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Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916 by Michael Capuzzo - 4* - My Review

I was touched when my nephew, who knows I love to read, gave me this book for Christmas.

Close to Shore is not your typical non-fiction. It is a period piece that attempts to transport the reader back to New Jersey and New York in 1916, providing lots of period detail, manner of dress, bathing costumes, medical thinking, and scientific knowledge of the era. It tells the story of the people who were attacked, and also attempts to track the shark itself. Now, of course, we do not truly know where the shark originated or how it got to New Jersey. Nor do we know for sure the same shark attacked all of these victims. But the author did extensive research with noted shark experts to formulate a likely scenario and he presents a compelling case.

I found it interesting that scientists in 1916 doubted that sharks would attack humans. The attacks were blamed on sea turtles, orcas, and swordfish, along with other unusual suspects. One of the main strengths of the book is that it shows how difficult it is for people to let go of previously held beliefs. The narrative presents the great white shark as the culprit, though other accounts I have read blame the bull shark, and I am not certain if the experts agree that it was a single shark. These attacks certainly changed the public’s view of sharks. The 1916 attacks were the inspiration behind Peter Benchley’s novel Jaws.