Portrait Of A Killer: Jack The Ripper -- Case Closed (Berkley True Crime)

Book Description

Now updated with new material that brings the killer's picture into clearer focus

Download Description

""No doubt there will always be skeptics, and critics tainted by self-interest who will refuse to accept that [Walter] Sickert was a serial killer, a damaged diabolical man driven by megalomania and hate. There will be those who will argue that it's all coincidence. As FBI profiler Ed Sulzbach says, 'There really aren't many coincidences in life. And to call coincidence after coincidence after coincidence a coincidence is just plain stupid.'" (Chap. 2 p.14 para. 4) -Patricia Cornwell, Portrait of a Killer In Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper, Case Closed, Cornwell combines the rigorous discipline of twenty-first century police investigation with forensic techniques undreamed of during the late Victorian era to solve one of the most infamous and difficult serial murder cases in history. medical procedures Sickert was forced to endure and reflects on the impact they might have had on the young boy. She also explores the ways in which women might have served as a dangerous reminder of his infuriating and humiliating abnormality. (Chap. 1 p.5 para. 3) ?

Customer Reviews:

This is the nearest we will ever get to knowing the truth about the Ripper.......2007-09-25

JACK THE RIPPER

REVIEW BY SALLY RAMAGE

OF

"PORTRAIT OF A KILLER:JACK THE RIPPER CASE CLOSED"

by Patricia Cornwell, Sphere Books, Little, Brown Book Group, London, 2003. ISBN 978-0-7515-3359-0

Patricia Cornwell is the Director of Applied Science at the National Forensic Academy. Her book is so gripping that I read it from first page to last page without putting it down.

It is obvious that the writer is a criminologist. She wrote this structured book with a beginning, middle and an end.

She tells the reader at the beginning that she concludes that Jack the Ripper was no other than Walter Sickert the artist. She then takes the reader through all the evidence and there is little doubt that her findings are sound. Cornell's writing is objective, scientific, methodical, and intelligent.

She reminds the reader that the `Jack the Ripper' killings were British and I can see reflections of the Jack the Ripper scenarios in the `Yorkshire Ripper' murders. It is clear that Cornell had examined a vast amount of evidence, primary and secondary and these are listed in the back pages. She was assisted over many years of research by a whole team of forensic investigators and in the book, she acknowledged their contributions.

Her `terms of reference' were to consider the extent of Jack the Ripper's unlawful activities. She then considered the motives for these murders. Obviously, she could not interview the killer, so she relied mainly on primary and secondary evidence about Sickert the artist.

I can see her use of Karl Popper's scientific methods. Popper suggested that one should look for instances that confirm or verify one's theories and Patricia Cornwell demonstrated this. She explored unsuccessful avenues as well as those which uphold her theory. She writes (pg 133), "computerised image enhancement detects hundreds of grey shades that the human eye cannot see and makes it possible for a fuzzy photograph or erased writing to become visible or discernible. Whilst forensic image enhancement might work with bank security videos or bad photographs, it does not work on paintings. All our efforts accomplished with Ennui (one of Sickert's paintings) was to separate Sickert's brush strokes until we ended up with the reverse of what he was doing when he put the strokes together."

One is reminded repeatedly in this `Jack the Ripper' case, that forensic science does not and will not ever take the place of human detection, deduction, experience, common sense and very hard work.

Patricia Cornwell's book concentrated on the number of women who were murdered by `Jack the Ripper'. Cornwell also concentrated her book on the conduct of the police investigation, the conduct of the coroners and on the death certificates issued after eachprostitute was murdered. Cornwell concentrated on the fact that social explanations often pinpoint which social group is more vulnerable to a phenomenon than others while psychological explanations identify the social group more likely to be vulnerable than others.

There is much concern and theorising about serial killers nowadays (see Simpson (1980); Leyton (1986); Seltzer, (1998);Grover and Soothill (1999); Soothill ( 2001); Smith, (2002) and Peters (2005).

I could see leanings in the book to Leyton's central thesis of homicidal protest. Leyton's thesis is that that the criminal offence of murder is a form of homicidal protest. Leyton concludes that homicidal killings are committed by frustrated members of the middle classes usually. Leyton said that, occasionally , serial killings contain a metaphor from the earlier era and that serial killers interrupt the lives of prostitutes and runaways because, in the killer's distorted mind, he assumes that these women deserve to be killed as punishment.. Criminologists Kelly and Radford also hypothesised that violence against women is a reflection of a patriarchal society Criminologists Grover and Soothill theorised that when women such as prostitutes are murdered, it is because they are increasingly seen as a socio-economic burden on society. Grover and Soothill's theory concluded that British serial killings reveal that Britain is inadequate in its provision of social and economic protection of the poor and vulnerable. Serial killers prey on the vulnerable and in Britain, the vulnerable are those who cannot compete within the structural conditions of patriarchal capitalism- those who, for various reasons, are unable to retort against those whom this patriarchal capitalism adorn with power.

Finally Patricia Cornwell brings the reader to conclusion that the artist Sickert was the murderer `Jack the Ripper'.

She revealed that DNA results from an anonymous letter to the police from the killer compares well with a letter to someone from Sickert's mother. DNA testing has become an established part of criminal justice procedures, and the admissibility of DNA in court today is routine. This technology is highly sensitive and can generate a reliable DNA profile from a crime scene stain that is as small as the size of a pin head. Both Sickert's written letter, the anonymous letter to the police and Sickert's mother's written letter contain part of the same DNA sequence. DNA evidence is biological evidence. Biological is a type of physical evidence. Biological evidence is not always visible to the naked eye.

DNA analysis is similar to fingerprint analysis in how matches are determined. Evidence collected from a crime scene is compared to a known sample. If each feature is not identical, the DNA evidence is determined NOT to be a match and therefore did NOT come from the suspect. When a crime scene profile does not match any stored profiles, it is possible to undertake further testing to see if it partially matches that of a genetic relative. Familial searches in the UK today can only be conducted with the specific authority of the Custodian of the NDNAD(National DNA Database) and there are legal parameters for use of the NDNAD, these being the prevention and detection of crime; the investigation of an offence; the conduct of a prosecution or the identification of a deceased person. The aim of familial searching is to provide legitimately useful intelligence in solving crime and there are instances in which its use is able to be justified, such as tracing the relatives of an unidentified serial killer.

The weak point of Cornwell's argument of DNA match, though, is this - the chain of custody of evidence is a record of individuals who have had physical possession of the evidence. Documentation is critical to maintaining the integrity of the chain of custody. Maintaining the chain of custody is vital for any type of evidence. In addition, if laboratory analysis reveals that DNA evidence was contaminated, it may be necessary to identify persons who have handled that evidence.

In processing the evidence, the fewer people handling the evidence, the better. There is less chance of contamination and a shorter chain of custody for court admissibility hearings. The Jack the Ripper case is very old and who knows how many people have previously handled the evidence?

