Matt Taylor was only 2 years old when camera crews arrived on Martha’s Vineyard in 1974 to film Jaws. But when internationally renowned collector of movie memorabilia Jim Beller approached him in 2006 with an idea for a coffee-table book about the making of Steven Spielberg’s classic shark thriller, Taylor, a 15th-generation Vineyard resident, went door-to-door to find snapshots and other production artifacts that had gone unseen for over 35 years.

It was an angle so fresh that Spielberg volunteered to write the book’s foreword, and we awarded the book, named Jaws: Memories from Martha’s Vineyard, a star.

Kirkus also gave the book a Blue Star in September and named it one of their Best of 2011.

Thanks to the openness of the sets, there isn’t a single major actor (including Bruce the shark) or crew member that was able to dodge the shutters of the eager locals. You really start to feel like you were there back in ’74 and now reminiscing with the family scrapbook about that big event that you were never a part of.

There are bookshelves stuffed with behind-the-scenes memoirs and photos from the making of movies, but few are as comprehensive (and interesting) as Jaws: Memories from Martha’s Vineyard. The oversized book, packed with thousands of images, tidbits of trivia, and interviews, tells the story behind the making of one of the 20th century’s most iconic movies, but, in a unique twist, from the perspective of the locals.

JAWS: Memories From Martha’s Vineyard is a time machine of a book.This is as close as any JAWS fan is going to get to actually being there with Steven Spielberg and crew. Beautifully laid out, with a text that is informative but also inviting, it’s more than eye-candy, it’s also a joy to read.

Read Kirkus Reviews’ earlier review of the book here.

This is my favorite book release of the year and the definitive “must-have” of the holiday season!

If you only pick up one book from this list this is the one it should be…. It’s a huge, heavy book and is one of the very best Making Of books I’ve ever read.

Director Steven Spielberg’s classic 1975 thriller “Jaws” marked the birth of the modern blockbuster, and tales of its production are legendary — such as the difficulties of getting the prop sharks to work are nearly as well-known as the film itself. But for “Jaws” nuts and Spielberg superfans, “Memories” is something refreshingly new: a history of the film’s production told through the stories and photos of residents of Martha’s Vineyard, the charming Massachusetts vacation destination where the film was shot.

Read the full review at Asbury Park Press.

The book is chock full of anecdotes and is bursting with more than 1000 pix shot by residents that have never been seen before. If you’re a JAWS nut, then you’re going to need a bigger book shelf, because this behind-the-scenes beauty is an absolute must have. I’ve got the paperback edition, but there’s also a killer deluxe boxed Limited Edition hardcover with a DVD containing 8mm behind -the-scenes footage of the JAWS production, which was shot and narrated by Islander Carol Fligor, plus a 1″x1″ piece of the fiberglass hull of the Orca II (a.k.a., sinking Orca) used in the movie with a note of authenticity from owners Lynn and Susan Murphy (how freaking cool is that!).

Read the full review at Library Journal. And see more from the Library Journal here.

Find us at the Moonrise Media Booth #2938.