Rating: 
Summary: Engaging, easy to read history of a little known epsiode
Review: "In Twelve Days Of Terror" Richard Fernicola presents the reader with a comprehensive history of the New Jersey Shark Attacks of 1916. In the process, he paints a fascinating portrait of an era that exists solely as collective nostalgia for many of us today. The attacks are presented within the context of the era, so the reader is brought back to a time before television, when newspapers fought to outdo each other with spectacular headlines and our own shores were more of a mystery than the depths of Africa.In telling the story of the attacks, Fernicola uses an informal, almost conversational style that is frequently in the first person. While this would be anathema in most history, it is highly effective in this instance. Given that his topic is not widely remembered, and that what is remembered has devolved into pseudo-mythology, this casual style captures the "novel-esque" feel of the story, while presenting the hard facts. Of particular interest was how he set the stage for the attacks: war was raging in Europe, there was a polio epidemic in New York City, submarines were cruising the coast, and the Jersey Shore was a last bastion of elegance and innocence that was about to be shattered. By presenting history in this manner, he creates a big picture view of not only the attacks themselves, but also what they did to the psyche of the nation. All style and setting aside, however, Fernicola is a medical doctor and scientist who systematically presents the fruits of his substantial research and interviews with witnesses and experts. Each attack is examined in detail: the attack patterns, the nature of the injuries (which are quite gruesome, be warned), treatments offered, etc. Then, after providing the reader with a thorough portrait of the attacks, both individually and as a whole, he builds a case for the species which he thinks committed the attacks, and whether or not it was one or several sharks. While he makes a compelling argument for that a white shark committed the attacks, in the finest tradition of research he both presents, and discusses in detail, competing theories. I have only two small complaints about this book. The first is perhaps inevitable given the informal writing style, but it bothered me nonetheless. Fernicola frequently will meander off topic as he recounts interesting historical tidbits, only to abruptly return to the topic at hand. The effect can be jarring and there were several passages that I had to reread in order to pick up the flow of the narrative again. The second complaint is that he refers to shark attacks as "vicious" at least fifty times over the course of the work. I find this troubling since "vicious" implies a malicious premeditation that a shark is obviously incapable of. The complaint isn't just semantics either, given the already terrible reputation that sharks enjoy among most people. Ultimately though, those are minor complaints about an otherwise fascinating book. Fernicola has written a history that is as informative as it is easy to read. In particular, this makes for a great summertime read; the author paints such a wonderful portrait of the shore that this currently landlocked New Englander felt as if he was right on the ocean. You'll probably want to avoid "Twelve Days of Terror" if you have a weak stomach, but most people, whether they are interested in marine biology or not, will find this an excellent read. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Engaging, easy to read history of a little known epsiode
Review: "In Twelve Days Of Terror" Richard Fernicola presents the reader with a comprehensive history of the New Jersey Shark Attacks of 1916. In the process, he paints a fascinating portrait of an era that exists solely as collective nostalgia for many of us today. The attacks are presented within the context of the era, so the reader is brought back to a time before television, when newspapers fought to outdo each other with spectacular headlines and our own shores were more of a mystery than the depths of Africa. In telling the story of the attacks, Fernicola uses an informal, almost conversational style that is frequently in the first person. While this would be anathema in most history, it is highly effective in this instance. Given that his topic is not widely remembered, and that what is remembered has devolved into pseudo-mythology, this casual style captures the "novel-esque" feel of the story, while presenting the hard facts. Of particular interest was how he set the stage for the attacks: war was raging in Europe, there was a polio epidemic in New York City, submarines were cruising the coast, and the Jersey Shore was a last bastion of elegance and innocence that was about to be shattered. By presenting history in this manner, he creates a big picture view of not only the attacks themselves, but also what they did to the psyche of the nation. All style and setting aside, however, Fernicola is a medical doctor and scientist who systematically presents the fruits of his