Hashtag History podcast has ranked as a Top History Podcast in several countries and has been downloaded hundreds of thousands of times.

Rachel is also a Director for the Remedial Herstory Project, an editor for the US Herstory textbook, and the host of their podcast, US Herstory.

Rachel lives in Elk Grove, California, with her husband Alex, and their twin daughters, Charlotte and Olivia.

Reviews

[Kenneth McKinley · Rating 2 out of 5]

The description of The Real Jaws, a book that details the events of the shark attacks in 1916 along the Jersey shore that was the basis of the book Jaws, and our fear of sharks seemed like it would hit many points that I’d love to learn more about. I knew enough about the shark attacks, but few of the details. I know the book Jaws and its movie adaptation sparked a fear of going into the water along with an uptick in shark hunting. I hoped this book would fill in the gaps and expand my knowledge. The first 80 pages or so did just that. However, I agree with other reviewers in that at no time did I feel like I was reading the words of an expert. The author wrote in a non-academic style that felt like I was reading a blog or listening to a podcast. She’d describe an event and then put her own personal feelings in the mix. It felt like talking to someone who, no matter what you have to say, they’ll find a way to make it about them. The last 50-66% of the book turned into full-blown preachy, save the sharks mode and tried her best to make sharks cute and cuddly. At one point while chastising people for their fear of sharks, she pointed out that more people die from falling coconuts a year than from shark attacks, even going so far as to condemn people for eating shark. Now, hold on a second. First, a falling coconut will never frighten someone as much as a 4000lb torpedo swimming toward you filled with razor-sharp teeth. Second, I never want to see any species eliminated by man, but I do believe in having a healthy respect for something that can chomp your leg off if it mistakes you for a seal while paddling on a surfboard. And third, I don’t respect people carelessly hacking off a shark fin while the creature is still alive and then dumping it back into the ocean, but I fail to see the difference between responsible fishing practices of sharks and other seafood, if the end result is the same and the species isn’t endangered. Again, these are my thoughts, and I don’t expect everyone to agree with my take.

The Real Jaws was a disappointment to me. Too preachy and unprofessional when I wanted more details. There are better options to choose from, which Perez references over and over again - Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916 by Michael Capuzzo and Twelve Days of Terror: Inside the Shocking 1916 New Jersey Shark Attacks by Richard G. Fernicola M.D.



2 Cuddly Sharks out of 5

[Bookaholic__Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

I personally have always been equally fascinated by and terrified of sharks. I have seen the movie Jaws a million in one times, I was obsessed with the ride at universal, I own the book ( though I admit I haven't actually read it!), I have swam in the ocean many times ( even though it gives me anxiety) and watch shark week faithfully every single year.

I liked that this book was divided into 2 of main parts. The first half telling the events of the 1916 attacks, other historical attacks and the the influence of the book Jaws on how sharks are treated and viewed by society. And how the second half focused on how change is needed. Change in how we treat these animals and the mindset that we have about them. I also loved that there are resources (quite a few actually) included at the end of this book.

One of my biggest issues with this book was in relation to some of the statistics. There was one repeated a couple times and that was dying from a coconut is more likely to happen then being bit by a shark. I understand what the statistics say, but to compare death by coconut to death by shark.... is truly apples to oranges. I feel there are valid and healthy reasons why we fear sharks. That aside I agree they are important for the ecosystems and shouldn't be killed needlessly.


I appreciate what this book was doing, especially in trying to provide education and provide resources...BUT... it was a bit repetitive at times and came across a little judgmental towards the end. The majority of the book highlights various shark attacks ( with the biggest focus on 1916) and then towards the end chastises our fear of sharks.


I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Elizabeth Addison · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and Pen & Sword in exchange for an honest review.