Because extremely small samples of DNA can be used as evidence, greater attention to contamination issues is necessary when identifying, collecting and preserving DNA evidence. DNA evidence can be contaminated when DNA from another source gets mixed with DNA relevant to the case. Saliva on the envelopes or the letters was probably tested. Saliva is the fluid that moistens the mouth. It is secreted from three sets of glands. Screening for saliva is based on detection of high levels of amylase in the sample. It is not a confirmatory test as amylase is found in other body fluids.

Saliva contains ABH substances, especially in secretors. Saliva samples (spit or buccal swabs) are often taken as reference materials for determination of secretor status.. Stains can be typed using absorption-elution or absorption-inhibition.

If Cornwell's team had confirmed the DNA match by testing for body fluids on both letters, they would know that DNA typing has become such an effective tool in forensic biology that almost all of the traditional techniques have fallen into disuse but they may have used some old techniques which are still used in the examination of body fluids. Cornwell may have used the technique of serology, the detection, identification, and typing of body tissues, either in native form or as stains or residues left at a crime scene. Most often, the tissue of interest is a body fluid such as blood or semen; however, other tissues such as hair or bone are encountered. The detection and identification process begins with a physical examination, followed by a screening test, and may include confirmatory identification and sample typing.

All in all, Patricia Cornwell's book is a very convincing read. What is interesting is the renewed interest in the artist Walter Sickert. There is to be a London painting exhibition, on 25 October to 20 January, of Walter Sickert's paintings of the Camden Town Nudes. Against contemporary conventions of the idealised nude, Sickert depicted his naked models in the shabby interiors of Camden Town bedsits, investing the images with the disquieting themes of prostitution and poverty associated with this working class area of North London where he lived and worked.

The exhibition in London will bring together around fifteen of the principal canvases from private and public collections and will assemble Sickert's four so-called Camden Town Murder paintings.. Sickert's characteristic method of painting was in the reduced, almost grisaille quality of his tones. Many of his paintings depict the interiors of music- halls & theatres. Previous exhibitions of Sickert's paintings have been held at the Tate in the year 2006, and in the year 2000 at the Fine Arts Society, London. The exhibition in the year 2000 marked the publication of a book titled, Walter Sickert: Prints by Ruth Bromberg. The exhibition showed some of Sickert's finest paintings, drawings, prints & some letters & telegrams from Sickert. The fevered interest in Sickert and his paintings has even inspired an essay competition at the University of St Andrews, Scotland.

Patricia Cornwell, as well as her scientific and biological analysis, has, as a criminologist, read all the literature on Sickert, including these texts:

* Whistler, "Cross-examination in the Trial of Ruskin for libel-1878;

* Sickert, "Mr Whistler and His Art" The Artists and Journal of Home Culture, 1st Jan. 1884;

* Sickert "Is the Camera the Friend or the Foe of Art", Spectator Magazine, July 1893;

* Sickert, "All the greater draughtsmen tell a story- A critical calendar", English Review. March 1912

* W. Baron, W. and R. Shone, (ed)., Sickert Paintings, ( Yale University Press, Newhaven & London 1992);

* Q. Bell, "Some Memories of Sickert." Burlington Magazine. Vol. Cxxix, April 1987;

* R. Bromberg, Walter Sickert: Prints, A Catalogue Raisonn. (New Haven, London 2000);

* L. Browse, Sickert, ( Faber and Faber Ltd, London 1943);

* M. Connetti, Walter Sickert and the Camden Town Group,(David & Charles, Italy 1992);

* C.Connolly, "The Degas of Camden Town." Sunday Times. 29 May 1960;

* D. P. Corbett, Walter Sickert, ( Tate Gallery Publishing, London 2001);

* A. Dempsey, "Whistler and Sickert: A Friendship and its End", Apollo. No. 83, Jan. 1966;

* T. W. Earp, "The Work of Walter Richard Sickert" Apollo. No. 11, April 1930

* R. Emmons, The Life and Opinions of Walter Richard Sickert, ( Faber and Faber Ltd, London, 1942);

* M. Hollis, M. (ed.), Late Sickert - Paintings 1927 to 1942, ( Arts Council Publications, London 1981);

* M. Lilly, (ed.) Sickert - The Painter and his Circle, ( Elek, London 1971);

* R. Morphet, "The Modernity of Late Sickert", Studio International. Vol. 140, 1975;

* L. Morris, Walter Richard Sickert - Advice to Young Artists, (Norwich School of Art Gallery, Norwich 1986);

* P.Pelowski, Sickert & Thanet - Paintings and Drawings by W.R. Sickert, (Ramsgate Library Gallery, Ramsgate 1986);

* A. Powell, "The Servant of Abraham", Apollo, No. 95, March 1972;

* R. Pickvance, "The Magic of the Halls and Sickert", Apollo. No. 76, April 1962;

* A.G.Robins, "Degas and Sickert: notes on their friendship", Burlington Magazine. 1988;

* J.Rothenstein, . Sickert, ( Beaverbrook Newspapers Ltd., London 1961);

* F.Rutter, "Richard Sickert", Studio. No. 100, Nov. 1930;

* R.Seddon, "The Technical Methods of Walter Richard Sickert", Apollo. No. 38, Dec. 1943;

* R.Shone, Walter Sickert, ( Phaidon, Oxford 1988);

* O.Sitwell (Ed), "A Free House!" - The Writings of Walter Richard Sickert, (MacMillan & Co. Ltd., London 1947);

* A.Stephenson, "Buttressing bohemian mystiques and bandaging masculine Anxieties", Art History. 1994 vol. 17, no.2. June;

* D. Sutton, Walter Sickert, ( Michael Joseph, London 1976);

* L. Tickner, "Walter Sickert: The Camden Town Murder and Tabloid Crime" Modern Life and Modern Subjects - British Art in the Early Twentieth Yale University Press. London, 2000;

* S.Tillyard, "W.R. Sickert and the Defence of Illustrative Painting.", Brian Allen (ed.) Studies in British Art 1 - Towards a Modern Art World. (Yale University Press, London 1995);

* V. Woolf, Walter Sickert: A Conversation, ( Hogarth Press, London 1934);

and

* E.D.H. Johnson, Paintings of the British Social Scene from Hogarth to Sickert. (Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London 1986).

QED.

Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper--Case Closed.......2007-09-21

I am looking forward to reading this book. I have been looking for this book for quite a while and now I have a chance to read it. I am very interested in the Jack the Ripper case.

A speculative confection of a book that's taken too much abuse ...........2007-08-20

It seems that a lot of people hate either this book, Patricia Cornwall, or both. Fair enough. But some of the reviews I've just been perusing have seemed unjustifiably vicious. Since the late 19th century, people have been speculating--with a great deal of confidence--on the identity of Jack the Ripper. Patricia Cornwall has the professional resume to take her turn, and in her defence, I believe she makes a very strong case for her conclusions.

I cannot believe the nastiness of some of these other reviews--particularly the ones calling her names that have no business in a public forum. Really, it's probably the first time I've ever actually felt sorry for a wildly successful writer.

