Rating: 
Summary: A book for those truly interested in sharks.
Review: Richard Fernicola is a doctor, not a professional writer. His
narrative does not have the polish of the best-seller or the
ultimate summer beach book. What it does have is information.
Lots of it. And while not slick, it reads well enough. There are
chapters you will not be able to put down, and when it comes to
the description of the actual attacks of 1916, Dr. Fernicola's
medical training gives him the ability to paint graphic and
gripping pictures in the reader's mind. This is an author who
not only knows his subject, but knows it well and places it in a
wider context. Dr. Fernicola knows sharks. He uses the 1916
New Jersey incidents as a platform to instruct the reader in
our knowledge of sharks both then and now, and succeeds
admirably. Buy CLOSE TO SHORE if you want a good read. Buy
TWELVE DAYS OF TERROR if you want to learn something from an
author who truly appreciates the shark as a marvelous work of
nature, in spite of the fact that it occasionally takes a bite
out of humanity. (This book has a wonderful selection of period
photographs of the principals involved in the events of 1916
which very effectively ground the incredible text to historical reality.)
Rating: 
Summary: Its all been said Before
Review: The Doctors first book coverd most of the subject matter in this book. I can't say that this is very impressive.
Rating: 
Summary: 2 Stars for the 20% of the Book Worth Reading
Review: The first 70 pages, detailing the local history and the actual shark attacks, were interesting and engaging to this Jersey shore enthusiast. Afterward, the author lurches through a mind-numbing, ambling, confusing discussion of what kind(s) of shark might have been responsible for the attacks. I wondered at various points whether Dr. Fernicola might have been paid by the word. In any event, buy this book (if you must--I'll give you my copy for free!) for the history. Watch "Shark Week" on the Discovery Channel for a coherent analysis of shark behavior.
Rating:
Summary: Twelve Hours of Tedium
Review: The only reason I gave this wretched book even 1 star was due to the author's enthusiasm for the subject, beyond that he fails in nearly every aspect. I'm usually a forgiving reader but after suffering through this tome I feel like a victim of a different type of attack; bad writing, meandering conjecturing, overuse of the word "I", and painful explorations of unrelated minutia.I bought this book after reading Michael Capuzzo's "Close To Shore" concerning the 1916 Jersey shark attacks, thinking that perhaps Fernicola would give another informative narrative of the subject. Instead Fernicola writes like a shark; attacking his subject at random, circling and backtracking only to strike again elsewhere, leaving the reader dazed and confused. Rarely has the need of an editor been more evident than in this case, by the end of the book the subject is left a dead and lifeless corpse torn and viciously abused. What few little nuggets of information Fernicola's research has uncovered are hardly worth the effort of struggling through the strong current of babble. In my opinion if you want to read a well written account of the 1916 Jersey shark attacks avoid this one as you would a wounded, angry shark! Instead invest your time and money in Capuzzo's "Close To Shore" which is a pleasant, informative read that leaves you satisfied while "Twelve Days of Terror" leaves you feeling like a mauled corpse.
Rating: 
Summary: Facinating...don't read this at the beach
Review: The shark attacks off the New Jersey shore were doomed to fade into almost urban mythology. Richard Fernicola has painstakingly researched the twelve days of horror that held a nation in its grip. The first strike, July 1 was on an unsuspecting Charles Vansant, in which eyewitnesses report the agressor shark actually held on,and or followed its prey into the shallows. Fernicola has gathered all the available accounts (since eyewitnesses were dead, he turned to family members, newspaper archives and books)and has pieced together an account of the mounting terror until July 12, the deadliest day (two killed and one maimed) and last reported killings. This is an engrossing look into a time when not much was known about sharks and when newspapers were depended upon to deliver the news. It also gives a detailed look into sharks and their history as man eaters. The most interesting portion of the book, after the actual accounting of the people involved and the attacks themselves, is the medical renderings of each victim's wounds and an accounting of the actual cause of death. This is an engrossing book, and it is well researched. It is a time capsule of sorts, reopening the time when there was belief that a mackeral had inflicted the wounds, that the Germans were attracting the sharks with some new secret gadget, when a day at the beach was a simple day at the beach.
