Shark Attacks of the Twentieth Century: From the Pacific Coast of North America [Hardcover]

Ralph S. Collier (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The cover of this grisly book about Pacific Coast shark attacks cautions that the volume contains graphic photos, but it's the matter-of-fact, dry reporting of each shark attack that makes this volume particularly gruesome. Collier, president of the Shark Research Committee in California, details every known shark attack in the area-the majority of which seemed to have occurred between northern California and Oregon. Each entry is identified by its case number (going from number 1 in 1926 to 108 in 1999), and each contains medical records and quotations from the survivors. In 1991, Eric Larsen remembers being attacked by a 25-foot Great White north of Santa Cruz: "I hoped it was an Elephant Seal, when I looked down to see teeth and a huge mouth wrapped around my left leg." A map of the attack accompanies the narrative, as well as a photo of the beach and of his wounds. Most of the cases involved surfers and divers, few were casual swimmers. Collier closes his book with chapters and graphs discussing shark attack statistics. As a document of attacks alone, the book is shockingly absorbing.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Publisher

The word shark is hardwired into our consciousness like few other words. Throughout history and across cultures, attacks by sharks are the stuff of legend, literature and news and while the body of knowledge about them grows, the misconceptions persist. Yet, lurking in the deep, somewhere between media hype and the primal fear of shark attacks, are the facts that ocean enthusiasts, researchers and scientists want and can use.

Until now, the inquisitive had virtually no place to go to investigate whether patterns exist in shark attacks. There was no cross-reference of data about when, where and how attacks took place. Most important of all, aside from simply staying out of the water, there was no resource to rely on for alternatives so as not to become the next unfortunate victim. Does the color of wetsuit worn make a difference? Are some months more ‘sharky’ than others for surfing, swimming, kayaking and diving along the Pacific Coast? Are some places less or more likely to have Great White Sharks that might be inclined to take a bite out of you? What are the odds that you might be attacked?

These questions and many more are answered in "SHARK ATTACKS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY: From the Pacific Coast of North America," the single most historically valuable book ever written on the subject. Through bone-chilling accounts in victim’s own words, this book accurately chronicles every known unprovoked shark attack that occurred along the Pacific Coast during the entire Twentieth Century. The author’s examination of wound characteristics, "recurring locations," and the curious phenomenon of attacks on inanimate objects afford astonishing insights into why sharks attack. These insights form the foundation for his safety recommendations to specific ocean user groups. Current hypothesis of shark attack motivation are reviewed and compared with actual case histories. It is the encyclopedia for the subject and will be of inestimable value to scientists, researchers, the media, and anyone interested in the ocean and apex predators. The understanding you gain from this book will temper your fears with knowledge and provide you with clear and specific information about shark attacks.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 263 pages
• Publisher: Scientia Publishing, LLC (November 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971971749
• ISBN-13: 978-0971971745
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 9.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #785,155 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Shark Attack Book Available, October 20, 2005

By 

Stephan Bullard "sgbullard" (Hartford, CT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shark Attacks of the Twentieth Century: From the Pacific Coast of North America (Hardcover)

This is without a doubt the best shark attack book I have ever read. The book documents 108 attacks on humans and 17 attacks on other objects (boats, traps, dogs, etc). Each attack is described in a detailed, scientific manner. When possible, the sea conditions and weather conditions at the time of attack are included. Most descriptions are 1-3 pages long. The book ends with an analysis and discussion section (40 total pages long) with all of the attack data summarized in highly-readable graphs and charts.

In addition to the detailed attacks descriptions (which are excellent), the book possesses two features which make it stand head and shoulders above all others. First, the location of each attack is precisely indicated on high resolution NOAA charts. This allows you to determine, almost to the exact foot, where each attack took place. Second, the book contains numerous color photographs of attack sites and some very rare pictures of attack victims. For instance there is a photograph of Albert Kogler and Shirley O'Neill on the beach after the attack on Kogler; I have never see this picture before despite reading literally every shark attack book I could find. The attack site photographs are particularly helpful because no amount of description can really explain what a site looks like. Seeing it for yourself brings it to life.

I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in sharks or shark attacks. I also recommend it to marine biologists and divers who can use the included maps to avoid areas with a track record of shark attacks.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shark Attacks of the Twentieth Century, August 4, 2004

By 

Cash McConnell - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shark Attacks of the Twentieth Century: From the Pacific Coast of North America (Hardcover)

Homer wrote in the Iliad, " There can be no covenant between lions and men." The same can be said about the relationship between man and shark.

Ralph Collier, one of the foremost White Shark experts in the world, documents each reported shark attack in the last 100 years on the Pacific Coast of the USA in his book "Shark Attacks of the 20th Century."

Anyone who has ever put as much as their little toe in the Pacific Ocean will find this book an interesting read. The victims include swimmers, surfers, divers, dogs and inanimate objects.

I have surfed many of the breaks between San Diego and Humboldt, and found my heart racing whenever a familiar spot was involved in a shark attack.

The book is full of statistics. Some are the location of attack, water and weather conditions, marine life being present or not, but the most impressive fact is the shear courage of the victim and, if involved, the rescuers. The overwhelming percentage of attacks involved the Great White and the fact that anyone could survive a physical confrontation with one of these animals is still hard to imagine.

If at all able, the victims would fight with the shark while in it's jaws using what ever might be handy, an abalone rod, clinched fist or surfboard. Then, they would swim or be helped by a friend to safety. Once they were taken care of medically within days or months they would return to the ocean.

Another interesting statistic is that 38 percent of the shark attacks were at isolated locations. This fact is enough to validate the wary feeling some people get every time they enter the ocean.

Cash McConnell

Founder and Inventor

Sharkcamo.com

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shark Attacks of the Twentieth Century is Awesome!, April 1, 2004

By 

Justin T. Wagner "Nessie's 3rd victim" (Anchorage, AK.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shark Attacks of the Twentieth Century: From the Pacific Coast of North America (Hardcover)

"Shark Attacks of the Twentieth Century" is a must own for shark fanatics! If you have any interest in sharks or are just fascinated by shark attacks, this book is for you.

Collier hooks you from the first page to the last, in this incredible account of Pacific Coast shark attacks. Each attack is seperated into it's own case, with location of attack, quotes from the victim, possible species of shark responsible for the attack, and some cases have photos. An incredible amount of research went into the production of this book and it's easy to see that from the beginning. I couldn't put it down!

Collier also informs the reader of shark biology and physiology, showing us that sharks aren't monsters, but animals supremely adapted to their environment with an insaciable sense of curiousty and highly developed senses. Sharks are dangerous, yet beautiful and deserve our respect.

I guarantee that once you pick up this book you won't be able to put it down. This is the best shark attack book I've ever read, and probably ever will read!