Details the first documented cases in American history of sharks attacking swimmers, which occured along the Atlantic coast of New Jersey in 1916.

Adaptation of: Close to shore. New York : Broadway Books, c2001.

Last man in the water -- Let us do justice to sharks -- Missile of teeth -- Train to the coast -- Sea monster -- Nightmare of centuries -- Detection and concealment -- Distance swimmers -- "He's a big fellow and awful hungry" -- Out of the water -- Arrival of a man-eater -- Myths of antiquity -- Long-range cruising rogue -- Shark scare -- Hunger of madness -- creek -- Uneven battle -- "I thought it was going to swallow me" -- To see its body drawn up on the shore -- Shark emergency -- Fishing -- Shark would endure -- Epilogue.