Had a tough time with this. At no point while reading did I feel like I was learning from an expert-- rather, it felt like the experience of talking to someone who had read a couple of books and was sort of summarizing their findings in a casual way. In some ways, this made the book very readable, and I really felt like I absorbed what was being said. In other ways, it made me take everything being said with a grain of salt. I never really trusted Perez as an authority, especially since she often seemed to sacrifice the integrity of the facts and her mission in order to say something pithy (ie. spending an entire book talking about how people shouldn't be scared of sharks and then ending the final chapter with 'I won't be sea bathing anytime soon!') I felt the book itself was rife with contradiction, and in a way I understand, because it's complex to know in your heart that most sharks are not 'man-eaters' or 'bloodthirsty' but also know that the inexplicable behavior of the shark(s) in the 1916 attacks contradicts that, but in my opinion, if you're still working through that inherent contradiction, don't publish the book! Look for more facts! Read more primary sources! Spend less time writing sensational sentences about sea monsters and then scolding Jaws for sensationalizing! Like, the whole project lacks self-awareness.

Peter Benchley's late-career hand-wringing aside, I know that The Jaws Effect is an academic term and people smarter than me have had more thoughtful things to say about it, but I'm also so reticent to continue this cultural phenomenon of blaming art (fiction! that never claimed to be anything but fiction!) for the actions of real life people. Terribly sorry, but it's not Benchley or Spielberg's fault that the Australian government kills so many sharks in the interest of public health. Perhaps someone should have told the Australian government that Jaws is not a documentary and they shouldn't be legislating based on American horror movies. This is just as stupid as putting every American male to death because someone watched Silence of the Lambs.

A little off track here, but these are the questions raised by this book that go unanswered. It is impossible to write an entire book about the 1916 shark attacks and then be baffled that people are afraid of sharks. I do actually think Rachel Lee Perez knows this, and it wouldn't surprise me if she understood her own complex thoughts here, but she didn't interrogate them or write them down. The end of the book feels like she's hurrying through it (and it's only about 200 pages, it's okay to keep going!) in order to get to her main point which is: Save the Sharks. And I agree, but you know... that could have been a tweet, and you wouldn't have needed to quote Joseph Goebbels, of all people, TWICE to make it.

[Nicole Perkins · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was quite disappointed in this book. I love sharks, I think they are beautiful and fascinating creatures. I doubt we will ever fully understand their behaviors, so when a book like this comes along I am interested to see what has been learned. This book doesn't really offer any insight. It reads like someone sharing a report based on papers they have read without fully understanding the original source. The writing style also lacks the crisp definition that one usually find in history and science books.

[Liralen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did you know that the first known representation of a shark attack is from 725 BCE...? I did not! And did you know that the movie Jaws has some basis in fact—a series of 1916 shark attacks on the New Jersey coast? I did not know that either.

In The Real Jaws, Perez dives into the history of those shark attacks and, critically, how they impacted the way people viewed sharks. I'm not entirely new to shark research (I once upon a time wrote an essay that was partly about sharks and that referenced some of the same sources she uses, which amuses me), but I wasn't familiar with the 1916 attacks or the other seasons of increased shark activity in various places. I did read the Wikipedia article on the 1916 attacks before I read the book—which I then regretted, because there would have been a bit more suspense for that part of the book if I hadn't known what to expect.

So it's fascinating material. Perez takes to the subject with plenty of enthusiasm (if a few too many exclamation marks) and a lot of research—anyone who likes leaping from a book into the reference section will be satisfied here. The beginning of the book has a timeline, which is full of events (e.g., polio outbreaks, war activities) that I initially thought were just for context but Perez tied neatly into the context of sharks and shark-human encounters. I don't take every conclusion at face value (e.g., Perez says that even the ISAF [International Shark Attack File] suggests on their website that people actively menstruating should avoid swimming in open water to reduce one's odds of being attacked by a shark (loc. 1562*), but what the ISAF actually says is much softer: If someone is attempting to maximize reduction of risks, staying out of the water during menstruation is one step that can be taken. However, many people safely dive while menstruating, and we have continued to see no obvious pattern of increased shark encounters.), but that's probably smart for most nonfiction; treat one source as one source but not as a definitive source without, erm, consulting other sources.

