The Jersey Shore: The Past, Present & Future of a National Treasure

by Dominick Mazzagetti

In The Jersey Shore , Dominick Mazzagetti provides a modern re-telling of the history, culture, and landscapes of this famous region, from the 1600s to the present. The Shore, from Sandy Hook to Cape May, became a national resort in the late 1800s and contributes enormously to New Jersey’s economy today. The devastation of Hurricane Sandy in 2012 underscored the area’s central place in the state’s identity and the rebuilding efforts after the storm restored its economic health. 

Divided into chronological and thematic sections, this book will attract general readers interested in the history of the how it appeared to early European explorers; how the earliest settlers came to the beaches for the whaling trade; the first attractions for tourists in the nineteenth century; and how the coming of railroads, and ultimately automobiles, transformed the Shore into a major vacation destination over a century later. Mazzagetti also explores how the impact of changing national mores on development, race relations, and the environment, impacted the Shore in recent decades and will into the future. Ultimately, this book is an enthusiastic and comprehensive portrait by a native son, whose passion for the region is shared by millions of beachgoers throughout the Northeast.   
 

392 pages, Hardcover

Published June 20, 2018

Reviews

[Jeffrey Falk · Rating 3 out of 5]

This comes across as a well-written and fairly comprehensive history. There are notable glaring factual and spelling errors when the author mentions the shore's musical history; presumably, the rest of the text is more consistently accurate.

[Erin · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's really difficult to read an attempt at history, when you pick up historical inaccuracy right away. On page nine, the author says that Henry Hudson's crew "interacted with natives on the shore". If by interaction, you mean the crew was subject to an unprovoked attack by the Lenape and a man was killed, I guess you could gloss that over and call it an interaction. This begins a dry and PC version of Shore history.

The flyleaf also bills this as an account written by a native son. Except the author is from Newark and simply vacationed here. He's a Bennie. Tourists aren't locals. Period. I would think Rutgers University Press would understand the definition of native, but apparently not.
This is nowhere near a complete history or even an accurate one. It's a Jersey Shore For Dummies, leaving out all the best parts and completely without local color. Disappointing.

[Richard Hornberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a Bennie, I guess as a previous reviewer would state, living in the Sea Isle area six months of the year on and off. I’ve been trying to educate myself on the history of the Jersey shore and I think there is much more to read. The book provided some interesting insights to camp meetings, religion, and natives. I think, as the author points out for additional reading, that you could break any chapter of interest into additional reading. Overall, it was a bit dry but, non-fiction, and I learned quite a bit!

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is a complete history of the Jersey Shore, where I grew up. It was interesting to discover the origins of certain locales. I could bring up memories of most of these places, but I wonder if it would be as interesting to someone not familiar with the area. A well-written and well-researched book.