Michael CapuzzoReseñas

"Close To Shore" by Michael Capuzzo is a fascinating book that details the series of shark attacks on the New Jersey coast during the summer of 1916. Through vivid descriptions of the luxurious hotels, posh lifestyle, and attitudes towards leisure time on the East Coast, the author immerses the reader in the mood of the times. Against the backdrop of war and polio, swimming in the ocean for better health has become a popular trend. However, a rogue great white shark took advantage of this and caused widespread horror and panic. The book is a thrilling and informative account of the events and compares today's scientific knowledge with the theories of the early twentieth century. It is a must-read for anyone interested in sharks and their interactions with humans.

Loved this book. As a lifelong fan of Jaws- it was great to get the true story behind the movie. I'd read about it previously-but this book gives you the whole package, maintaining the tension and interest of the fictional movie. Not everyone wh enters the water is shark bait-but yoiu are never quite sure-he maintains the suspense while even creating a smidgen-a tiny one- of understanding for the lost & confused shark
fantastic

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.

Interesting but I found it disjointed and a bit hard to follow. One chapter would deal with a murder and the resolution was only found in a later chapter. I am impressed by the evident research and gathering of facts about not only the murders but the members but again, I found it disjointed.

Capuzzo intertwines the biographies of Frank Bender, Richard Walter, and William Fleisher as a way to tell the story of the Vidocq Society, a group of storied individuals who solve cold cases. The work of the Vidocq Society and of the three subjects in the book is valuable and interesting. However, the way that the book tells their story leaves something to be desired.

The organization of the book was the most confusing for me. I found it difficult to follow the timeline of events mentioned in the book, particularly because it jumps back and forth to different periods in time and different locations in the United States. At times, it made this read rather frustrating. Some parts of the book felt quite disjointed to me, whereas others flowed decently well.

The content that Capuzzo touched on was difficult to read, both because of his graphic description of cases and because of his writing style. I found it to be quite dry. However, his meticulous documentation demonstrates that he has done his research for the book. I personally was not a fan of just how precise his details were, but perhaps others will appreciate the depth he goes into when describing his subjects.

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When I read the cover I thought the book was fiction and had to look on the spine a few times to reassure myself that it had numbers and not letters. It is the amazing story of crime fighters William Fleisher, Frank Bender and Richard Walter. Each brings something different to the table that enables cold cases to be solved. Check out on YouTube "RSA Conference 2011 Keynote - "The Murder Room": Breaking the Coldest Cases - Michael Capuzzo" to whet your appetite. The book doesn't really end as much as it hints to what the men will be doing after the author closes his account.

If you look at my reading list you'll see I'm eclectic, but this is probably not one you'd think would be there. But it is New Jersey history and I like know as much as I can about my home state. A lot of weird things happen in New Jersey.

Michael Capuzzo told the story from the timeline of the shark and the people the shark was about to encounter. It was a novel approach. The shark was more "confirmed" gone more by lack of attacks than by acceptance that he had been killed.

I feel Mr. Capuzzo tried to tell an unbiased story. This allowed me to unravel how sharks got their differing reputations. It was also fun to see the genesis for the story of Jaws. I recommend the book.

I really enjoyed this historical read. It moved a little show in the beginning when introducing the characters, but it picked up after a few chapters.

Whew! I made it through this retelling of the grizzly shark attacks of 1916. I loved all the rich historical details that puts the reader right in the year 1916, along with feeling as you are an actual eye witness to each terrifying shark attack. You don’t want to miss this book. Just make sure you read it AFTER your beach vacation. 😀

Well researched and well written. Better than the movie, Jaws. The real story. Highly recommended.

I loved this book.

Review coming soon at theliterarywhore.info

An interesting read. Perhaps a little disjointed. Not sure whether that was done for suspense or chronology, but I found cases jumping around more annoying than anything. Still, an educational read if somewhat wishy washy.