Rating:
Summary: Talky, Manages to Take A Gripping Story and Make it Boring
Review: The title of my post is perhaps unduly harsh, but the parts of the book dealing with the actual series of incidents that took place in 1916 are remarkably poorly narrated. The author jams in a great deal of material that would better belong in footnotes and his exposition scenes seem to go on forever. Then there is just material that doesn't belong in a book titled "Twelve Days of Terror" at all. Do we really care to hear anecdotes about the author's attempts to find the gravestones of the victims or how one potential interview subject kicked off (i.e. died of old age) before he could get to her house? I sure don't. Don't get me wrong. The book's sections that deal with "sea tigers" are fascinating. I, for one, did not know that dolphins are afraid to tangle with bull sharks and that seals will sometimes leap into a fisherman's boat in a desperate effort to evade being eaten by the predators of the deep. That stuff is interesting and germane. But going on endlessly about the history of some small town in New Jersey is definitely not. I think I should have bought "Close to Shore."
Rating:
Summary: Shark Attacks the Jersey Shore
Review: This is a history of the shark attacks that occurred in July 1916. The "Introduction" provides a snapshot of that era, and there is a great selection of photographs. The advantage of the Jersey Shore was not just the cool sea breezes; it was a haven from hay-fever, and the noxious smells of the city. Page 4 tells of the attack on Charles VanSant, who went into the sea with a dog. The signs say "No Dogs on the Beach" because swimming dogs attract sharks! Academic experts considered such shark attacks as impossible in these waters. Resort owners talked down any fears of more attacks, which caused lost business. Then attacks in Matawan creek created a bigger sensation. People bought dynamite from hardware stores and threw it into the creek to kill the shark. People were warned against swimming near inlets of deep channels. Page 98 quotes statistics that minimize the chance of a shark attack: only 5 to 10 deaths each year. But another book pointed out that newspapers are more likely to report "injured while swimming" than a "shark attack". I remember the event in the summer of 1949 near Asbury Park when a young man was "injured while swimming" (no mention of a shark); he died a few days later. They are called "man eaters" because Caucasian males aged 15 to 24 years account for the vast majority of victims (p.101). This also correlates to drowning deaths. Warm-blooded sharks tend to feed on calorie-rich fatty seals and whales; humans are nutrition-poor (p.116). 1916 was the first year that sewage was piped into the coastal waters off NJ. This could feed small creatures, and the larger ones higher on the food chain. Fishermen disposed of fish parts close to shore; "chumming" is known to attract predators. Heavy rains could also wash out food for sea creatures. This may be one reason why shore resorts use holding tanks during the tourist season. Since the Marine Mammal Protection Act was passed in 1972, the number of marine mammals has increased in California, along with white shark attacks (p.262). An example of "unintended consequences"? How would the press deal with a shark attack? Since the loss of tourists means a loss of advertising revenue, any bad news could be censored. They could print articles about spotting dolphins off the beach - proof that no sharks were around (p.270). A classic example of thought-control: people would see what they were told to expect. Science does not believe in the "rogue shark" theory, altho rogues occur with lions, tigers, and elephants. This behavior may be caused by an ailment. The last chapter explains why the great white shark caught off South Amboy was responsible for the attacks in Matawan creek and elsewhere.
Rating:
Summary: Sharkfest!
Review: This is a must buy for any shark enthusiast. Generally, the book is easy to read, has ample illustrations, and is a pleasantly presented analytical presentation of the 1916 attacks. At times, the style is somewhat rambling in nature, and a few of the anecdotes are not well integrated into the rest of the narrative. A few parts tend to be repetitive, but this can also be helpful for the general reader for reinforcement of some of the concepts. It is not the easiest thing to do to tie together U. S. cultural history with shark biology, but Fernicola has done a pretty good job of it here. He has also made a pretty good case for which type of shark should probably be implicated in the 1916 attacks. Definitely a good summer read!
Rating:
Summary: Jaws was based on these events
Review: This is a riveting tale whose events led to the creation of Jaws. Fernicola clearly and brilliantly tells this historical tale such that the book must be read in 1 sitting. This book, unlike others which attempt to tell this story of actual events, is based upon the author's meticulous research which even included interviewing the last of the surviving witnesses. It is a must have.
Rating:
Summary: WOW !!
Review: This is easily the finest shark attack book ever written. Clearly written and filled with exciting drama and facts... No equals. I can't wait for the CBS movie!
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