- 2 Frassetto Way - Lincoln Park, NJ 07035
The Peter Benchley Collection: Jaws, A Life of Writing, A Legacy of Ocean Conservation.
Lot 93:
Description
Subtitled “The Thirty-Year Odyssey of a Pioneer Shark Hunter, ” this is one of the first popular books ever written about sharks. Young hunted them across the world’s oceans, from Hawaii and Australia to the coast of Somalia, and in 1921 worked at a shark factory in Morehead City, North Carolina, where crews brought in dozens of big sharks a day to be stripped for leather and liver oil. Peter read everything written about the fish he made famous. This book from his working library records the era before anyone thought sharks needed protecting, an era Peter spent the second half of his life helping to end.
From the personal collection of Peter Benchley, author of Jaws, and used by Benchley as a research reference while writing the novel. William E. Young (American, 1875–1962). "Shark! Shark! The Thirty-Year Odyssey of a Pioneer Shark Hunter, " Gotham House, New York, 1934, second printing. This second printing features a foreword by Count Felix von Luckner and presents a maritime memoir detailing Young’s decades of experience as a shark hunter. The book is bound in publisher’s tan cloth with a paper title label adhered to the spine. It includes illustrated endpapers and line drawings of various shark species by Helen Sewell, as well as a photographic frontispiece and additional photographic plates throughout the text. 9 3/8" H x 6 1/2" W x 1 1/2" D.
The books behind the books. Peter’s working library of marine biology, maritime history, underwater archaeology, exploration and shark science is where The Deep, Beast, Shark Trouble and his National Geographic articles began. He loved these books and read them thoroughly.
Provenance: Exhibited in "From the White House to the Deep Ocean: LBJ, Jaws and Conservation, " held at the LBJ Presidential Library, Austin, Texas, from April 19 through October 19, 2025.
From the personal collection of Peter Benchley (American, 1940–2006), acclaimed author of Jaws, accomplished diver, and prominent advocate for ocean and shark conservation.
Condition report:
The volume is in fair condition with a significant split at the front inner hinge. The cloth binding shows heavy wear and fraying at the corners and at the head and foot of the spine. The paper spine label is darkened, worn, and chipped. The pages are age-toned throughout. The top edge of the text block shows light fraying and shelf wear. The interior contains occasional handwritten annotations.
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