SHIPS September 2nd - Jaws: Memories from Martha’s Vineyard by Matt Taylor

For the most complete collection of rare photos and insider accounts of the filming of Jaws, look no further than this book by Matt Taylor, arguably the world’s foremost expert on the subject. Taylor is also a native of Martha’s Vineyard, where director Steven Spielberg and company spent a good portion of 1974 while shooting the movie. Originally published more than a decade ago but freshly updated to mark the film’s 50th anniversary, the book includes a foreword by Spielberg and is essential reading for anyone who wants to learn how this famously complicated film project navigated its choppy waters.  —Ian Aldrich, Yankee executive editor 

The 1st account of the making of Jaws to focus on the production’s local participants, featuring 100s of never-before-seen photos, accounts and anecdotes, and a Foreword by Steven Spielberg.

Updated with new material for the film’s 50th anniversary. You’re gonna need a bigger coffee table!

The filming of Jaws was a landmark event in the history of both movies and the quaint New England island of Martha’s Vineyard, where the geographic isolation necessitated hiring 100s of locals to work as cast and crew. Among them were many professional and amateur photographers with full access to the production. 

Memories compiles their photos and stories for the 1st time into a unique compendium. Movie buffs, SFX enthusiasts, and fans of Jaws will thrill in this definitive volume’s special features:

• Updated edition includes +100 new photos, most previously unseen and many in color, new interview material with local cast and crew, and an Afterword by Wendy Benchley, wife of Jaws author Peter Benchley.

• Foreword by Steven Spielberg.

• 100s of previously unpublished photos taken by local participants and bystanders, and a detailed account of how the filmmakers chose Martha’s Vineyard as their shooting location.

• Recollections of local crew and cast, including Lee Fierro (Mrs. Kintner), Chris Crawford, real-life captain of the Orca, and Craig Kingsbury, the inspiration for Robert Shaw’s portrayal of maniacal shark hunter Quint.

• Newly illustrated schematics by Jaws Production Designer Joe Alves, explaining the intricacies of the revolutionary sea sled fin mechanism, and his original 1974 storyboards.

• Insight on adapting Jaws from page to screen from Screenwriter Carl Gottlieb, Location Casting Director Shari Rhodes, and more.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Titan Books
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 26, 2025
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 312 pages
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.25 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 10.39 x 1.97 x 11.89 inches