Cornwall's a novelist, and her writing of nonfiction is enlivened by the prose that's made her successful in her established medium. This is no dreary textbook; quite a lot of it is narrative, following her tracks as she researches the White Chapel murders. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Does this mean she knows better than Scotland Yard? Probably not--but, then again ...

(This review has been posted by Marcus Damanda, author of the vampire novel: "Teeth: A Horror Fantasy.)

IMPOTENT FURY! .......2007-07-22

"I knew the identity of a murderer and couldn't possibly avert my gaze" so states Cornwell. Give me a break. Enough people have spent their time defending Sickert now, so I won't take up the space. Though he could be a suspect... The Jack the Ripper cases will most likely never be solved. Some people kinda' want it that way.

This is a good book for its documentation of the killings. Its also good for its in depth, yet ungrounded Sickert accusations; such as him having had a fistula. Pure speculation. I don't know if that would really be enough to drive a man to mutilate... but it doubtlessly would drive a person mad with "impotent fury"! And other phrases that will leave you giggling.

Did we read the same book? Lots of evidence!.......2007-07-09

In response to the other reviewers who complain about a lack of Cornwell's forensic evidence and "knowledge" of the suspect, Sickert's, actions: did we both read the same book?: The part where she discussed the manufacture and form of Sickert's vs. Jack's paper upon which the Ripper's letters were written? (matching watermarks, sheets ripped in half along matching lines, Ripper letters on Sickert's wife's stationery, etc. . )? The fact that Sickert paintings hauntingly and very convincingly match unpublishable photographs of crime scenes (shown side by side)? Matching up Sickert's travels on the Continent with gaps in Ripper activity in England, and prostitute butchers in France and other Sickert retreat locations? And, almost as telling as the paper stock matches (which are correspondence existing in modern day, which Cornwell subjected to in-person examination and forensic testing), the fact that The Ripper's letters contained illustrations almost exactly matching in ink and skill quality as that of Sickert, a published artist?

Forensic evidence abounds, and is convincingly argued and presented. LOOK at the photographic comparisons. Judge for yourself.. .I did, and I was convinced. (And condemning a book based on self-admittedly accepted name spelling variations, when original records are handwritten? Criticizing Cornwell for criticizing Victorian authorities' dismissive investigations of the murders of homeless prostitutes? These only bolster Cornwell's investigations, rather than doom them.)

I've recommended this book to historically inquiring minds who like to see for themselves, and I recommend it to you as well.

Average customer rating:

The best book on the subject yet written.
maggiemu
Exhaustive and detailed
Exhaustive, Factual, and Unbiased
Great account of an oft complicated topic

The Complete History of Jack the Ripper
Philip Sugden
Manufacturer: Carroll & Graf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Criminals | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Murder & Mayhem | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Biographies | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside History Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Sourcebook: An Illustrated Encyclopedia
Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History
Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper Case Closed
Jack the Ripper: First American Serial Killer
Jack the Ripper: The Facts

ASIN: 0786709324

Book Description

Adding more new material for his Complete History of Jack the Ripper, crime writer and historian Philip Sugden already has painstakingly uncovered much new and hitherto neglected material, including a new Ripper sighting, a possible earlier assault, and a potential American connection. As noted Ripperologist Dan Farson observes, “This is indeed the ‘definitive account’,” for armchair sleuths of the White Chapel Horrors and all true crime aficionados. “A meticulous and reasoned profile for readers and future detectives.”—Kirkus Reviews “The charm of well written history about a character of almost mythical standing.”—Daily Telegraph (London)

Customer Reviews:

The best book on the subject yet written........2007-06-09

Unlike most "Ripperologists," Philip Sugden does not have any pet theories to prove. Therefore, like a good historian, Sugden concentrates only on all the facts of the case as they can be cooberated by the primary sources. Very well written and thoroughly researched, The Complete History of Jack the Ripper not only covers each of the known murders in detail, the book also looks at several other unsolved murders that may have been part of the series of "Jack's" crimes. Furthermore, Sugden follows the police investigation and examines the suspects developed by the police at the time. While Sugden does evaluate the likelihood of these suspects' guilt, he makes no attempt to positively identify the killer. If you read only one book on the 1888 murders in Whitechaple, read this one.

maggiemu.......2007-05-12

I found this book to be a bit boring and quite wordy for my personal taste. There were alot of facts that seemed to lead nowhere. I wasn't impressed!

Exhaustive and detailed.......2007-03-13

Jack the Ripper is perhaps the best-known figure in history whose real identity is obscured. He killed (as far as we know) something between 4 and 9 women in London between 1887 and 1891. He was never caught, and there's no convincing proof anyone ever saw him clearly, let alone came upon him in the act of killing and tried to stop him. He became the subject of rumor and speculation while the killings were going on, and has since been a subject of much speculation and theorizing. "Solutions" to the crimes he committed range from various suspects to a conspiracy of the British Royal Family in some fashion all the way around to anti-Semitic conspiracies.

Author Philip Sugden decided to write this book, and work from as many original sources as he could, recounting only that information he was able to confirm from contemporary records. He generally dismisses newspapers of the era, and tries to rely on police files as much as possible. What emerges is a different picture of the killer and the murders than has been presented in the past, because many previous books have repeated the errors of others while recounting what they believe happened. Sugden does his best to avoid this.

The result is a well-written, detailed, exhaustive study of the killings themselves. Sugden recounts each of the killings in detail, and then spends considerable time telling of the police response to the crimes, their attempts to counter the killings, and especially their interrogations of witnesses. One point he makes clear is how primitive their forensic thinking was at the time: fingerprints were about a decade off yet, and it wasn't even possible to analyze bloodstains to tell if they were human or animal in origin. The police, as a result, depended to a great deal on witnesses and confessions. In crimes of passion or crimes of greed, those things worked reasonably well, but with a "stranger crime" where the killer and the witnesses probably didn't know the criminal, and he probably also didn't associate with other criminals, the chances of catching him were frankly minimal. That's what happened...they didn't catch him.

I really enjoyed Sugden's book. It contains a great deal of information. The author, in the latter part of the book, leans towards one of the suspects (George Chapman) but doesn't insist that he must have done it. He does think it unlikely that Druitt, Kosminski, or Ostrog were the killer, but in each case his evidence is, like everything else at this remove, pretty much speculation. At least his speculation makes sense, however. Regardless, anyone who's interested in Jack the Ripper needs this book, definitely.

Exhaustive, Factual, and Unbiased.......2007-01-12

Beginning and Elite Ripperologists alike MUST read this book. A best way to explain the quality of this book is to explain Sugden's handling of the facts. Unlike the mast majority of Ripperologists, Sugden's goal is not to create theories to fill in the gaps, nor to hold onto common myths of the Ripper. Any ideas he does suggest in the book are only those most "probable" and based on the facts that are available. Like any good researched book dealing with a topic with various controversies, Sugden is quick to point out flaws in common misconceptions and how their origins were spawned from incorrect historical data.