substantial research and interviews with witnesses and experts. Each attack is examined in detail: the attack patterns, the nature of the injuries (which are quite gruesome, be warned), treatments offered, etc. Then, after providing the reader with a thorough portrait of the attacks, both individually and as a whole, he builds a case for the species which he thinks committed the attacks, and whether or not it was one or several sharks. While he makes a compelling argument for that a white shark committed the attacks, in the finest tradition of research he both presents, and discusses in detail, competing theories. I have only two small complaints about this book. The first is perhaps inevitable given the informal writing style, but it bothered me nonetheless. Fernicola frequently will meander off topic as he recounts interesting historical tidbits, only to abruptly return to the topic at hand. The effect can be jarring and there were several passages that I had to reread in order to pick up the flow of the narrative again. The second complaint is that he refers to shark attacks as "vicious" at least fifty times over the course of the work. I find this troubling since "vicious" implies a malicious premeditation that a shark is obviously incapable of. The complaint isn't just semantics either, given the already terrible reputation that sharks enjoy among most people. Ultimately though, those are minor complaints about an otherwise fascinating book. Fernicola has written a history that is as informative as it is easy to read. In particular, this makes for a great summertime read; the author paints such a wonderful portrait of the shore that this currently landlocked New Englander felt as if he was right on the ocean. You'll probably want to avoid "Twelve Days of Terror" if you have a weak stomach, but most people, whether they are interested in marine biology or not, will find this an excellent read. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Note to Self: No Swimming on the Jersey Shore
Review: A few months ago I finally watched 'Jaws' for the first time. I was only 6 when it came out and I have a deep-seated (possibly genetic?) fear of huge, efficient predators with big sharp teeth--particularly predators that you don't see coming--so it took me a while to get around to the movie. There was brief mention of some shark attacks that had occurred off the NJ coast in the early 1900s. Just after I saw 'Jaws' a friend of mine got another book about the same events, 'Close to Shore', and my interest was piqued, and then I found this one. I read 'Twelve Days of Terror' in less than 24 hours (I haven't yet read 'Close to Shore'). Dr. Fernicola presents the sequence of attacks, the possible 'suspects' and diverse theories for _why_ the attacks might have happened in a highly readable text. He talks about the contemporary lack of understanding of the animals' behavior and physiology (experts of the day thought that sharks' jaws were too weak to bite through human bone) and the influence WWI may have had (did German U-boats somehow cause sharks to attack American swimmers?). He discusses certain ecological and environmental practices such as pumping sewage into the water and throwing the offal from fishing boats directly into the ocean that may have attracted some types of shark closer to the shore than they would normally have come, thereby bringing them into contact with humans. He also covers the socio-economic backdrop for these events--prosperity and increased leisure time allowed more people to take vacations and go swimming, thus bringing humans into contact with the sharks. Mostly, I was drawn in by the way he gave such detailed background information on each of the victims, tracking down friends, relatives, witnesses and neighbors and getting the human side of the story. In an inherently sensational narrative such as this, it would have been easy just to label these five men and boys as unfortunate people who were killed (or in one case, maimed) by a shark. The author fills out their lives, their families, their work, their personalities. I found this to be one of those books where I just couldn't put it down. A few little things kept this from being a five-star book. More than once while reading I got a sense of deja vu, as though certain sections had essentially been rephrased and put into the book again. Also, Dr. Fernicola's occasional use of the vernacular seemed somewhat jarring. It's one thing to use colloquial language when writing fiction or while quoting a source, but in the actual text of a well-researched and otherwise well-written work of non-fiction it can be distracting. Finally, I ran across a number of spelling and usage errors that should have been caught before the book went to print (okay, I know those are the editor's problem, not the author's, but it diminished my enjoyment of the book). Despite these few complaints, however, I would heartily recommend this book to anyone interested either in the 1916 NJ attacks specifically or in shark attacks, shark behavior and shark-human interaction in general.