Writing-wise, this could have used another extensive round of line-level edits. I liked the overall structure (starting with the 1916 attacks and then moving on to theories about what caused so much shark activity, more recent shark-heavy seasons, and of course Jaws), but I spent far too long on lines like this one: This [multiple bites] is outside the standard behavior when a shark mistakenly bites a human. Why did the shark repeatedly bite Bruder when surely it must have known that its victim was indeed a human being? (loc. 625)

Perez later gets into what science now thinks about sharks—among other things, that they use biting to examine unknown things (they don't exactly have fingers to do the same job!)—but I was stuck on the fact that even if a shark bit somebody once and realized in doing so that it wasn't a seal, it wouldn't know the thing was specifically human; most likely it would just know that the thing it had bitten was living but not a seal or fish or whatever. Given that Perez also notes that violent language (attack, bite, deadly, etc.; e.g., loc. 2168) has widely been used to describe sharks and their interactions with humans, and that such language contributes to a public view of sharks as monsters, I also would have liked to see her use quite a bit less of the same language (my Kindle counts some 718 uses of the word "attack", though I should note that this includes the references, the table of contents, etc.).

All of this said: I learned a lot, and I came home from work with my nose buried in my Kindle and said absentmindedly to my partner, "Can we watch Jaws?" (and then went back to my book). An engaging read if you want to learn a bit about a forgotten (and gory) part of history, or if you need a shark week read.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

*Quotes are from an ARC and may not be final.

[Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I appreciate the opportunity to read this ARC, aside from a handful of interesting tidbits, I did not feel like this brought anything new to light nor that the author had a "take" or a perspective different from the many articles and books written prior on this same topic. As a New Jersey resident, I'm very familiar with the 1916 attacks, and was curious as to how they could form the basis for an entire book. It turns out, they really cannot without a severe amount of repetition and redundancy, and therein lies the problem with this book. There are so many repeated phrases, reminders of content from previous chapters (this book is not long enough to run the risk of forgetting), and rambling stream-of-conscious thoughts and non-sequiturs that I seriously suspect their use was a push to extend "content" to hit publishing minimums. There's a real need for a red-pen editing pass along with stronger supporting data. While trying to uncover what may have led to this remarkably abnormal shark behavior, Perez proposes several theories from the time, including higher water levels, a warmer gulf stream current, trash and waste being thrown in the water, U-boat activity, the presence of dogs--but being that we're over a hundred years removed from the incident, there is no way of knowing which if any of these contributed and each theory is mentioned, given a summation and which so-called expert from the time period proposed it, and then she moves on to the next. There is so much author opinion sprinkled throughout that just to make this book stand out, it would have been nice to see her blow out a theory she felt strongly about and argue its truth through each attack. But this is not where Perez has opinions, instead she focuses more on making ridiculous puns (or non making them but reminding you that they're there) and seemingly bashing the film Jaws and its subsequent 50th anniversary. There is a very strange negative tone to most of the epilogue, which mentions the anniversary celebration as though it's a failed or disappointing get-together. It also would happen about a month from this book's release, and by the time most readers pick it up, it would be irrelevant to even mention at all.
Having finished this book I can say that my original thought of "how could this be an entire book" was spot on because in this case, it really cannot.


ARC provided by NetGalley

[Lori L (She Treads Softly) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Real Jaws by Rachel Lee Perez is a highly recommended review of the 1916 shark attacks in New Jersey, a look at historical views of sharks, shark fear, ultimately, how the movie shaped how sharks are perceived, and then an opinion section. The movie Jaws was released in 1975, fifty years ago, so this is an opportune time to look back at both the history and the movie.

While the 1916 New Jersey shark attacks, which occurred over a two week period, induced plenty of fear, part of that interest and fear was exacerbated by the newspapers at that time which ran the news on the front page. A case can easily be made that the headlines made the fear worse than the actual attacks. As Perez says, the attacks caused the deaths of nearly five people, not hundreds, over a course of two weeks. This event changed how sharks were viewed and made them into man-eating machines. Once the US entered WWI in April 1917 and the Spanish flu epidemic took hold in 1918, the shark headlines disappeared.

Once the book exits the 1916 attack and the aftermath of the movie Jaws, Perez loses the historical and cultural thread and the book becomes an opinion piece. It is pointed out later in the book that the result of the log term fear of sharks has resulted in precautions taken to keep sharks away from beaches (which can harm other species). It seems she wants to protect the sharks, but I'd have to firmly stay on the side of protecting humans. There are around 80 unprovoked attacks are reported worldwide every year. Yes, it's not a huge number, but there are many things we take precautions for that aren't killing a high number of people. I will agree with her on banning shark fin soup.