He does a fantastic job on truly capturing the "complete history" of the Ripper case while maintaining an enjoyable read for the elite and curious passerby alike. After reading the book I finally realized why this is declared THE book to have on the Ripper case. I strongly suggest this to be the starting point and foundation for all newly interested and all who have long loved the infamous murderer of almost mythical standing.

Great account of an oft complicated topic.......2006-11-24

Let me give a little anecdote first - when in London over five years ago, I was sincerely honored to see the admiration and respect that its citizens gave Polly Nichols, Annie Chapman, Liz Stride, Kate Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly. I am a massive reader and barely saw a thing by Patricia Cornwell in all of England, especially her book in which she claimed that the Ripper was Walter Sickert. You know why? I was basically told that people were so angered that she went on TV afterwards and admitted a lot of the book was invented scenarios told merely because "I thought it would make a good story" that they refused to endorse it. That, London, is respect, and I honor you for it.
Now said, mr. Sugden gives a great account of the murders of each of those women, portraying them as real people and not "Jack the Ripper's # victim." Although it is lacking severely in new topics such as Francis Tumblety and the like, anything previous is well researched and expertly presented with no bias. This is a worthwhile book, and if you want to see those involved portrayed fairly and as real people without a number, then try it.

Jack the Ripper: Scotland Yard Investigates

Average customer rating:

An important new title from two undisputed experts on Jack the Ripper

Jack the Ripper: Scotland Yard Investigates
Stewart P. Evans , and Donald Rumbelow
Manufacturer: Sutton Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Scotland | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Serial Killers | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Look Inside History Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Ripperology: A Study of the World's First Serial Killer And a Literary Phenomenon (True Crime Series)
Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History
Public Reactions to Jack the Ripper
Jack the Ripper: The 21st Century Investigation
The Complete History of Jack the Ripper

ASIN: 0750942282

Book Description

The horrific story of Jack the Ripper, the notorious serial killer who butchered prostitutes in the Whitechapel area of London in 1888, has remained in our collective consciousness as an unspeakable example of human depravity. This famously unsolved case is now part and parcel of global popular culture with countless books and films of ripperology proposing theory and counter theory as to the real identity of Jack.

Customer Reviews:

An important new title from two undisputed experts on Jack the Ripper.......2007-05-21

Authors Stewart P. Evans and Donald Rumbelow are not only two of the most well-respected authors in the field of Ripper studies (with such titles as The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Sourcebook: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, Jack the Ripper: Letters from Hell and The Complete Jack the Ripper), they are also two former London police officers who are directly responsible for finding and preserving important documents about this case for posterity. Put the two of them together and you can expect a book just full of great information, much of it brand new and fully documented with footnotes. On top of that, this is also easily the Ripper title with the most illustrations, many of them never before seen in any other modern publication. This book is simply required reading for anyone with a serious interest in the Jack the Ripper case.

The Brotherhood: The Explosive Expose of the Secret World of the Freemasons

Average customer rating:

It may be biased as hell, but its a fascinating read.
Anti-Masonic Book
One of most important things you will ever read 2 survive
Founding Fathers and Freemasonry.
A classic anti-Masonic book

The Brotherhood: The Explosive Expose of the Secret World of the Freemasons
Stephen Knight
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Conspiracy Theories | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Freemasonry | Other Practices | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Religion & Spirituality Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Secret Teachings of the Masonic Lodge
Inside the Brotherhood
Jack the Ripper
Behind the Lodge Door: Church, State and Freemasonry In America
Blood on the Altar: The Secret History of the World's Most Dangerous Secret Society

ASIN: 0586059830

Book Description

What does it mean to be 'On the Square'?

700,00 Freemasons, all male, probably make the largest secret society in Britain today. What exactly are they? Why are they so incredibly secretive? Is Freemasonry a positive, charitable organization which incorporates a certain amount of harmless mumbo-jumbo, or does it in fact represent something more sinister?

Stephen Knight's impartial - but highly controversial - investigation addresses these vital questions and asks:

DOES FREEMASONRY INFLUENCE OUR POLICE AND JUDICIARY?

CAN A CHRISTIAN BE A FREEMASON?

HAVE THE KGB PENETRATED THE FREEMASONS?

DOES FREEMASONRY LEAD TO CORRUPTION IN PUBLIC LIFE

Freemasons are all bound to silence, but now some of them have felt impelled to break ranks and reveal part of the truth...

Customer Reviews:

It may be biased as hell, but its a fascinating read........2006-05-06

Lets be honest, this book shouldnt be taken as fact. It's another highly embellished anti-masonic writer who has something out for the Freemonry Brotherhood, but it's so full of conspiracy theories (written as conspiracy fact) that one wonders whether or not David Duchovny is tracking some Freemason X-file. For anyone interested in pseudo-history, this is the book or them. Not that it's all false. It's much along the lines of "Holy Blood, Holy Grail". There's some relatively unbiased stuff about the formation of the order. I'm just glad i read it before Dan Brown can dissect it for his latest work of historical plagiarism.

Anti-Masonic Book.......2006-03-15

Beware! This is an anti-Masonic book and should not be looked upon as a book to provide actual facts concerning Freemasonry. This book is recommended only if one wishes to see the nonsense the anti-Masons are saying about Freemasonry.
For more balanced and factual accounts of the nature of Freemasonry, read: 'Is it True what they Say about Freemasonry?' by Arturo de Hoyos & S. Brent Morris, 'Masonic Questions and Answers' by Paul M. Bessel & 'A Pilgrim's Path: Freemasonry and the Religious Right' by John J. Robinson.

One of most important things you will ever read 2 survive.......2004-08-25

Freedom of the press around the world is rather an illusionary lie. Most of the corporate conglomerates have monopolized free speech and freedom of expression that goes hand in hand with it. Each citizen that fails to learn the massive destruction to freedom that has occurred in the G-8 nations is an impediment to that which I try to do for you peacefully, truthfully, and in the true spirit of friendship.
Though the man was not perfect by any means, he was dedicated to personal and national freedom of citizens......Read the personal letters and writings of Thomas Jefferson. The United States today mocks the truth of our sincere beginnings at justice and liberty for all. The prejudices of society in his time kept him from doing many of the things he would have preferred to do. One thing is certain, every centimeter of the land and waterways of the Louisiana Purchase was paid for with gold. No amount of fiat money has yet paid the FULL sterling value for it, nor even come close to such.

For more info on this email sundown1919@yahoo.com or sundown1919@canada.com or visit my website at www.geocities.com/sundown1919

I have been meaning to read this book, you can't find it in the USA because the conglomerates that control the media also control the various printing companies, all paid for by fiat money.....so we have many ligitimate grievances to itemize where fiat money is involved in the payment, it can only represent an IOU for any labor rendered. The law of mortmain kills the corporate claims before they utter even one word.

In the 1960's most of the 50 US states in preparation for the next attrocity, the Uniform Commerical Code, tried to legislate away the long established English Common Law of Mortmain. It prevented abuses of the artificial entites such as the Roman Catholic Church, and to day also involves all such corporations of business.