Rating: 
Summary: Highly rated by shark experts
Review: A pity all the reviews that were written when this book initially came out aren't still online. For those who missed those reviews here and in the print media, note that historians and shark experts heavily endorsed this book, especially compared to the Capuzzo book (which came out at about the same time), which some even found laughable for its errors and style, but others (particularly THE NEW YORKER magazine) did enjoy. Both books are very readable, but the more authoritative is this Fernicola text - Dr. Fernicola has put in the time and leg-work getting interviews and spending time with the people and places that were involved - nothing like some good primary sources to give a extra level of validity to one's work. Yes, the book is not a perfect non-fiction text by a professional writer - instead it is a thorough and even affectionate documentation, as one can tell that Dr. Fernicola has a true appreciation and respect for these people and the unique social and political milieu of that period of our history. I personally grew up in the area that is featured, and knew some of the same families, and greatly appreciate how he depicted those persons and communities. The book is generally a fascinating read from a number of perspectives - natural history, history, and sociological/psychological. Because of this variety, I think some of the more recent reviews on this site have maybe been disappointed because they either weren't interested in all those aspects, or were just experiencing something they didn't expect. Everyone I've loaned my copy to has been impressed with the book, and one person even went and bought their own copy and a map so that she could visit many of the locations discussed in the book. Hope you like the book. If you have read the Capuzzo book, you may want to read this book as well for some more in-depth info - though things might then seem redundant - I'd recommend reading this one first, and then the Capuzzo book if you are still interested in the subject, as Mr. Capuzzo is a professional writer with his own particular writing style - just keep in mind that his text does suffer from its share of lapses. In either case, enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: A very sad book!
Review: A very sad book in more ways then one. I wonder if the Author really understood what he was writing about.A must read for anyone who wants to understand obession.
Rating:
Summary: Very thorough...
Review: Although I'm not sure that I agree with the author's conclusion, I completely appreciate the amount of study he has put into these events. The details are phenomenal, and he points out the differing views of many other experts on his own journey. It's an interesting read, if nothing else; if you're a shark buff, you really should have it.
Rating:
Summary: TERRIFYING!!
Review: Being a huge shark fan since I was 5,over the years I have done extensive reading and research on many different species and attack senarios,but none can compare to the infamous July of 1916 off the New Jersey coast.The circumstances and vicious nature of these attacks are so bizzare that they are almost unbelievable.But as they say,many times fact is stranger than fiction. This book is easily the best and most factual accounting of these 12 days,and also delves very deeply into shark behavior,attack circumstances,the (not widely accepted) rouge theory,and the the types of shark that are considered the most dangerous to man. A fantasic book for both shark and history buffs alike!! I cannot recommend it highly enough!! Excellent!!
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: Could not put it down. Read the entire book in 3 commutes to NYC. As a Jersey shore resident, I was totally taken by the true tales of the past. The depiction of the Jersey beach communities of that era made me want to be there. (Its kind of a cross between Somewhere in Time, Titanic and Jaws) The detective work made me feel like I was in the story. It'll be tough to swim in the ocean again......
Rating:
Summary: Twelve Days of Terror: Twenty Years of Research
Review: During the summer of 1916 five people were attacked by a shark (or sharks) along the coast of New Jersey's Monmouth and Ocean Counties. Four of those five, including a 12-year old boy, were killed. The fifth victim narrowly escaped the jaws of death, suffering severe wounds to his leg. These freak attacks occured within 12 days of each other during a time in American history when the foremost expers believed that sharks did not possess the necessary strength to break a human bone...Panic and near hysteria followed... Sixty-five years after the attacks, a young college student heard about the attacks during a train ride home for the holidays. The incident of the attacks and the contraversy between the leading shark experts piqued his interest. Curiosity developed into passion and that passion for the answer resulted in twenty years of investigating and a book that is one of the most thoroughly researched accountings I have ever read. Twelve Days of Terror is a novel, a diary, a medical journal, a detective story, and most assuredly the definitive investigation of the New Jersey shark attacks of 1916. The author utilized his medical school training in evaluating the evidence and spent countless hours interviewing eye-witnesses to the tragic events. Unfortunately, those eye-witnesses are now all gone, but for the field notes of the author, their story was doomed never to be told. This book is a MUST for every beach-goer this summer. It will not only intimately acquaint the reader with everything they wanted to know about shark attacks, but it will also provide a rare glimpse into the behind-the-scene politics and social aspects of the early 20th century.
Rating:
Summary: finally finally
Review: Finally the world will see the Twelve Days of Terror on the screen in all it's Glory. Fernicola has sold the film rights to his masterpiece to CBS and left all the competition behind. His book provides so much material that the only person who should be blamed for not finding it intriguing are the shallowest of readers. I just hope they include Fernicola as a character. Obviously he's now part of the story. Plus did you see what he looks like on MSNBC....HMMMM
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