Few living at the Jersey Shore today have experienced extreme storms, but for those who have -- as they describe in this book -- it is a defining moment in their lives. They draw us in to a time and place where survival is uncertain.Archival reports and historic news accounts are interwoven with interviews of more than 200 people who experienced major coastal storms first-hand. Much of the book is devoted to these vivid personal stories, with extensive narratives of the devastating 1962 nor"easter and the great hurricane of 1944. The dramatic history of major coastal storms which have hit the east coast and New Jersey Shore is graphically illustrated with nearly two hundred historic photographs, engravings, and maps in an oversize book.Great Storms of the Jersey Shore also touches upon the mythic nature of storms, with excerpts from literature, the meteorology of coastal storms, and environmental implications for those living along the coast. A significant reference -- covering storms from the voyages of Columbus to the last big nor"easter of December "92 -- this large-format book is a must for every shore resident"s library as well as a coffee-table book that will actually be a conversation piece.