Founding Fathers and Freemasonry........2003-02-17

To the gentlemen from Miami, Fl

How ironic that you hold these founding fathers and freemasons in high esteem. True they wrote great documents and completed great works. But, all the while as Masons and so call Christians, they had no problem enslaving African Americans and people of African decent. "All men are created Equal..."

A classic anti-Masonic book.......2002-08-07

An interesting account of Freemasonry from an ýoutsidersý view. He noted that many ýoutsidersý would not publish works on the subject for fear of offending or causing resentment among the Freemasons. Despite this, Knight gives insight into the origins and fundamental points of Freemasonry and the process of recruitment and initiation into the explored. He also examines the power and influence in politics and the religious beliefs. Index I of this study includes Information For Candidates (from The Universal Book of Craft Masonry) with suggested readings and Masonic periodicals. Purporting to expose the 'evils' of Masonry primarily in the United Kingdom, this book (written in the early 1980s and, as the author states, in a very short time) seeks to further incite the public as a follow-up to his prior work which claimed that Jack the Ripper was a Mason!

Mr. Knight weaves a tale from his imagination using any 'unnamed sources' whom he claims were at the highest levels of Freemasonry. One such example is a "West End Mason". Ironically, that person - whom, like all of his sources, Knight claims needed anonymity, has identified himself online as being James Todd who publishes an online rant aptly called "VOMIT" ('Victims of Masonic Ill-Treatment'). Todd, curiously, was never an English Mason but rather joined in Scotland and was a member there for a short period. He claims that he was forced to join the organization and, clearly, hated it. Suffice it to say, no one is forced to join Freemasonry (particularly in Scotland) and Todd's attitudes and age (not to mention his abiding hatred for politicians and police) are hardly conducive to an honest presentation. You can read all about Mr. Todd's anti-Masonic and anti-Semitic rants right here. Using sources such as this to support his work puts Mr. Knight on a very shaky foundation indeed.

From the Southern Baptist Convention's Study on Freemasonry we learn that Knight rejected the Christian faith, became a Sannyasin (a religious belief we've found precious little about), and changed his name to Swami Puja Deval in 1983. He died of a (proven) brain tumor in 1985 but anti-Masons enjoy hinting that he was somehow murdered to silence him. (The claim of Masonic actions against those who speak against Freemasonry is easily disproven by the continued lives of other anti-Masonic authors - as well as the death of Masonic authors and historians!)

Even today, UK politicians looking for a 'hook' on which to garner favor will use this book as their crutch. Imagined and/or phony characters painted to look their worst so the author could sell yet another book and appeal to people's fears, this one succeeded and now is the false basis for many anti-Masonic rants.

Jack the Ripper: The Facts
Average customer rating:

Stunning detail

I thought it would be impossible

Definitely worth it for any student of the case!

Updated Version of a Classic Jack the Ripper Book

Jack the Ripper: The Facts
Paul Begg
Manufacturer: Robson Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Serial Killers | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Complete History of Jack the Ripper

Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History

Jack the Ripper: Scotland Yard Investigates

The Fox and the Flies: The Secret Life of a Grotesque Master Criminal

Ripper Notes: Madmen, Myths and Magic

ASIN: 1861056877

Customer Reviews:

Stunning detail.......2007-03-15

The odds are, if you are into the Jack the Ripper story, you're into more than just the plain facts. You're into the time period, true crime, and probably find psychology fascinating. Paul Begg incorporates all these into his book, compressing fact after fact into a page-turning suspense story...that really happened!
It goes in chronological order, explaining all kinds of national/international events shaping the Whitechapel district where at least 5 (yep, at LEAST 5) women of ill-repute were killed and horribly mutilated. Don't rely on stuff like "From Hell" if you want historical accuracy. Read this book and learn from an expert that makes things easy to understand.

I thought it would be impossible .......2006-01-03

After reading Philip Sugden's Complete History of Jack The Ripper, over ten years ago, I thought no one would be able to write a book that would compare to this. Paul Begg's first edition came out first (which I didn't read the first edition). However, he did a total update on the book, and because of all the praise it received I had to read it. He is an excellent writer, and even though I've read many books on the Ripper, he has a way of telling this story with total freshness. I also must give him credit for being totally unbiased in who may or may not have killed these 4,5,6,7,8, or 9 women. Is it a better book than Philip Sugden's? For me, it's too close to call. I think both have done a great job. Be sure to get the revised edition of this one.

Definitely worth it for any student of the case!.......2005-02-26

Because this book is for some reason unaviable in Canada, I ordered it from amazon.co.uk and was not in the least disappointed. The book contains much less detail on the social conditions than his "Definitive History" in favour of a complete history of the case. While in some ways, this book contains less detail on certain aspects than Sugden does, it still, in my opinion, deserves to be ranked with it as the best comprehensive account of the case because it deals with much of the more recent research on the case and still provides a wealth detail, not all of which is in Sugden. The book provides an overview of the case, and covers the expected ground, with chapters on each of the canonical victims (including Tabram), Leather Apron, the letters (with significant detail on the Dear Boss and Lusk letters), the police, the reactions/climate in Whitechapel and London, and the Macnaghten Memorandum. All the chapters contain references to primary sources, mostly quotes from newspapers and police reports.
The suspect oriented chapters on the case include Druitt, Ostrog, Kosminski and Tumbelty. There is also a small section in the Kosminski chapter on Fido's "David Cohen" theory, which in my opinion, despite the dificulties, is the best one out there (I think the confusion of suspects and Anderson's veracity cannot be so easily dismissed). A final chapter briefly discusses, and refutes, various other suspect theories, including the royal theory, Sickert and Maybrick. There are also a few pages of Chapman/Klosowski in chapter 8. There are also the standard victim pictures in the book and pictures of the murder sites. There are also pictures of many of the notable police officers involved in the case as well as two photos of the Swanson marginalia.
Begg's account is, in many respects, as conservative as Sugden's, correctly I think. For example, they both express agnosticism about authenticity of the Lusk kidney, and deem Packer completely unreliable.
There are also differences between Begg's account and Sugden's, giving the book a certain enjoyable idiosyncratic flavour. Sugden and Begg both add Tabram as a probable sixth canonical victim (in my opinion quite rightly), and plausibly discount Smith, Coles and Mackenzie. However, while Sugden includes Millwood and excludes Wilson, Begg discounts Millwood and makes a case Wilson. One final, and perhaps the biggest, difference between the two is that Sugden argued that George Chapman/Klosowski is the only known suspect who could have been, and perhaps was, the killer, Begg all but discounts Chapman seems to tacitly favour Kosminski, although he rightly acknowledges a lack any definitive evidence. While Ripperologists will probably have to die not knowing anything for certain, one cannot help but obssessively keep working at it and Begg's work is basically the best we can do.

