Rating: 
Summary: Wow...Capuzzo makes history fun!
Review: Are you interested in a real-life story that is just as thrilling as Jaws? If so, check out Michael Capuzzo's Close to Shore. Since I am originally from Jersey, I was very interested in learning about the NJ shark attacks of 1916...so I decided to order this book. I was highly impressed!
Close to Shore is a careful, well-researched account of the events that occurred in Beach Haven, Spring Lake and the Matawan Creek area during July of 1916. But don't get the impression that this is just some dull, tedious historical book. Capuzzo wrote this book in the style of a suspenseful page-turner and it is just as exciting to read as Peter Benchley's classic novel, Jaws. Not only will you learn about the attacks, you will also get a perspective of the time period and some information on how sharks behave.
If you are looking for a good shark story, then this true tale is just the thing for you!
Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic Summer Read
Review: I was initially turned on to Close to Shore when I read an excerpt of it in a magazine (I think. I can't quite remember where it was.). Not usually a non-fiction fan, I was intrigued by the subject matter, and the tone of the book.
I've read a few of the previous reviews, and I would like to respond to aspects of this book that some readers found detrimental. First, a lot of people have complained about the lack of action in the beginning of the book, and the overall tone. As a reader who for the most part sticks to fiction, I found the pace and tone to be just right. I enjoyed learning some of the backgrounds of people involved in this event, as well as getting a glimpse of what the Jersey coast was like in 1916. I wasn't expecting page after page of shark attacks, and if that's what you want, Close to Shore is not the book for you.
Mr. Capuzzo does an excellent job of filling out the individuals and places touched by the shark roaming the East Coast that summer. What could have come off as a dry, text-book style tome is instead a glimpse into the lives of the famous, infamous, and unknowns of the time. I enjoyed this book as much for the social history as the terrifying experiences it revolves around.
One note, and the reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5: I was disappointed by the lack of pictures. Not gory pictures of attack victims or eviscerated sharks per se, but photos of the Engleside, or the E&S, or of those who experienced this summer in the most intimate ways. Surely there were year book pictures of young Charles Vansant, photos of the boardwalks, snapshots of the townspeople and vacationers. Mr. Capuzzo mentions all of these, but unfortunately does not include them for us to see for ourselves. Granted, I have a vivid imagination, but knowing the reality of these people and places would have made Close to Shore all the more immediate and engaging.
Other than that, I recommend Close to Shore for a little beach or poolside reading. Approach it like a good summer novel, not a case-by-case account of shark attacks and you should be fine.
Rating:
Summary: Ocean-goers beware!
Review: Having lived most of my life near the New Jersey shore, and about only five miles from the site of some of these incidents, this book was a "must read" for me. And I would have to say Michael Capuzzo doesn't disappoint.Perhaps because I am familiar with many of the places mentioned, I have an unfair advantage over most readers - this made it easier to follow and understand the story (my hometown of Belford was even mentioned once!). But even without that perspective I feel that I would have enjoyed it anyway. Capuzzo does indeed write the story something like a novel - delving into what people may have been thinking and feeling - even what the shark may have been doing in-between attacks. Because of this, it can't be looked at as a completely factual book. But that's missing the point. The story itself is true (although there remains some debate about a "lone killer" or many), and that's what makes it so compelling. There was a shark and there were several attacks, and some came in an inland creek. Debating whether it was a Great White or a Bull shark in the creek is immaterial to the story of the "terror" that had gripped New Jersey; that was certainly all too real, for the unfortunate victims and for their families. Capuzzo should also be commended for the research that was necessary to write this book. I say that because, even though I've lived here for 32 years, this story was unknown to me until this book (and "12 Days of Terror") came out in 2001. It simply was not well-known lore of the area, believe it or not. I'm convinced Capuzzo has changed that - at least for those of us who live here, he has. I drive over the Matawan Creek on my way to work in the morning - and there isn't a day that goes by where I'm not peeking out my car window, just to get a glimpse of what might be lurking in the water below! Well done by Capuzzo. Four stars.
Rating:
Summary: A thoroughly fascinating account
Review: I picked this book up because I thought it might be interesting to read about an account of a series of documented shark attacks on the East Coast in 1916. Looking for that "Jaws" fix, if you will. Well, I didn't get it. The book is good, but as several of the prior reviewers state it is almost as much of a social history as an account of shark attacks. The first attack doesn't even occur until about 100 pages into the book. Probably the best thing about the book is the last third is fairly exciting; however, in the last chapter the author admits some of the things the prior reviewers complain about; i.e., Was it a Great White? Was it a shark at all? etc. So that's somewhat of a letdown, especially when the author has gone to such great lengths to describe the Great White's movements and reasoning. All I can say is I wouldn't buy it. I checked it out from the library after seeing it in a local bookstore and I'm better for it. This book tries to be several things at once and doesn't achieve any of them very well. In addition, I can't say I care for the author's writing style, either. The book is probably best suited for a middle school student because it might spark an interest in history or ichthyology, and it's an easy read.
Rating: 
Summary: great writing/poor accuracy
Review: Michael Capuzzo is an excellent writer and I wasn't certain why the book had to be semifictionalized. For example, why was the summer Whitehouse transplanted(artificially) from Asbury Park to Spring Lake ? Was it to make the second attack closer to the Woodrow Wilson summer offices ? It's just that the true story is so fantastic on its own without the need for embellishment.
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