I really very much enjoyed much of the book until the last part. A look at the page count will confirm that The Real Jaws isn't meant to be a complete, in-depth look at shark attacks throughout history or deep insight into the movie. It's more some moderate shark and movie information followed by an opinion piece. The book is short and does include Notes, a list of Resources, a Bibliography, and an index, so those looking for a more scholarly book can find further books to read on the topic. Thanks to Pen & Sword for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2025/0...

[Shreedevi Gurumurty · Rating 4 out of 5]

In July 1916, a series of shark attacks along the Jersey Shore left 4 people dead and 1 critically injured, forever changing the public's perception of sharks. The attacks occurred during a deadly summer heat wave and polio epidemic that drove thousands to the seaside resorts.

*The Attacks*
- July 1, 1916: Charles Vansant, 25, was attacked by a shark in Beach Haven, New Jersey, while swimming in the ocean. He later died from his injuries.
- July 6, 1916: Charles Bruder, 27, was attacked by a shark in Spring Lake, New Jersey, while swimming 100 yards off the shore. The shark severed both his legs, and Bruder died en route to the hospital.
- July 12, 1916: Lester Stillwell, 11, was attacked and killed by a shark in Matawan Creek, New Jersey. Stanley Fisher, 24, dove into the creek to rescue Stillwell but was also attacked and killed. Joseph Dunn, 14, was attacked by the same shark but managed to escape with severe injuries.

*Aftermath and Impact*
The attacks triggered nationwide hysteria, with President Woodrow Wilson allocating federal funds to "drive away man-eating sharks." Fishermen launched a massive hunt,killing hundreds of sharks using sheep guts as bait.The tourism industry initially downplayed the attacks, but after the second incident, panic set in, and tourists fled.

Sharks are vital in maintaining ocean health by regulating prey populations, distributing nutrients, and maintaining healthy coral reefs.However, they face significant threats:
- *Overfishing*: Many sharks are killed annually, primarily for their fins.
- *Bycatch*: Sharks are caught accidentally in fishing gear meant for other species.
- *Habitat Loss and Pollution*: Coastal development, plastic pollution, and climate change disrupt shark habitats and migration patterns.

Sharks have been on Earth for over 400 million years. There are over 500 recognized species of sharks.Most sharks are harmless to humans,and attacks are rare.

*Popular Culture*
The 1916 attacks indirectly inspired Peter Benchley's novel "Jaws" and the subsequent film adaptation by Steven Spielberg, and the TV program Shark Week further solidified sharks as villains, impacting shark conservation efforts.

[Bargain Sleuth Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I was in about 5th grade when I read this wild story in my parent’s Reader’s Digest about these random shark attacks in New Jersey. That’s why I was so excited to see this book available and requested it. Thanks to NetGalley and PUBLISHER for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really am drawn to meticulously researched nonfiction books like The Real Jaws. Part of the reason is because of how human narratives are constructed. The fact that one sensational event was mythologized it reshaped public fear to this day.

I think we’re all aware of how media distortions can flip predator-prey roles, and this book’s spotlight on maritime ecology exposes that fact. As The Real Jaws mentions, historically, sharks have rarely attacked humans. Over the course of two weeks in 1916, there were shark attacks that killed or nearly killed five people. That was enough to subliminally give Peter Benchley to write his novel Jaws decades later. That, of course, led to the movie Jaws and its sequels.

But here’s the thing, as mentioned in this book, sharks attacking humans has been very rare throughout history. However, since the movie Jaws was released 50 years ago, the perceptions of these animals has become ingrained in people’s minds. Also mentioned in this book is the fact that one TV channel (I think Discovery) has a Shark Week every year, which gets great ratings. And let’s not forget the Sharknado movies, too, which have run on the SyFy channel for years.

Overall, this was a very interesting book that has broad appeal to those interested in history or the movie and TV show lovers.

[Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate that I was provided a copy of the eARC by NetGalley, Pen and Sword and White Owl in exchange for my honest review.

The cover of this book initially caught my attention. I am a Jaws fan and, like many, find sharks incredibly interesting. Once I read the book description I knew I would definitely be reading this.

This book did not disappoint with the writer’s clear and concise discussion of the Shark Attacks in New Jersey in 1916. Occasionally, the author seems to detour to unrelated topics but by the end of each chapter, it gets tied back to the 1916 attacks. This was a very informative and entertaining, although sometimes heartbreaking, read and I would read another book by this author. I really enjoyed how she tied the ending in and gave her readers information and ways to take action after they finish reading.

[Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting look at what inspired the movie/books of Jaws. 50 years after the movie came out it was interesting to re-read about the events from the New Jersey shore. Really found the story about the poor German guy who was lynched very sad. The anti-German sentiment was strong, and could see the mindset of what some people though, but still found it heartbreaking to read about the poor guy. Re-watched the movie again too, which was interesting even with special effects not as good as today. The first half of the book goes over other places and attacks around the world, which explains the fear and frenzy of views on sharks, the second half of the book goes over what this belief has done to the shark population and how we are ruining the ocean ecosystem, and what we can do to stop the destruction. Would recommend.

[Sara Keute · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever wondered what inspired the movie Jaws or what really has fueled the fear of sharks that the public basically since the movie came out? This was a super thorough and interesting peak into the shark attacks in 1916 that inspired Jaws the novel, as well as, influenced the film.

This is a fascinating look into real life shark attacks that happened, as well as how Jaws changed the public's perception of sharks and really has exacerbated the fear of them and sparked a phenomenon that could not have been replicated today. Perez did extensive research and was able to tell the stories of these attacks really well and made them interesting even when there was a lot of data behind them or hardly any material from eyewitness testimonies. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is even remotely interested in sharks!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

[Gem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big thanks to Pen & Sword, White Owl and NetGalley for a copy of The Real Jaws by Rachel Lee Perez.

This was so informative, shocking and eye opening. Sharks have such a huge part to play in the world and it was heartbreaking to hear about how much unnecessary killing of them there was following the 1916 New Jersey Shore attacks.

Jaws is one of my favourite books, however the impact it had on how people view sharks is something that the author Peter Benchley wishes he’d never had any part in.

I would recommend this book to everyone, I’m sure if you only have a vague interest in sharks or none at all this book will change that.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love the movie Jaws, shark week, and thrills, then this book is for you! Showcasing a series of shark attacks in New Jersey shore, this book gives us the details on the attacks, why they happened and who is at risk of being a victim in the future. I was intrigued and hooked on this read. It kept my attention the entire time. The author did a fantastic job with the details, statistics, and capturing the interest of the reader and I love the cover! Very well done! I highly recommend this book!

Thank you NetGalley, author and publisher for the eARC!

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is SO podcast-coded. To explain myself: it is super digestible, blending brief sources and background information with the juicy details. It gets you hooked, spooked, and fascinated, but ultimately leaves you no wiser. I take the facts presented with a grain of salt.

It is enjoyable to have so many referenced materials and incidents gathered in one place, but it did not offer any unique takes, perspectives, or theories per se. I am not sure if the author is going for the “save the sharks” message, the “sharks are terrifying” message, or if she herself is unsure.

[Andrea Wenger · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the summer of 1916, a series of shark attacks off the New Jersey coast sparked widespread panic and cemented the enduring, often inaccurate, fear of sharks. This compelling and informative book examines the attacks, the resulting cultural impact, and their legacy of fear.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Capers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I definitely enjoyed the beginning part of the book which talked about the actual 1916 shark attacks and the last chapter which connected it to Jaws more than the rest of the book. The middle section, which talked about the theories behind the attacks and other attacks that happened afterwards, seemed to drag on and I thought about not finishing the book. The last few chapters, although they seemed to talk negatively about Jaws, redeemed the book as it focused on how the attacks could’ve inspired the book and movie adaptation of Jaws. This is not typically the genre I read, but I thought it was very interesting. I would recommend this to people who enjoyed the Jaws movie or books or just had a love of sharks.