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• 100s of previously unpublished photos taken by local participants and bystanders, and a detailed account of how the filmmakers chose Martha’s Vineyard as their shooting location.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

“Taylor’s curation brings warmth, humour, and affection to a story that might otherwise be buried beneath its own legend.”–Voice Magazine

“Perfect for any Jaws fan! The photographs are amazing. Getting lost in the backstory allows you to peek behind the magic curtain of movie making.” —Horror Tree

"Refreshed with new material for the film’s golden anniversary, Matt Taylor’s gorgeous book Jaws: Memories from Martha’s Vineyard (Updated and Revised Edition) is the perfect companion for a late-summer revisit as the film heads back into theaters." — The Film Stage

“This book is the perfect behind-the-scenes accompaniment to the film ... If this film has ever meant anything to you, this belongs in your library.” —Cinema Sentries

Praise for the 1st edition:

“Chock full of anecdotes and bursting with more than 1000 pix that have never been seen before. This behind-the-scenes beauty is an absolute must have.”— Library Journal

“One of the most amazing making-of-a-movie books ever.”
—Fangoria magazine

“You’re going to need a bigger coffee table.” – Rue Morgue magazine

“A gorgeously produced coffee table book. Taylor’s work ambitiously offers what amounts to a nearly scene-by-scene accounting of the making of one of history’s most-beloved films.”
—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review, one of the Books of the Year

“It is charming and as handsome and thorough as any book about any film production could hope to be.”
—Chicago Tribune

“After thirty-five years, I can’t believe the fan base Jaws has. A coffee table book showing the making of the movie in a whole new light is long overdue.”
—Jaws Production Designer Joe Alves