The Book of Quint

'1,100 men went into the water…’ So begins the critically acclaimed and haunting monologue by actor Robert Shaw as grizzled shark hunter Quint in the movie Jaws, in which he describes his experience as a survivor of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis in the dying days of the Second World War. The Indianapolis was returning from delivering the first atomic bomb to Tinian, and on its way to the Philippines, when a Japanese submarine hit it with two torpedoes. The ship sank in twelve minutes, leaving hundreds of crew floating in the ocean with hardly any food, water or lifeboats. During the next five days most died from a combination of exposure, salt poisoning, dehydration and the worst mass shark attacks in recorded history. Only 316 of 1,195 crew survived. This historic event provides the motivation for Quint’s iconic character in Jaws. As we approach the fiftieth anniversary of Jaws, the first summer blockbuster, author and host of the podcast ‘The Jaws Obsession’ Ryan Dacko has written the definitive prequel novel to the movie, telling the story of Quint. Beginning with him adrift in the Philippine Sea after the sinking, and after the end of the war following him first to San Francisco and then to Amity Island, we read of how and when he acquires his many scars, how he comes to own his boat, the Orca, and how he develops his technique for hunting sharks as seen in the movie. Along the way we meet figures from history such as Charles McVay, captain of the doomed Indianapolis, and characters from the movie Jaws such as Larry Vaughn, the slippery mayor of Amity Island, ichthyologist Matt Hooper and Quint’s mate Hershel Salvatore. This novel, the result of extensive research by the author, expands the Jaws universe, and adds crucial backstory that enhances the experience of watching what many still consider to be the greatest movie ever made. It is a story of overcoming odds, survivor’s guilt, PTSD, one man’s quest for justice, and lots of sharks.

About the Author :
Ryan Dacko is a US Coast Guard veteran, who served as a search and rescue boat operator in the North Atlantic and on the US Coast Guard icebreaker Polar Star from the North Pole to Antarctica. He is a licensed underwater welder and worked as a professional commercial deep-sea diver. Ryan operated an independent film company where he received awards on film festival circuits and sold his award-winning documentary Plan 9 from Syracuse to Netflix in 2007. Ryan keeps a writing notebook on the dashboard of his line truck while working as a high-voltage line mechanic, living with his wife and three kids in Syracuse, New York. He is the host and creator of The Jaws Obsession podcast, ranked in the top 3% of all podcasts around the world by ListenNotes.com. The Book of Quint is his debut novel.

Review :
'This book is a sparkling read of trauma, tragedy, stoic resilience and breathless high adventure. Staying faithful to the film's universe, the author expands the scope of Quint's backstory with great skill, imagination and brio. Perhaps this book's biggest achievement from a pure story perspective (in the same way that James Cameron achieved with Titanic) is in its ability to hold the reader in rapt attention, despite already knowing many of the crucial plot points.' 'You have written a five-star book. The thing that is important to me is where that book fits on the bookshelf. Take a look at any library, this book belongs right next to The Old Man and the Sea, Moby Dick, Jack London's seafaring novels.' 'Offering a meticulous understanding of the character (author Dacko is host of The Jaws Obsession podcast), this (back)story is awash with gripping trauma and tension. It also enriches the original(s) via some valuable, respectful context.'