Rating: 
Summary: Sign of Jonah
Review: This book documents one of the signs of Jonah Jesus talked about that signals the end of the world. It may have been a Great White that Swallowed Jonah. The Bible says it was a great fish. In Capuzzos book the shark swam in a counter clockwise circle like a swastica, signifying "against nature", like the counter clockwise dance of witches. The attacks occured in 5 places like a pentagram over Monmouth county.
As German U-boats prowled the atlantic this shark was eating people. It was an omen concerning the rise of German militarism and the end times for the Jews. The final holocaust is almost here. All who do not recieve the mark of the beast, Jew and Gentile, will be on death marches. Thousands already have the mark of the beast voluntarilly. One more bad terrorist attack and I believe it will be mandatory. Those who decline will be persecuted. There is not much time for the Jews to exscape. We gentiles will need the grace to be martyrs. The ferry boat crashing into white hall, Lacy Peterson, the 250 pound harp seal, the dolphins in the shrewsbury river, it is all the sign of Jonah. Now is the time to get close to G-d, or you will end up burning in the lake of fire.
Rating: 
Summary: Good read, but neads a proofread and fact check
Review: This book is primarily a period piece about the summer of 1916. Details such as what was happening in science, baseball, social mores, etc. paint a spectacular portrait of American life at this time. Historical people, from scientists, doctors, and hotel owners to tailors and basket makers are examined and we see how they lived their day-to-day existence in that summer of '16. Meanwhile, of course, people are being attacked by a shark off the coast of New Jersey.As a breakdown, I'd say 40% of this book is the portrait of life
story, and 40% is about the reactions of the people to the shark attacks. Probably 15% is a conjecture on the particular path the shark took along the coast, along with its primeval motivations as to why it was doing what it was doing. Only about 5% actually showcase the attacks, but it's a very effective 5%. The book is a very entertaining read, although some vocabulary and cultural references are just thrown out as if to show off how much research the author did. A dictionary was handy, and I've read a LOT. The other problem is the editing/proofreading. There were at least three occasions I could think of where contradictory information was presented ON THE SAME PAGE. For instance, the governor of New Jersey is called "Tom" and "Jim" on the same page. And, at one point, the nostrils of the shark are said to be below the mouth, which is incorrect. Minor annoyances, but inexcusable in a historical work. So, I give this 3-1/2 stars, upped to 4 due to the fact that it's a good read.
Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: This short book is well written. The prose is a delight and the description of the account is irresitable. One of the best books I've ever read. Really, an unexpected delight from start to finish. Really gripping!!! Great Read.
Rating: 
Summary: Could have been told in half the number of pages
Review: Until this book I was unfamiliar with the 1916 shark attacks on the Jersy shore. The author did a good job of not only reporting the incidents and relating the relevent shark science, but also of capturing the sense of place for the vacation beaches of 1916 and giving us some background and feel for the victims.
Rating:
Summary: Good read... but not a good beach book for vacation!!
Review: Until this book I was unfamiliar with the 1916 shark attacks on the Jersy shore. The author did a good job of not only reporting the incidents and relating the relevent shark science, but also of capturing the sense of place for the vacation beaches of 1916 and giving us some background and feel for the victims.
Rating:
Summary: Don't. Go. In. The. Water.
Review: Wow! What a book! I'm glad that I waited until AFTER summer (and prime beach time) to read this - because it's gonna take me about 9 months to gather the courage to go back in the waters off the Jersey Shore! The shark attacks off the Jersey Shore in 1916 were Peter Benchley's inspiration for his novel, Jaws, which was also made into a movie. Those who know the book and film will realise that as they read it.
Not only does the horror of these shark attacks make this an interesting book to read, but also the fact that it is a glimpse into history and the social mores of the Edwardian Era. I, too, found it really interesting as it's a bit of 'local' history and many of the places mentioned are still in existance today. The towns remain, however, the Asbury Park of 1916 is a far cry of the Asbury Park of 2004! (Side note to say that Asbury Park is in a revitalization mode now, but it'll be a long time before it's back to being a 'chic destination' on the Jersey Shore!)
Rating:
Summary: Where's the Shark?
Review: Yes, there is a rogue great white shark featured in this nonfiction account of an adolsescent great white that apparently went crazy and attacked bathers and swimmers off the East Coast during the summer of 1916, but you have to read a lot of padding in this book, long expository segments on man vs. nature, the industrial revolution, the drum beats of World War I, back stories of people who were directly and indirectly in contact with the shark. The writing is excellent, but the book seems at least twice as long as at it would have been had the author focused on the shark attacks. It seems so many books are in reality essays that literary agents and publishers inflate into books. If you don't want all the peripheral information, what I'm calling padding, you may be disappointed. In the end, though, I have to give the book four stars because the prose style is sharp and the author recreates the harrowing shark attack scenes with lucid clarity and suspense.
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