From the disaster response reading program, this is a melodramatic page turner, but a well-done melodramatic page-turner. Author Michael Capuzzo is a journalist, so we get a lot of the tradition for this sort of thing – backstories of the doomed and the survivors. Charles Vansant was a doctor’s son and recent Penn graduate; Charles Bruder was the bell captain at a beachfront hotel; Lester Stilwell was a preteen taking a break from his summer job in a basket factory, and Stanley Fisher was a tailor who went to rescue Stilwell. Of course, the shark has no name.


Being a nerd, I don’t really care about the backstories; that Charles Vansant’s father wore a pocket watch; that Charles Bruder sent money home to his mom in Switzerland; that Lester Stilwell was frail or that Stanley Fisher’s friend were surprised when the amateur athlete took up a career as a tailor. Still, it’s well done; Capuzzo does manage to evoke a summer at the beach in 1916, with ladies in long white dresses promenading along the shore while their bolder girlfriends entered the water and young men showed off their physiques as far as it was possible in a two piece bathing suit. I want to know more about the shark. Alas, that’s still mysterious. The shark is a character and Capuzzo tries to portray its “thoughts” insofar as it had any; but those chapters are unsatisfactory. What’s known is that there were fatal attacks at Beach Haven on July 1, 1916 (Charles Vansant - in three feet of water); at Spring Lake on July 6 (Charles Bruner, about 130 feet from shore); and at Matawan on July 12 (Lester Stilwell and Stanley Fisher, in Matawan Creek, 15 miles from the ocean and in perhaps 8 feet of brackish water). There was a nonfatal attack downstream in Matawan Creek later on July 12; Joseph Dunn’s friends were able to pull him free from the shark. On July 14 Michael Schleisser and John Murphy were fishing in Raritan Bay when they caught something large in their net. This turned out to be a shark; its struggles were so fierce the engine stopped and for a while the boat was pulled backward. The shark then apparently tried to get into the boat; Schleisser hit it on the head with an oar until it died. Schleisser was a taxidermist; the shark was a juvenile great white, about seven feet long and three hundred pounds. Schleisser removed about 15 pounds of flesh and bones from the stomach. Schleisser sent the stomach contents of his shark to Dr. Fredrick Lucas at the AMNH for identification, and Lucas replied “They are parts of the left radius and ulna of[sic] one of the anterior left ribs.” – which fit the description of what was missing from Lester Stilwell when his body was recovered. Nowadays there would be DNA matching but it wasn’t available in 1916.


The experts of the day, both scientists and fishermen, initially didn’t believe a shark was responsible. And they had no reason to; there had been no documented shark attack north of Cape Hatteras in the entire recorded history of North America. The general belief was that sharks didn’t attack humans; about 20 years before New York sportsman had offered a $1000 reward for proof of a shark attack and there were no takers. Certainly there were rumors from the tropics and even a photograph of what seemed to be a shark engulfing a boy but these were dismissed. Although the eyewitnesses said it was a “fish” that had attacked Vansant, the story was garbled by the time it got to the press. Local fishermen speculated a giant swordfish or a sea turtle might have been responsible; ichthyologists at the American Museum of Natural History confirmed that sharks didn’t attack humans, and couldn’t bite hard enough to sever a bone even if they did attack. After Bruder was killed John Nichols of the AMNH inspected his body; he still didn’t think a shark was involved and decided it must have been an orca. The creek attacks finally convinced people there was a shark; the AMNH scientists retracted their previous position. Locals set out shark patrols, firing at everything that moved and dynamiting the creek and the ocean in the interim. The Coast Guard cutter Mohawk was deployed. Schleisser and Murphy’s catch finally put an end to the panic.


Capuzzo is pleasantly readable when he talks about life on the beach in 1916; he good at evoking the atmosphere. Elegant ladies in long dresses and huge hats stroll along the boardwalk while their more adventurous sisters don their bathing dresses, bathing trunks, bathing hose, and bathing shoes to enter the water with police matrons ready to arrest anyone who shows too much skin. Young men disport themselves hoping to impress some of the bathing beauties (Their chests, of course, had to be covered but you had the right to bare arms in New Jersey). It being Jersey, mosquitoes are ubiquitous. There’s a war on in Europe but Wilson has kept us out of it.


