SOLVED. Shark book - main character is survivor of Indianapolis [s]

[Deborah]

I read this book in paperback form some time in the 1970s, but it was at a friend's house and I have no idea how old the book was at the time.

The main character is a survivor of the USS Indianapolis and recalls the shark attacks after the ships sinking and the days/nights spent in the water with the sharks until rescue. After his rescue, he begins a lifelong study of sharks and names his boats Indianapolis I, II, III, etc. (I think he ends up with 5 or 6 boats named Indianapolis). I don't recall if his study of sharks is a career or hobby in the book.

I recall him hearing rumors that a large extinct shark (perhaps carcharodon megalodon?) still exists and traveling to tropical islands to try to discover whether or not this is true. I think he finds primitive natives that are still actually sacrificing virgins to a 100 foot long large shark that swims through a channel near their island each year.

The book had an epilogue section where the protagonist supposedly is killed by a shark - I think a hammerhead - while fishing with his grandson.

I read this when I was between the ages of 10 - 15 years old and, at the time, I thought the book was autobiographical, but when I began my first search for it years later, I began to doubt that since I think an actual survivor of the Indianapolis who lead a life researching sharks would have been more easily found. At this point I'm guessing it was a work of fiction.

I've searched the Internet off and on looking for the title of this book to no avail.

Any help with discovering its title would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Deborah

[``Laurie]

Your first paragraph had me thinking of but the rest of your description doesn't fit that book at all. Hopefully someone here can help you find this book. Good Luck.

[Deborah]

Hi Laurie... I loved Jaws, but you're right, the book I'm looking for is different. I think it predates Jaws, but I'm not absolutely positive about that. It could have been written shortly afterwards trying to capitalize on the popularity of Jaws.

[``Laurie]

Wish I could help, good luck finding this book.

[Tab]

Deborah, do you remember anything about the cover?

[Deborah]

I vaguely recall it being a single word with an exclamation point, like Attack! or Shark! This is another reason I think it might have been trying to capitalize on the Jaws phenomenon. I don't remember the graphic at all.

[Andy Phillips]

Could it be Megalodon? I read somewhere that it was released under the title "Shark!" too. I can't see any reference to a USS Indianapolis survivor. Also, it was published in 1982, so is that too late?

[Deborah]

Hi Andy,
That's not it, but it helped me figure out some more details. I read the book at my best friends house while spending the night, so that narrows down the time frame of when I possibly could have read it to between 1975-1981. It was most likely between 77-80 that I read it, but it couldn't have been published after 81.
Thanks,
Deborah

[Deborah]

SOLVED
Killer Sharks: The Real Story by Brad Matthews (Nelson Demille) http://www.amazon.com/Killer-Sharks-S...

[Andy Phillips]

Awesome - well done finding it! I tried a few searches and didn't see that at all.

[Adrian]

Ha! I was trying to figure out what book this was, too. I read it from the library in the 70s when I was in grade school. Glad it was solved!