Updated Version of a Classic Jack the Ripper Book.......2004-10-16

If you're tired of reading all the fictional "non-fiction" works on Jack the Ripper, this is a book for you. It's very well-written in a straightforward style & sensibly organized, & thus easy to follow. Mr. Begg is a co-author of "The Jack the Ripper A - Z," one of the two "bibles" of Jack the Ripper study (along with Philip Sugden's "The Complete History of Jack the Ripper") & therefore Mr. Begg is one of the field's eminent experts. The book is not without conjecture, but conjectures are identified as such & not stated as "facts." This book is excellently produced from the spooky dust jacket to the quality binding & typeface. There are none of the typos, misspellings, or misconstructed sentences that are common in the many self-published Jack the Ripper books available. "Jack the Ripper: The Facts" comes together in a way that allows the reader to concentrate on what the author is writing rather than leaving the reader trying to figure out what the author "really meant" (but did not write). A wonderful book on a fascinating subject, this has to be considered one the top three of all Jack the Ripper books. The updated (2004) hardcover version is available through amazon.co.uk, it's been expanded to 550 pages, & has an excellent index & bibliography. Highly Recommended!

The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Sourcebook: An Illustrated Encyclopedia

Average customer rating:

A worthwhile compendium
Exhaustive and thorough

The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Sourcebook: An Illustrated Encyclopedia
Stewart P. Evans , and Keith Skinner
Manufacturer: Carroll & Graf Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Murder & Mayhem | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

History | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books

Look Inside History Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Complete History of Jack the Ripper
Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History
The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper
Jack the Ripper: First American Serial Killer
Jack the Ripper: Letters from Hell

ASIN: 078670926X

Book Description

Stewart P. Evans, a retired police officer and curator of the Suffolk Police Museum in England, has researched the Whitechapel Murders for more than thirty years. He is the coauthor of Jack the Ripper: First American Serial Killer. Keith Skinner, for three decades a historical researcher of the Ripper case, is coauthor of such titles as The Ripper Legacy and The Jack the Ripper A to Z.

Customer Reviews:

A worthwhile compendium.......2005-01-23

This book is a necessary addition to any Ripper library. It is essentially a compilation of contemporary documents, mostly police, inquest and newspaper reports. It covers the major bases, including the individual murders and some documents relating to suspects and police opinions. Although it obviously may not be as comprehensive or up-to-date as one might like, it is one of the few primary source collections on the Whitechapel crimes, which alone makes it worth the read.

Exhaustive and thorough.......2003-07-27

An exhaustive record of all official correspondence, case file notes, evidence details and media reports concering the Jack the Ripper/Whitechapel murders of 1888-91. A very thorough research guide for serious Ripperologists. Includes all major case notes and relevant data, as well as a solid collection of photographs and drawings. Recommended for the hardcore Ripper enthusiast, and as a companion to other books on the case, especially Sugden's "The Complete History of Jack the Ripper".

Average customer rating:

Great source of information for anyone studying the relationship between Jack the Ripper and the press
Title says it all
Excellent on context

Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History
Paul Begg
Manufacturer: Longman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Criminals | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Murder & Mayhem | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Look Inside History Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Biographies & Memoirs | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Nonfiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Complete History of Jack the Ripper
Jack the Ripper: Scotland Yard Investigates
The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Sourcebook: An Illustrated Encyclopedia
Jack the Ripper: The Facts
Jack the Ripper: First American Serial Killer

ASIN: 1405807121

Customer Reviews:

Great source of information for anyone studying the relationship between Jack the Ripper and the press.......2007-06-08

This book has helped me allot in regards to a project I am working on. When one recognizes the significance between Jack the Ripper and the media, and it's part in ascending him from serial killer to Victorian icon, it is impossible to ignore this book. I highly recommend it.

Title says it all.......2006-12-14

I had to read this took for a Collage Class and have never enjoyed reading a "textbook" more.

Paul Begg is a very entertaining author and gave alot of details concerning the Jack the Ripper Murders.

At first he tells about the area of London called Whitechappel where it happened and then he talks about the Ripper Murders themselves.

Not only does he give much detail about the Ripper Murders he talks about the Police investigation about it, as well as goes into detail about some of the people that historians and investigaters have claimed were Jack the Ripper.

All in all a very comprehensive acount of the Jack the Ripper Murder case.

Excellent on context.......2005-01-26

The book really is more about the context than the case itself, but Begg present solid research and writes very well. In terms of presenting the conditions of 1888 Whitechapel, it is probably the best book out there. For a history strictly of the JtR case, Sugden would be the way to go. However, Begg's new book, "Jack the Ripper: The Facts" (only available at amazon.co.uk now), which contains much of the research done in the past ten years, would be definitely worth getting from there. Still, this book is worth it for the Ripperologist.

Jack the Ripper: First American Serial Killer

Average customer rating:

Good but not great
Fascinating but unconvincing
The Best Evidence on the Ripper Case
Very thoroughly researched with a convincing suspect
The REAL Jack the Ripper FINALLY Unmasked

Jack the Ripper: First American Serial Killer
Stewart P. Evans , and Paul Gainey
Manufacturer: Kodansha America
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Look Inside History Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Complete History of Jack the Ripper
The American Murders of Jack the Ripper: Tantalizing Evidence of the Gruesome American Interlude of the Prime Ripper Suspect
The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Sourcebook: An Illustrated Encyclopedia
Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History
Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper Case Closed

ASIN: 1568361602

Customer Reviews:

Good but not great.......2007-08-31

This is a good text, but I found myself wanting more. Several reviewers have spoken about how the authors did a good job of providing a new Ripper suspect, but I didn't feel they tied up the loose ends. There is mention of murders in Jamaica and Nicaragua late in the book, but no evident that Dr T. was ever in those countries at the time of the murders. There was a brief mention of an American `ripper event' in New York City, but no details surrounding this event. The evidence surrounding the Batty Street Lodger was very interesting, but the authors should have flushed that line of reasoning out further.

However the largest weakness of the text surrounds Mary Kelly. In the second appendix the authors decide that Mary is not a Ripper victim, apparently because Dr. T. might have been in police custody at the time of her murder. This might in fact be accurate, but this sort of material needs to be a chapter within the body of their text. This is a HUGE point within their theory and it's added in at the end. The authors spent significant time talking about Mary Kelly, only to discount the murder at the very end of the book because it didn't agree with their theory. This is a major flaw in their argument.

Additionally, early sections of the book spend a good deal of time talking about the Lincoln Assassination and Dr. T's arrest as a suspect in that affair. Unfortunately, these events are never tied back to the Whitechapel affair. Finally, very little information is provided regarding what happened to Dr. T. after he left London. Perhaps this information is not available, but one of the leading reasons to suspect Dr T. is he left London in 1888 (under suspicion). Additionally, if ripper-like murders happened in other parts of the world, this would be a big indicator that he was the Ripper, but only if you can show he was in those locals at the time of the murders.

Having read many Ripper texts, this one is more entertaining than most; however, it left me feeling the authors could have done more with their suspect. They did not convince me they had found Jack, only that Jack the Ripper and the Batty Street Lodger were probably one and the same person.

Fascinating but unconvincing.......2007-01-04

The Littlechild letter was an exciting find, but I remained unconvinced Tumblety was a viable JTR suspect. Unlike other JTR books though, I feel the authors present their story in an honest and well researched manner and I didn't get the feeling facts were fudged or glossed over altogether.