The shark is less well handled. The chapters that describe things from the shark’s point of view seem contrived. While Capuzzo uses a lot of primary sources – newspaper articles, college yearbooks, etc. – for the human characters, shark behavior comes from popular works. Popular works are OK as far as they go, of course, but Capuzzo’s speculations and assumptions on why the shark broke precedent and attacked people in New Jersey in 1916 aren’t very convincing. Caught in the Gulf Stream and carried away for normal foraging ground? Phase of the moon? Confused by numerous signals in the water? Capuzzo implies that the same shark was responsible for all the attacks and that it was the shark that Schleisser and Murphy caught, and that that shark was a juvenile great white; that’s the way I’d bet too but a little googling discloses shark experts aren’t completely sure; bull sharks are frequently implicated in attacks on people and are much more comfortable in fresh water. In 1937 a five-foot bull shark was caught in Alton, Illinois, 1750 miles (as the shark swims) up the Mississippi. Makes me kind of nervous about wading in the Platte. Or taking a bath.


Well, pleasant enough and just the thing for summer beach reading. No pictures; as mentioned references are mostly contemporary for 1916 ambiance but modern popular works for sharks. One good map of New Jersey, but it could use some symbols showing where the attacks took place and the dates.

This was a fascinating book chronicling the founding and processes of the Vidocq Society, a members-only crime solving club that meets monthly in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and reviews cold cases over a gourmet lunch. Society members (or VSM’s) are forensic professionals of all sorts, and from all over the world. This book focuses primarily on the Society’s three founding members William Fleisher, Frank Bender, and Richard Walter. The cases and how they are reviewed and solved were fascinating if sometimes disturbing. The subject matter is not for the sensitive; some of the cases involve murdered children. The case of “The Boy in the Box” who became ”America’s Unknown Child” is the case that flows throughout the book like a thread. In the beginning of the book there seemed to be a lot of names thrown at you at once, and it was confusing sorting out the individuals. But eventually the author did a good job in establishing the character of the three founding members of the Society. I would recommend this book to anyone with a strong stomach and an interest in modern crime solving methods.

The Vidocq Society which was started by three men who were in the criminal justice profession, is a group of highly trained, highly intelligent, and highly respected men and women who take on cold cases. It is so interesting how they take on these old cases and try to bring justice to these long forgotten victims. This group of individuals combines science, police work, and art to catch these illusive criminals who think they have gotten away with their crime. They also give names to some victims who have never before been identified. This group is made up of very interesting personalities, but it seems to work as they have solved many cold cases over the years. While not as interesting as Close to the Shore, which is also by Capuzzo, this is a must read.

Excellently written, this page turner was well worth the time spent reading. I was particularly drawn to it because the New Jersey shore is approximately a two hour drive from where I live, and it contains many good memories of riding the waves, tasting the salt water for the first time, the sounds and smells of the boardwalk, and wonderful family vacations.

During the summer of 1916, when vacationing at the "shore" became a new experience, a rouge shark thrown out of the gulf stream into the Atlantic ocean shore, caused five attacks and deaths. Little was known about the great white shark at the time. And those who were "experts" disbelieved that a shark would be capable of chomping off the legs and body parts of human prey.

Even the ichthyologist John Treadwell from the New York Museum of Natural History was challenged to confront what he thought was true compared to what actually occurred. The first attack in July of 1916 occurred at Beach Heaven, NJ. The target was a seasoned swimmer, and son of a wealthy Philadelphia physician. From there, the shark hugged the coast northward as a farrm boy in the Matawan Creek who, with his pals frequently took a dip to cool themselves became another target.

Not only does the author vividly portray the attacks, but it is obvious that he has done his homework and researched the behavior of the great white! This fascinating true life story occurred at a time when jazz was new, Philadelphia high society carved a niche as New Jersey shore became their playground, while the poor who road the trains to the water for relief from the high temperatures were deemed unfit for the company of the wealthy. Swimming in the ocean was a novelty, and none thought that death could be a part of their experience.

