Rating: 
Summary: Horrifying Tale - Great Reading
Review: 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!
Rating:
Summary: Close to Shore
Review: This story begins somewhat slowly with much background information on the people and times around the turn of the century. Very soon it picks up pace and becomes an intriguing examination of the habits of great white sharks. The naivete of human beings versus the innate carnivorous nature of the great white shark provides strong contrast in this interesting analysis of shark attacks. The book is ghastly in its realism but serves as an important contribution to our knowledge of killer sharks. It is a history of human tragedies. Also, I would not recommend it for people with weak stomachs.
Rating: 
Summary: Grabs You and Pulls You Under!
Review: I tore through this book like Jaws on a leg bone. The shark is only part of the story, and what [may be called] "filler" was what I enjoyed most. The detail surrounding the science and customs of the day make the story more about the reaction to the attacks than the attacks themselves. Nicely paced, clean writing. I loved it.
Rating: 
Summary: How can something so compelling be so dull?
Review: "Close to Shore" is the second book released this spring detailing the series of shark attacks along the New Jersey shore in 1916. This book differs with its "Jaws-like" style of narration, the telling of the tale from the shark's point of view("by the time the shark discovered its mistake, it found it difficult to to escape") and senses. Entertwined in the narrative are descriptions of life in 1916 and very brief glimpses into the major players in this story. This book just skims the story. There is so much more that could be told about the people, the attacks, and the response to the attacks. The feeling I had when I closed this book this book was "what was all the fuss about?".I knew there had to be so much more to this story. Add the sketchiness of the accounting, the shark narrative style(which slows down an already lumbering story), the tagents that the author takes off on, and the lack of illustrations or photos and you get a lackluster shark story. If you have to choose between the two, read "Twleve Days of Terror".
Rating:
Summary: I'll never feel the same about the Jersey Shore!
Review: Brrr! Of the many, many fascinating things I learned from this marvelous book, the one that will stick with me as I stick my toes into the Atlantic this summer is the part about helicopter pilots regularly spotting sharks ... BETWEEN the shore and the bathers! Wonderfully written and researched, with great attention paid to the characters, even the shark! I can't say enough good things about this book.
Rating:
Summary: Gripping!
Review: The insightful glance at a shark's perspective mixed with the historical facts made this book an incredible find. Sharks are still somewhat of a mystery today, and in 1916, they were creatures of mythic proportions. I really enjoyed the fact that this book wasn't "a shark bashing" type, but merely how an amazing set of circumstances can snowball into a horrifying encounter with a "rogue" great white.
Rating: 
Summary: Good but not great
Review: Close To Shore is the non-fiction story of the first recorded white shark attacks in the US. In 1916, a sole white shark terrorized the coast of New Jersy and New York as it made its way down, attacking humans as it went. The novel is very well written, although author Capuzzo gives us too much information that is irrelevant. For example, he gives us the background and history of a hotel and of people that have nothing to do with the actual events. They just serve as space fillers. But Cappuzzo's straightforward style is impressive. He is able to create suspense by reenacting the events of that Summer. I loved the parts that are more or less from the shark's point of view. Every time the shark is close to attacking someone, the book's suspense level becomes incredible. Overall, Close To Shore is a fun read that has a lot of pertinent information about sharks. It's unfortunate that the author felt the need to distract us with too much details or too much character background. This book could have been perfect, but it ends up simply being a fun beach book (just be careful which beach you read it on!).
Rating:
Summary: nothing much to add
Review: the reviews that i have already read pretty much tell it all. the only thing i have to add about 'close to shore' is that if your into history and shark attacks this is the perfect book.
Rating: 
Summary: Not worth the money
Review: Mr. Capuzzo's description about the behavior of white sharks is a joke. This is the most erroneous description about these animals I have read in a long time. He has obviously never seen a white shark "face to face," the same goes for many people he quotes in his book. He should have left this chapter alone. Dr. Erich K Ritter, Shark Behaviorist, Investigator Global Shark Attack File
Rating:
Summary: Great story, decent book, not as good as Twelve Days
Review: There are currently two books out there on the 1916 Matawan Shark attacks and the bottom line is which is better. The story is unbelievable. A great white killing 4 people along the Jersey Shore and in Matawan Creek in 1916. It is an awesome and frightening story. Close to Shore is the more stylish of the two books, but the author clearly does not have the passion for sharks and the story that the author of 12 Days of terror has. Do not get me wrong. This is a good book. It is a fast read and provides not just a good look at the shark attack but the culture of the Jersey shore at that time. But it is clear from reading both books that the author of closer to shore does not know sharks like the author of twelve days of terror. I felt 12 Days of Terror told the same story, with more passion, and with a lot more primary source material, pictures, and information about sharks in general. My advice is this: take this book out of the library but by Twelve Days of Terror.
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