Based on a True Story

You could call it beach reading with a twist, or perhaps twisted beach reading is more appropriate.

You may not know that some of the most thrilling books and movies have been based on real stories. Sometimes, the real story is even more amazing than the novel. Moby Dick is classic college reading and a beloved example of great American literature that was inspired by a true story. It is based on the fate of the Essex, a whaling ship that was attacked by real-life, seemingly vengeful whale. The whale rammed the ship until the Essex sank into the sea. The unfortunate whalers were left to drift at sea and, ultimately, to resort to murder and cannibalism in order to survive. The real-life account is covered in The Shipwreck of the Whaleship Essex, by Owen Chase. How's that for fascinating beach reading?

If that's not thrilling enough, how about reading the true story behind Jaws? In Close to Shore, Michael Capuzzo tells the terrifying story of several shark attacks that occurred in a river near the New Jersey shore in 1916. That one just might keep you out of the water!