While Tumblety probably didn't commit the crimes (he didn't fit the description very well and I cannot believe JTR was that organized and competent to amass a small fortune), I wouldn't rule out he murdered others and I would still recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the Whitechapel murders.

The Best Evidence on the Ripper Case.......2006-09-07

I was impressed with this book.The best Ripper book yet.Gives the facts ,and no newspaper biases. Timewise,it fits Dr.Tumblity.
Socially,it fits Dr.Tumblity.The O'tumblity's were Irish immigrants ,of the 1830s potatoe famine.He had a poor childhood and few prospects for social acceptance,in the WASP society,of the 19th century.Tumblity was a good medic,during the Civil War.He was even a gate-crasher at the Lincoln White-House.Yet,after the war,he was persona non grata. He had plucked medals off the dead solider's chests and boasted an impressive military service,all Munchhausen quitoxic fabrications. Like a social peacock, trying to impress the local fauna.Yet,it was faux plummage.Tumblity's wife was unfaithful and left him a embittered misogynist.The Tumblity quack sold peppered cure-alls,and performed abortions ,in the backroom,of his foot-to-the-ground office.When Tumblity passed on ,at a St.Louis catholic hospital,on South Euclid ,he donated all the jewlery he had to the unknowing sisters.The rings were from prostitutes and poor women that had no ready-cash for Tumblity's questionable abortion services. No worthy doctor sullied their hands in this dark business of "Angel-making".But,Tumblity did.This Tumblity deemed himself a "respectable gentelman".He had to be frustrated by being restricted to the nether-world of Victorian society.I believe Tumblity met Monty Druitt at a college pub.Tumblity lavished on young artsy college boys,such as Patricia Cornwall's suspect.The chaulked "Juwes" comment ,was atributed to Monty Druitt ,yet probably written by the old fox Tumblity.Tumblity had a falling out with Druitt,dumping his body in the still-water.The corpse was found some weeks later and Tumblity was long gone,having taken a steamer,back to Rochester,New York.Jack is slang for a "puerile boy" and a "ripper" rips things open.The young Tumblity was an saucy erotica porn reader and aware of the street-whores of the lower eastside.The elder Tumblity was an avid theatre goer,watching the performances of the Booth family.(Yet,i do not know if Tumblity having been ejected by the Lincoln beef-eaters,then help hatch the assassination plot with John Wilkes Booth.) Tumblity was also a fan of Gilbert&Sullivan.Tumblity visited his sister(1875) ,from Vallejo,CA and watched the "Mikado" ,in near-by Frisco. Amazing!Did the Zodiac know this?? -- Mr.Lusk was a Mason,yet Tumblity was rejected as a Mason. You do the addition and go figure here.The best evidence provided here is proven and sound. A great book!

Very thoroughly researched with a convincing suspect.......2005-06-20

I enjoyed this book. Admittedly, it has sat on my shelf for three years, waiting until I was in a suitably dark mood to be tempted by it. The authors present a lot of evidence and show very thorough research. The killer they suggest seems entirely plausible, much more so than in the other Ripper book I read and enjoyed (at the end of which, the author's conclusion was that the man had simply stopped killing. Serial killers don't just stop. So that was implausible). Good book.

The REAL Jack the Ripper FINALLY Unmasked.......2004-09-14

Contrary to what Reviewer #2 has to say with his low rating, having read MANY "Studies" of the Ripper over the years, I find the case brought against "Dr." Tumblety to be by FAR the MOST likely; there is just TOO much coincidence for it NOT to be this man. Of particular interest are a SIMILAR rash of murder/mutilations performed AFTER the Whitechapel murders in another locale where Tumblety was proven to have been in at the same time as THAT series occured. PLUS Tumblety's collection of fetuses, etc. HIGHLY recommended, to me one of the MOST compelling books yet written on the topic, with more than enough proof provided to prove Tumblety's guilt.

Jack the Ripper: The 21st Century Investigation

Average customer rating:

Not quite
a total rip-off
Total waste of time
One of the best

Jack the Ripper: The 21st Century Investigation
Trevor Marriot
Manufacturer: John Blake Publishing, Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Murder & Mayhem | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Serial Killers | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Look Inside History Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The American Murders of Jack the Ripper: Tantalizing Evidence of the Gruesome American Interlude of the Prime Ripper Suspect
The Complete History of Jack the Ripper
Jack the Ripper: Scotland Yard Investigates
Ripperology: A Study of the World's First Serial Killer And a Literary Phenomenon (True Crime Series)
The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Sourcebook: An Illustrated Encyclopedia

ASIN: 1844541037

Book Description

There have been countless attempts to solve the brutal murders committed over 100 years ago by Jack the Ripper, but this most famous of British criminal cases finally benefits from a clear, professional eye to analyze the evidence with all the benefits of modern investigative techniques. Former murder squad detective Trevor Marriott considers a mystery that has enthralled millions. Casting aside the rumors, fantasies, and urban legends which have haunted this case for so long, he produces some startling results: while it has long been accepted that Jack the Ripper killed only five women, Marriot believes there were up to nine victims. Most astonishingly of all, a previously unconsidered suspect who also committed murders in America and Germany has been firmly put in the frame. All previous theories are refuted in what may possibly be the final word on the Ripper murders.

Customer Reviews:

Not quite.......2007-04-10

Not without interest but many of the conclusions pompously put forth by Mr. Marriot are hardly convincing. Indeed the leaps of logic made by the author, a former police detective, rather worry me about the competence of the police in general. And while claiming he looked at the evidence with lofty impartiality it seems clear he views the evidence through the prism of his theory that a merchant seaman committed the crime and moulds the evidence to fit his foreordained conclusion.

Particularly weak is the final section when he pins the crime on one Carl Feigenbaum, who indeed did commit a murder but one that seems to me to have little relation to the crimes of Jack the Ripper. He also tries to tie him into all sorts of murders around the world based on newspaper accounts of murders that were considered (however arbitrarily) to be like the Whitechapel murders. The fact that he can't even prove his suspect was even in the appropriate countries doesn't deter his arrogant certainty that he has finally unmasked Jack. Thus his remarks at the end of the book that he is the only one to look uncritically at the evidence and to have solved the case for everyone but those obsessed with the mystery of the case comes across as both as feeble and unintentionally revealing of his own foibles.

Still not worthless, though by all accounts that are better books on the subject out there.

a total rip-off.......2006-11-28

this book is a complete and total rip-off. the publishers blurb tauts new victims and a new suspect. in reality the "new" victims are old news and their new suspect is a flat out lie there is no new suspect only a vague theory about the ripper being a seaman which is also old news. save your money there is literally nothing to this book but a well written and misleading publishers blurb.

Total waste of time.......2006-04-11

After reading a review that gave a five-star rating to this utter disappointment of a Ripper book I was compelled to write a few words of my own. Having been an enthusiast on the Ripper case for some fifteen years and collecting all the books on the subject I considered worthwhile I have to say that "JtR: The 21st Century Investigation" by Trevor Marriott was one of the worst I've come across (which is saying a lot remembering all the Harrison/Cornwell -style achievements). It reveals absolutely nothing new of the case, no 'ignored facts' whatsoever.

