A giant man-eating great white shark attacks beachgoers on Amity, a seaside resort town on Long Island, prompting the local police chief to hunt it with the help of a marine biologist and a professional shark hunter.  Peter Benchley’s classic suspense novel, Jaws, pitting shark versus man, was made into the blockbuster Steven Spielberg movie.  The Jaws phenomenon changed popular culture and continues to inspire a growing interest in sharks and the oceans today.

When Peter Benchley wrote Jaws in the early 1970s, he meticulously researched all available data about shark behavior.  Over the ensuing decades, Benchley was actively engaged with scientists and filmmakers on expeditions around the world as they expanded their knowledge of sharks.  Also during this time, there was an unprecedented upswing in the number of sharks killed to make shark-fin soup, and Benchley worked with governments and nonprofits to sound the alarm for shark conservation.  He encouraged each new generation of Jaws fans to enjoy his riveting tale and to channel their excitement into support and protection of these magnificent, prehistoric apex predators and their ocean habitat.

A must have book for any beach house as ranked # 62 of the 100 best beach books ever.  Published in 1974.  Paperback.