Humans spend more time in or on the water than ever before. We love the beach. But for many people, getting in the water provokes a moment’s hesitation. Shark attacks are big news events and although the risk of shark attack on humans is incredibly low, the fact remains that human lives are lost to sharks every year. Shark Attacks explores the tension between risk to humans and the need to conserve sharks and protect the important ecological roles they play in our marine environments. Marine biologist Blake Chapman presents scientific information about shark biology, movement patterns and feeding behaviour. She discusses the role of fear in the way we think about sharks and the influence of the media on public perceptions. Moving first-hand accounts describe the deep and polarising psychological impacts of shark attacks from a range of perspectives. This book is an education in thinking through these emotive events and will help readers to navigate the controversial issues around mitigating shark attacks while conserving the sharks themselves.

John D Grainger charts the careers of the thirteen vessels that have served the Royal Navy under the name HMS Shark. Despite the ferocious name, they have all been relatively small vessels including one brigantine, five sloops, one Sixth Rate, a gunvessel, four destroyers and a submarine. Collectively they therefore give a good representation of the various roles of these types, which receive far less attention than larger, more glamorous ships. Furthermore, as the first entered service in 1699 and the last was sunk in 1944 (having the dubious distinction of being the only Allied vessel lost on D-Day), they illustrate the changes and continuities in the Royal Navy and war at sea across almost 250 years. In each case the author considers the origin of the ship, the purpose for which it was designed and employed, its captains and where possible its crew, as well as the activities of the ship itself and its final fate; in addition background information of a general nature is included as a necessary context for those actions.

As the war in the Pacific progressed, the role of the US submarines evolved to meet the challenges confronting the United States Navy in the Western Pacific. This story is vividly portrayed in Patrol Area 14 and details the exploits of the US submarines in one specific patrol area of the Pacific Ocean, the waters of the Mariana Islands, whose control became essential to victory in the Pacific for the United States and defeat for Japan. Patrol Area 14 describes the submarine patrols from solitary patrols beginning in 1942 to aggressively patrolling the offshore waters, to bold approaches to harbor entrances, to sinking ships within sight of the islands in spite of determined Japanese air and sea anti-submarine efforts and supporting the US invasions of the islands in 1944.

More horrifying than Jaws-- because it's true! Since 1990 there have been 283 shark attacks worldwide-- 40 of which were fatal...In the past 15 years, reports of shark attacks have substantially increased...Over half the attacks occur in water no deeper than five feet... Believe it or not, shark attacks are still a very real threat to humans. These unspeakably bloody encounters happen in shallow water, in "safe" areas, to people just like you-- people who thought it could never happen to them. HONG KONG, 1995: A forty-five-year-old woman swimming in shallow water with fifty other people has one leg and one arm ripped off by the shark-- she dies before reaching the hospital. CALIFORNIA, 1993: A man snorkeling with friends is swallowed headfirst halfway down his body-- luckily, the shark spits him back out with only bite wounds. AUSTRALIA, 1993: A professional diver and mother of five is literally torn in half in front of her horrified family by a fifteen-foot great white shark. HAWAII, 1991: Two vacationing friends out for a swim suddenly see a shark "the size of a car" swim by. After one of the women begins thrashing in panic, the shark attacks and kills her-- her body is later recovered with several limbs missing. Read on for more blood-chilling accounts of people who fell prey to...SHARK ATTACKS.

The biggest-ever selection of first-hand accounts and news reports of shark attacks, both recent and historical, shows how sharks are masters of the ocean and how we enter their domain at our own risk. Think you're safe in the Med? Read about the Great Whites that thrive near holiday beaches. Think you're safe in large groups? Read about the sinking of the USS Indianapolis in 1945 when hundreds of sailors floated for days in shark-infested waters, being picked off one-by-one. Think you're safe at home? Read about the 69-year-old man, taking his regular evening swim, jumping off his backyard dock straight into the mouth of a bull shark. Many more extraordinary and gruesome accounts, including the shark-boat skipper who slit open the belly of a 360-kg tiger shark only to have a human head, pelvis, and arm come tumbling out, provide horrific and moving tales of shark encounters. The courage of survivors and those who have risked their lives to save shark attack victims is truly inspirational. Where can you find sharks? Features on different shark species with illustrations, fact boxes and maps show where they lurk around the world. Also included are a selection of full-colour photographs and special sections on the life cycle of a shark, how to avoid a shark attack and how to survive one.