A series of attacks off the Jersey shore caused death, fear and a greater understanding of the Great White shark. Until this series of attacks, scientists had mostly dismissed stories of deadly shark attacks as myths, believing that sharks were incapable of seriously harming humans.
The reader can't help but compare the information about sharks we have now to one hundred years ago. That even the director of The Museum of Natural History in 1916 could claim that a shark's jaws weren't strong enough to bite through a human leg seems ludicrous, but he was going on the very little information available to someone even in his position. The sudden popularity in sea bathing, the new opportunities for the average person to travel to the shore by way of train, trolley or motorcar, and the fact that the resort cities were dumping human waste and fish guts into the ocean made it a draw for predators.

I would have liked to rate this book higher based on the actual shark accounts, and general shark information. But the author spends too much time on irrelevant information and florid passages. He quotes Walt Whitman and Fitzgerald repeatedly. He re-creates the life of a man named Dr. Eugene Vansant in minute detail over the course of several chapters, telling the reader about each member of Vansant's family, their dining habits, his parenting style... only to find out that it's the man's grownson who was attacked by the shark. The second half of the book moves much faster.
This should have been more shark, less padding, but still good information about the habits of Great Whites.½

"Close to Shore" tells me the tale of the 1916 Jersey Shore shark attacks. Capuzzo transports the reader into 1916 by giving a perspective of America at the time. The shark attacks, from the point of view of the people in 1916, were mysterious and unnerving, they were not even sure if some sharks were dangerous to man (dismissing stories of such things as ignorant or superstitious). The narrative builds up slowly to the first attack and is described with loving attention and detail, and achieves great effect by the time the first attack is described.

Capuzzo mainly concentrates on the idea that there was only one shark, a great white shark. He ignores the possibility that there could have been more than one shark, possibly a bull shark and not a great white. This detracts from the work a little as it's supposed to be a historical book.
That said, the book is an good, page-turning read and I couldn't put it down.

In what I took to be a series of vignettes, Capuzzo leads us on a journey into the mind of the sadistic, sexual, serial killer. His style led me to see this was a much better story than when I originally picked up the book. Not until I discovered a sheath of photographs halfway through the book did I realize this was in fact an actual true-crime book. The stories he had woven together where stranger than fiction and all of them chillingly real.
From cold-case headlines, predominantly, at least initially in the Philadelphia, PA area we learn about a pro-bono, crime-fighting unit named the Vidocq Society. The group, formed by former FBI agent and private detective William Fleisher, psychic forensic artist Frank Bender and forensic psychologist Richard Walter lead us through the most bizarre, traumatic crimes ever committed, and one by one, with help from the other society members, finally put to rest scores of unsolved murders.
During brainstorming sessions where lunch was often, ‘chicken, steamed vegetables and a corpse with a small and unforgettable face’ these miracle workers brought closure to many a forgotten family who were glad to know these, ‘were men who had a green thumb in the garden of death.’ Without impeding on going, police investigations they refused any case until it was at least two-years-old. Many cases where two decades old. They discussed centuries old murders and had a melding of minds and enjoyed lively discussions with like-minded individuals.
These larger than life characters will open your eyes and your minds to the impossible, and transport you to a world you don’t want to believe exists outside of your comfortable living room.

In what I took to be a series of vignettes, Capuzzo leads us on a journey into the mind of the sadistic, sexual, serial killer. His style led me to see this was a much better story than when I originally picked up the book. Not until I discovered a sheath of photographs halfway through the book did I realize this was in fact an actual true-crime book. The stories he had woven together where stranger than fiction and all of them chillingly real.
From cold-case headlines, predominantly, at least initially in the Philadelphia, PA area we learn about a pro-bono, crime-fighting unit named the Vidocq Society. The group, formed by former FBI agent and private detective William Fleisher, psychic forensic artist Frank Bender and forensic psychologist Richard Walter lead us through the most bizarre, traumatic crimes ever committed, and one by one, with help from the other society members, finally put to rest scores of unsolved murders.
During brainstorming sessions where lunch was often, ‘chicken, steamed vegetables and a corpse with a small and unforgettable face’ these miracle workers brought closure to many a forgotten family who were glad to know these, ‘were men who had a green thumb in the garden of death.’ Without impeding on going, police investigations they refused any case until it was at least two-years-old. Many cases where two decades old. They discussed centuries old murders and had a melding of minds and enjoyed lively discussions with like-minded individuals.
These larger than life characters will open your eyes and your minds to the impossible, and transport you to a world you don’t want to believe exists outside of your comfortable living room.

