Book Review: Jaws – Memories From Martha’s Vineyard

Author: Matt Taylor

Publisher: Titan Books

Length: 312 pages

Binding: Paperback

RRP: £34.99

What’s good: Foreword by JAWS director Steven Spielberg, stunning behind-the-scenes, never before seen glossy photographs/sketches, detailed production facts and the tales of the residents that helped bring this book to fruition.

What’s not so good: Very little thankfully, but perhaps a little too many photographs/clippings taking up much of the book.

The difficulty in making the epic event movie JAWS, which made the ‘blockbuster’ what it is today, is perhaps one as legendary as the film itself. Director Steven Spielberg’s masterful seafaring trailblazer had a notoriously difficult shoot which has been discussed in a number of documentaries or special features included on DVD/Blu-ray releases. Matt Taylor’s book however, effectively places you in the period and location of Martha’s Vineyard bringing you the fascinating stories, anecdotes and facts of those individuals lucky (or even unlucky) enough to have been involved in/or around at the time of the films production. ‘Jaws: Memories From Martha’s Vineyard’ is a huge monster of book that even ‘Bruce’ would have difficulty munching through!

If, like myself, you’re a massive JAWS fanatic, this book is a must and takes you step-by-step through the movie’s development before, during and after production. It chronicles the early efforts to bring Peter Benchley’s pulp novel to the big-screen, Steven Spielberg’s subsequent placement into the director’s chair, and both his and his crew’s struggles in bringing his vision to life. It’s all here – interviews from the likes of production designer Joe Alves, Screenwriter Carl Gottlieb and more, including local residents that saw the making of such an iconic masterpiece. There is so much visually included too – over 1000 gorgeous amateur and professional set photos, pulling you inside to feel what it was like being around at the time. It truly is a comprehensive account that puts you right in the middle of the production.

Never have I read such a ‘making-of’ book, going into such intense, intricate and fun detail (no matter how small, each feels like like a major revelation) of one of cinema’s greatest ever pictures. It’s an historical encyclopaedia and record of everything fans may or may not already know about that ocean-dwelling human-hunting killing machine’s process and everything in between, either way it’s a must have for JAWS fans, film fans and book fans alike. Insightful, informative and irresistible to put down, even with its shear weight.

We now all know Spielberg’s classic, despite the problems (and hair-pulling), was worth the trouble considering both the box-office and critical success. Now after taking this book in, I’m off for another JAWS viewing, it has after all, been at least a month… far too long!

JAWS: MEMORIES OF MARTHA’S VINEYARD is available now.