Here is Peter Benchley's classic suspense novel of shark versus man, which 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.
This edition of "Jaws" contains bonus content from Peter Benchley's archives, including the original typed title page, a brainstorming list of possible titles, a letter from Benchley to producer David Brown with honest feedback on the movie adaptation, and excerpts from Benchley's book "Shark Trouble" highlighting his firsthand account of writing "Jaws, " selling it to Universal Studios, and working with Steven Spielberg.
"NEW YORK TIMES" BESTSELLER
"A tightly written, tautly paced study of terror that] makes us tingle."--"The Washington Post"
"Powerful . . . Benchley's] story grabs you at once."--"The New York Times Book Review"
"Relentless terror . . . You'd better steel yourself for this one. It isn't a tale for the faint of heart."--"The Philadelphia Inquirer"
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"Pure engrossment from the very opening . . . a fine story told with style, class, and a splendid feeling for suspense."--"Chicago Sun-Times"

In this innovative book which combines real-life stories and practical advice, Peter Benchley draws on more than 30 years of experience on and under the water, to help the reader approach the ocean and its inhabitants with the understanding and respect they deserve.

He describes the many types of sharks, and the few that pose a genuine threat to man, what is and what is not known about shark behaviour, the odds against an attack, and how to reduce these odds even further, all reinforced by personal experience: the mistakes he has made and the personal perils he has encountered while producing countless articles and television documentaries as well as his novels.

Benchley tells us how to swim safely, how to read tides and currents, and how to survive when danger suddenly strikes. He discusses what to tell children about sharks and the sea and how to develop a healthy respect for the sea.

Immerse yourself in the terror of Peter Benchley's vintage thriller, Jaws. Released in 1974 and inspiring Spielberg's cinematic masterpiece, the book has sold over twenty million copies globally and remains a landmark in classic literary horror.

It's never safe to go back in the water . . .

A small Atlantic resort. The mutilated body of a young woman, or what is left of it, washes up on the long, white stretch of beach on the beach. It is merely a harbinger of the horror that is about to unfold, as a sun-drenched holiday turns into a nightmare.

You'll never look at the sea the same way again. A summer of terror has begun.

Peter Benchley's fascination with the sea and its magnificent inhabitants inspired such classic novels as "Jaws" and "The Deep," making him the preeminent author of ocean adventure and suspense. "The""Girl of the Sea of Cortez" was his most heartfelt, cherished story of the relationship between man and the sea, both those that live in it and those who love it.
On an island in the Gulf of California, an intrepid young woman named Paloma carries a special legacy from her father--a deep understanding of the sea and a sixth sense about the need to protect it.
Every day, Paloma paddles her tiny boat into the ocean and anchors over a seamount--a submerged volcanic peak sixty feet underwater that is clustered with spectacular sea animals and a wondrous web of marine life.
It is there that an astonishing event takes place, when on one of her dives Paloma is shadowed by a manta ray--an animal so large it blocks the sun. She develops an extraordinary relationship with this luminous, gentle creature, but instinctively knows its existence is a secret she must fiercely protect.
Benchley's novel paints a poignant picture of humanity's precarious relationship with the ocean, which unfolds alongside a heartrending story of familial bonds, often revealing that the ignorance of man is far more dangerous than the sea. Full of beauty, danger, and adventure, "The Girl of the Sea of Cortez" is triumphant--a novel to fall in love with.
Praise for "The Girl of the Sea of Cortez"
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"It's hard not to compare Benchley's tale . . . with Hemingway's classic "The Old Man and the Sea.""--"The Christian Science Monitor"
"Charming."--"The New York Times Book Review"
"For a hot summer's day, "The Girl of the Sea of Cortez" is the next best thing to looking through a clear face mask into blue water swimming with fish."--United Press International

In this riveting true adventure tale and informative guide to the sea, master storyteller Peter Benchley drew on more than four decades of diving experience to bring us face-to-face with the array of sharks and other marine animals he and his family encountered, almost always on purpose--but sometimes by accident.