Close to Shore: A True Story of Terror in an Age of Innocence

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: FAR MORE RIVETING THAN JAWS
Review: CLOSE TO SHORE provides a fascinating look at not only the first documented shark attacks in the history of the United States, it also provides a look at the culture of the Eastern Seaboard at the turn of the century. In a very wellwritten account, author Michael Capuzzo, recaps the beliefs of the day about open-sea swimming and sharks. He discusses the almost maniacal craze that possessed some to swim with sharks in order to prove that sharks were harmless and their own bizarre machismo.

Capuzzo also adds further flavor and perspective by discussing the norms of the day regarding swimming attire, the culture of New Jersey's nouveau riche, other news stories of the period and the limitations of the physicians of the day regarding the brutality of wounds inflicted by great white sharks.

Far more riveting than Benchley's JAWS, CLOSE TO SHORE brings the true account of July 1916 along the Jersey Shore where three adults and a boy were attacked and killed as helpless witnesses looked on in horror.

Capuzzo masterfully tells the morbid tale from not only the human perspective, but also, by using information and facts from modern shark experts, from the perspective of the shark and its instincts. The book switches back and forth from human to shark in a way that wonderfully builds the account and the real-life suspense of the events involved. In fact, CLOSE TO SHORE is a wonderful resource regarding sharks generally. Capuzzo's research seemed so complete that at times I felt like I was reading a biology primer on sharks.

CLOSE TO SHORE proves to be a compelling page turner that you just can't miss!

Rating:
Summary: Read like a suspense novel!
Review: I disagree with the reviewer who felt that this book wasn't as compelling as Twelve Days of Terror, the other recent title on this subject. I read both books, back to back, and found Close to Shore far better for the very reasons another reviewer didn't like it as much as Twelve Days. I'm a female reader in my mid-thirties, and was far more interested in the human aspect of the 1916 New Jersey than in any technical or scientific information about sharks and marine biology. I wanted to know what life was like on the shore in 1916, what the victims were like, how their families and the locals reacted to the horror, and what happened to them before, during and after the attacks. Close To Shore provides all of this detail. It's extremely atmospheric, and treats the victims and other players in the drama as three dimensional characters. This almost read like a novel, in my opinion, while Twelve Days was too dry and almost textbook-like for my taste. In fact, I found myself skimming much of Twelve Days. I read both books on a sunny Atlantic Beach and Close To Shore was so effective that I thought twice about going into the water. The author allows the reader to see, hear, feel, and taste the victims' horror, and it was all too easy for me to relive the attacks in my imagination after reading this book. I strongly recommend it for anyone looking for a fast-paced human interest drama.

Rating:
Summary: Close To Shore - A great "beach book"
Review: I ordered both Close to Shore and 12 Days of Terror before my recent beach vacation. Being from New Jersey and having heard the tales of the NJ shark attacks since childhood, I had a great interest in these books. I read Close to Shore first and was hooked (no pun intended) from the beginning. The story of the New Jersey shark attacks were thoroughly told. The writer's style makes you feel as if you are there in 1916 and that you are getting to know each of the victims. The shark is described so well that there were times I felt sorry for the shark! This book is written more like a novel, even though it is non-fiction. 12 Days of Terror by Dr. Fernicola tells the same story but in a more scientific manner. It too is an interesting read, but different as it is more clinical. I'm glad I read Close to Shore first. The character descriptions prepared me for the additional information in 12 Days of Terror. I highly recommend Close to Shore if you can only read one book on this topic. It made me look out over the ocean on more than one occasion as I sat on the beach. We know these predators live there...but what a great reminder.

Rating:
Summary: The Real Jaws
Review: It's hard to imagine a time when people thought that sharks were more or less harmless creatures, but as Michael Capuzzo details in his excellent book, Close To Shore, in 1916, they thought just that. Swimming in the ocean was a relative new thing at that time as people on the East Coast were starting to take advantage of new found leisure time and easier access to the Shore thanks to the railroad system. It was a badge of honor amongst men to see how far they could swim in the ocean. With no fear of the known undertows of the waters off the Jersey Coast or the creatures that live in it, men swam with a wanton disregard of danger. The first known attack on a swimmer by a shark was a young Philadelphian of means, Charles Vansant. Despite the reports that it was a shark, the experts of the day declared that it was not a shark as there were no documented reports that sharks ever attacked humans and that it was probably a killer whale or swordfish. People were not deterred from going into the water after the attack, but after a couple more attacks, a reign of terror began to grip the Jersey Shore communities. Mr. Capuzzo alternatively takes us through the lives of the victims and the shark's. It is the detailing of the great white that is extremely interesting and insightful. Mr. Capuzzo is able to reconstruct the shark's movements and thought in chilling detail. The cavalier attitude of people towards the water and their lack of knowledge about sharks in general is stunning considering these events occurred less than 90 years ago. Much like the book and movie it inspired, Jaws, Close To Shore will make you think twice about going in the water.

Rating:
Summary: The Perect Beach Book for History Buffs
Review: Michael Cappuzzo's Close to Shore (A True Story of Terror in an Age of Innocence) covers the shark attacks on the New Jersey coast during 1916 that lead to the first four reported deaths by shark attack in American waters. The author spends a lot of time trying to create the feel of the times, sometimes with success, as a way to pad out a rather flimsy tale. The story does pick up a strong narrative thrust during the episode at Matawan and the author handles this material especially well. It is worth reading through much of the rest of the account to come to this very satifyingly drawn episode that captures both the period and the drama with equal aplomb. The author has done much research and should have felt comfortable sharing a little more with the reader, such as accounts of unconfirmed shark attacks in America before this time, a history of sea wrecks on the Jersey coast, and more of the scientific debate on sharks over the past century, to set more of a historical context grounded in the ocean, instead of such things as the life of a doctor in Philadelphia at this period. Still, it is the perfect short read for the beach as the weather gets hotter and large shadows can be seen far off in the water.