Close to Shore by Michael Capuzzo

This is a non-fiction piece about shark attacks along the Jersey shore in 1916. While the descriptive attacks by these flesh-eating sea creatures are somewhat intriguing, overall this book bites (hee hee). Interspersed between shark attacks are lengthy descriptions of American History during WWI, which for some reason just didn’t engage me. However, I did find it interesting that the American people emphatically requested that President Wilson do something to protect them from the sharks. (Wilson actually called in the coast guard and ended up declaring war on sharks – seriously, he did.) I found this kind of innocent, childish trust in the president to be rare and endearing. Favorite Quote: “The citizens of New Jersey, New York, and other coastal states had sent a torrent of telegrams and letters to the White House beseeching the President of the United States to slay a man-eating sea monster.”