Anyone who has read "The Ultimate JtR Sourcebook" (which definitely reveals everything you need to know about the coroners inquests and all other official files, newspaper articles and such authentic material), or Philip Sugdens excellent "The Complete History of JtR" will find very little rewarding in this book. Mr Marriotts deductions throughout the book sound more or less vague: "Martha Tabram is not considered by many to be among the Ripper victims, but to my opinion she might as well have been one", and so on. Every basic fact, speculation and reference is offered in a very matter-of-fact, uninterested and selective style.

Keeping in mind that the theory of JtR being a sailor, and thus being able to avoid capturing more easily was put forth already in 1888 and countless times since, mr Marriotts 'discovery' on the final pages of the book seems hardly worth the trouble. His tireless search of all the vessels whose arrivals and departures on the numerous docks of London and vicinity coincide with the time of the murders gives us dozens of ships from England, Germany, Holland etc, all of which have more than insufficient crew lists to begin with.

In the end the reader is left with a feeling not unfamiliar to the spirit of the book in general - "Okay, JtR might have been a sailor on one of those ships, then again he might not have..."

Whether you are an expert or a novice on the Ripper case I seriously doubt that you can find anything of true interest in this book. To me it was both a waste of time and money.

One of the best.......2006-03-04

Having just renewed my interest in the Jack the Ripper story I was looking for material I had not read before. This is one of the best books on the subject. It includes the Coroner's Inquest on all the victims and in doing so reveals information that surprisingly seems to have been ignored over the past century. The author analyses the Coroner's information and also presents possible other ideas on who the killer might have been

Average customer rating:

Very good
Recommended Reference
Just the facts... a breath of fresh air...
The usual saucy suspects
A Good Start...

The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper

Manufacturer: Carroll & Graf Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Murder & Mayhem | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Look Inside History Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Complete History of Jack the Ripper
The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Sourcebook: An Illustrated Encyclopedia
Jack the Ripper: Letters from Hell
Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper Case Closed
Jack the Ripper: First American Serial Killer

ASIN: 0786706260

Book Description

Enlisting in the hundred-year-old debate about the identity of the world's first serial killer, this Mammoth investigation introduces the facts of the famous case and presents some of the most convincing, if conflicting, theories of the murderer's identity.

Customer Reviews:

Very good.......2007-09-06

This book presents a different chapter on a different suspect and each argument is very compelling.

This variety means that the reader is always entertained.

Thoroughly enjoyed it and would definately recommend it.

Recommended Reference.......2006-06-04

Half of "The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper" is a reference book about the Whitechapel murders. It contains witness statements, victim biographies, autopsy reports, police opinions, weather at the time of the crime, and much more. I was really glad to read through this material because the facts are so often distorted or ignored in documentaries about Jack the Ripper. This part of the book is a very important read for anyone interested in the Whitechapel/Jack the Ripper murders.

The reason that I gave "The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper" four stars instead of five was because of the other half of the book, entitled "Current Views." This part of the book is made up of modern essays speculating the identity of Jack the Ripper. Most of these essays are (to put it euphemistically) strange and implausible. This is roughly 300 pages in the middle of the book. Martin Fido's essay (David Cohen and the Polish Jew Theory) stood out from the other essays. It was fascinating, well researched, and believable.

Just the facts... a breath of fresh air..........2006-04-24

This was a breath of fresh air in the overwhelmingly polluted atmosphere of stale Ripper-media. Though it is a thick book, it is a very well written easy read in chronological order. Maxim Jakubowski and Nathan Braund do an exquisit job of presenting the facts and documentation of JtR. In order, each victim's case is presented along with transcripts of their respective documents where available, including autopsy reports & police memoranda. There is little to nill of the authors opinions or "out there" hypothesis and theories of "whodunit" that is so cliche in many of the books as of late. Just the facts!

The usual saucy suspects.......2003-10-30

Because the perpetrator of the 1888 London slayings known as the Whitechapel Murders was never convicted as such the case has become the most popular whodunit in history. Every armchair detective in the world has his pet theory as to who the killer was and why he was compelled to slash to death women in the dead of night. Fortunately "The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper", published in 1999, is both informative and fun to read. I say fortunately, because it presents a kaleidoscope of conjectures and contradictions from Ripperologists who here present the theories they have published in different books. (Colin Wilson, whose own essay is the last of 16, takes credit for the term "Ripperologist".) This brotherhood is evidently a very chancy clique, characterized by tense camaraderie and frequent animosity. Shirley Harrison, in discussing an alleged Ripper diary (she's supported by Colin Wilson), says an informed debate sank to "a low level of vitriolic abuse". No wonder, with all these different ideas: Paul Harrison and Bruce Paley agree on their working-class suspect, while Martin Fido concentrates on the Jewish aspect, and Sue and Andy Parlour favor the Freemason angle. (Philip Sugden was either not invited to this party or declined the invitation.) M.J.Trow plays a little prank on the reader to indicate how easy it is to categorize anyone -- you, me, Lewis Carroll -- as a serial killer. Then there is the legend of the Duke of Clarence, who married a "model" of the Catholic faith, siring her child. The potential scandal so spooked the Court it sanctioned a series of homicides. All this has been fodder for some extravagant fiction, but as Simon Whitechapel observes: "If the murders were carried out to silence blackmailers, why were they so brutal? Why, in other words, were they so public?" (His own arcane conspiracy theory combines Roman Empire decadence with Victorian kitsch.) A more stable, if less romantic, explanation is the connection between the Irish Nationalist cause and the Conservative government's awareness of similarities in the Whitechapel murders and Fenian terrorist tactics. "The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper", well-edited by Maxim Jakubowski and Nathan Braund, offers many bonuses, including a chronology and autopsy reports. At the end is a bibliography, listing dozens of Ripper-related books, about 40 since 1988 alone. There is also a filmography, beginning with something called "Farmer Spudd and his Missus Take a Trip to Town" (1915) and including 1953's "Here Come the Girls", in which Bob Hope is threatened by a character named Jack the Slasher. So who was Saucy Jacky? An insane surgeon? An over-zealous reformer? An angry boyfriend? Peter Turnbull states bluntly: "Jack the Ripper was not a man: he was a myth." On the other hand, A.P Wolf has an article titled "Jack the Myth" in which a favorite candidate is promoted. It is A.P. Wolf who invites us to the party: "Go on, check it out," this Ripperologist writes. "The 'Final Solution' could be yours."

A Good Start..........2003-01-31

This book features about 16(if I remember correctly)different essays on the identity of JTR. Most are well-written;and while some of the suspects are either ridiculous or proven to be innocent, it is a good starting point for amateur ripperologists. This book shows that there's many different opinions and varied viewpoints on the identity of JTR. We'll probably never know who he was, so I guess this is as good a place to start as any.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books