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A review by slferg
Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916 by Michael Capuzzo
4.0
Very interesting. I picked it up because of the recent shark attacks in the news. The author sets the book squarely in its time with the new freedom of people to go to the seashore for the day and the new popularity of actually swimming.
It starts off rather slowly setting up the attitudes and customs of the times. But then begins the attacks. This was a "rogue" shark about 8 to 10 feet long, not full grown, who for some reason abandoned his normal diet and began to attack and eat people.
At that time there was a firm belief by the experts that sharks did not attack people and their jaws were too weak to do any real damage - although sailors, Australians and others said differently. And they did in answer to inquiries. Also the experts did not realize that sharks attack in shallow water and will come up on the beach or rocks after their prey. This one traveled up a small inlet and up a tidewater creek in 10 feet of water and attacked three people.
Most experts began to change their minds after talking to witnesses. And they believed it was just one shark making his way up the coast.
Eventually two men out fishing in a small boat (not looking for shark as many others were) were attacked in their boat by a shark who came over the stern of the boat after them. The only thing they could find to defend themselves was a broken oar they had picked up on the beach before they set out.
I was disappointed in the ending. Although this shark had human remains in its stomach, there was nothing that identified this as the shark. Several shark catches had been mentioned before as coming to nothing, but the book just ended after this. I presume there were no more attacks, but y,the book doesn't say.
I also found it interesting when the author mentioned there are always large schools of young sharks off the Jersey New York shores, but the feed on smaller fish and stay out in deeper water, not coming close to the shore.
It starts off rather slowly setting up the attitudes and customs of the times. But then begins the attacks. This was a "rogue" shark about 8 to 10 feet long, not full grown, who for some reason abandoned his normal diet and began to attack and eat people.
At that time there was a firm belief by the experts that sharks did not attack people and their jaws were too weak to do any real damage - although sailors, Australians and others said differently. And they did in answer to inquiries. Also the experts did not realize that sharks attack in shallow water and will come up on the beach or rocks after their prey. This one traveled up a small inlet and up a tidewater creek in 10 feet of water and attacked three people.
Most experts began to change their minds after talking to witnesses. And they believed it was just one shark making his way up the coast.
Eventually two men out fishing in a small boat (not looking for shark as many others were) were attacked in their boat by a shark who came over the stern of the boat after them. The only thing they could find to defend themselves was a broken oar they had picked up on the beach before they set out.
I was disappointed in the ending. Although this shark had human remains in its stomach, there was nothing that identified this as the shark. Several shark catches had been mentioned before as coming to nothing, but the book just ended after this. I presume there were no more attacks, but y,the book doesn't say.
I also found it interesting when the author mentioned there are always large schools of young sharks off the Jersey New York shores, but the feed on smaller fish and stay out in deeper water, not coming close to the shore.