In what I took to be a series of vignettes, Capuzzo leads us on a journey into the mind of the sadistic, sexual, serial killer. His style led me to see this was a much better story than when I originally picked up the book. Not until I discovered a sheath of photographs halfway through the book did I realize this was in fact an actual true-crime book. The stories he had woven together where stranger than fiction and all of them chillingly real.
From cold-case headlines, predominantly, at least initially in the Philadelphia, PA area we learn about a pro-bono, crime-fighting unit named the Vidocq Society. The group, formed by former FBI agent and private detective William Fleisher, psychic forensic artist Frank Bender and forensic psychologist Richard Walter lead us through the most bizarre, traumatic crimes ever committed, and one by one, with help from the other society members, finally put to rest scores of unsolved murders.
During brainstorming sessions where lunch was often, ‘chicken, steamed vegetables and a corpse with a small and unforgettable face’ these miracle workers brought closure to many a forgotten family who were glad to know these, ‘were men who had a green thumb in the garden of death.’ Without impeding on going, police investigations they refused any case until it was at least two-years-old. Many cases where two decades old. They discussed centuries old murders and had a melding of minds and enjoyed lively discussions with like-minded individuals.
These larger than life characters will open your eyes and your minds to the impossible, and transport you to a world you don’t want to believe exists outside of your comfortable living room.

Having grown up on the Jersey Shore and being a history nerd I was surprised I had never heard of these event before. That was why when I got the chance to read [Michael Capuzzo's] [Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916] I was so excited. I really enjoyed the description of places I knew from growing up but described in their heyday as opposed to the dilapidated ruins I remember seeing.

[Capuzzo] describes a Jersey Shore of elegance and enjoyment. When it was a status symbol to escape the cities. 1916 was a time of great turmoil with health crisis and a potential war in Europe so people flocked to the shore to escape all this but another danger lurked just off shore.

I know others who have read this book and wish they had introduced me to it sooner because it was an enjoyable, interesting and enlightening read of history and nature.

One in three murders are unsolved in the US and The Vidocq Society, named for the father of criminalistics, was formed. The Society is made up of top lawmen and criminal investigators in the world who meet once a month to have lunch and hear about an unsolved murder case. During the period covered (through 2011) they had consulted on 300 cold cases and came up with the tips and advice and that resulted in 90% solved. This book tells the story of the group's founding and really gathers steam as it switches back-and-forth through the cases that were solved. The focus is on three founding members...an ex-FBI agent turned private investigator who held the group together, an artist who constructed busts of victims and long-missing criminals, and a, English-born, brutally-direct prison psychiatrist who resembles Basil Rathbone and considers himself one of 5 or 6 worthwhile criminal profilers. Great book.

Frank Bender, a forensic sculptor, Richard Walter, criminal profiler and U.S. Customs Agent William Fleischer are as different as three individuals can be, yet they share one thing in common; an unwavering desire to find the truth about crimes. Together they formed the Vidocq society. Named after the French “father of criminology” they invite law enforcement specialists from all over the world to their monthly luncheon meetings in Philadelphia, where along with the meal the society is served cold cases. They have rules and standards and never get involved with ongoing investigations. They must be invited by the local authorities where the case took place and do not involve themselves in cases such as gang related activities.

The Vidocq society has been featured on television shows such as America’s Most Wanted and ABC’s Dateline and 48 Hours. If you are a fan of either of those shows or find yourself watching CSI or Criminal Minds this is a book you want to pick up. Well written and well documented the only complaint I have is that the book is a little disjointed. The reader is introduced immediately to the case of the “Boy in the Box” yet must wait until the final pages of the book to discover the murderer. The thread is carried throughout the book, interspersed with biographies of the criminologists and other cases. Despite that one flaw (in my humble opinion) this book is truly fascinating. A must read for true crime enthusiasts.