- Paperback: 368 pages
- Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd; New edition edition (25 Jan 1990)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 014012313X
- ISBN-13: 978-0140123135
- Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 15.2 x 2.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 370,817 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
Since her execution at Holloway prison in 1923, Edith Thompson has haunted the conscience of the nation. Grave doubts were expressed at the time about the extent to which she was responsible for her husband's murder in Ilford by her handsome young lover Frederick Bywaters. The Home Office files on the case were marked not to be opened for 100 years. The case against her rested largely on the evidence provided by 70 letters which she wrote to Bywaters. The truth is that these letters offer a unique insight into the workings of an overwrought romantic imagination, ultimately unable to free itself from the constraints of a suburban marriage and respectability. Through this correspondence and a painstaking reconstruction of the era, the author argues that Mrs Thompson was innocent.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This account of a cause celbre in the 1920's is extremely well written and provides a well-researched and moving document. My only wish is that the author had provided a list of his sources because occasionally one comes across something that seems undocumented and gives one pause to consider whether the author has let his imagination run away with him. There is also some confusion in the facts. For example, the evidence that Mr. Weis says was given by Inspector Hall at the Old Bailey is credited in the Notable British Trial edition, edited by Filson Young, to Inspector Richard Sellars. Page 35. Did Young err? Mr. Weis also seems to attribute certain things in the trial which are not reflected in the Filson Young account although it must be said that the Young edition is unsatisfactory as he edits out most of the questions. F. Tennyson Jesse's account of the Rattenbury-Stoner trial is much more satisfying. That being said, hats off to Mr. Weis for turning a searchlight on to this unfortunate miscarriage of English justice.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I picked up this book at the library quite by chance knowing nothing of the Thompson Bywaters case prior to reading .I found the totally non sensational reporting of the life and death of Edith Thompson gave me a feeling of involvment in the narrative and I felt shame for the travesty of justice which seems to have occured here.It also gave me a very grassroots look at the sexual bias of the justice system in 1923 and the pathetic way in which men of that era judged women against a standard of morals which most did not subscribe to personally.Take the Prince of Wales for example who is mentioned by Edith's family on a visit to Holloway Prison.This book has stimulated me to find out more about this case ,my only regret is that because of the tyranny of distance I cannot review the primary evidence as Rene Weis did.A good and thought provoking read.
13 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I find this book extremely well-written and extremely well-researched. It is really nice to read a "true crime" book of such outstanding quality. However, there is one big problem: the author is absolutely convinced of Edith Thompsons innocence. Accordingly, he fails to provide a proper analysis of the evidence in the case. The author tells us, as if it was an undisputed fact, that all allusions on poisoning her husband in E.T:s letters are pure fantasies. This is a matter of interpretation, is it not? Also, the author reveals his ignorance of forensic medicine when he states that Spilsburys evidence completely ruled out any possibility of poisoning. On the contrary, it was quite correct of Inskip to say that it couldn't be ruled out that for instance glass had been administered several months ago. Of course glass could have been given in the food (in small pieces, naturally) and then passed through the intestinal canal without causing any damage detectable many months later. Unfortunatley, Mr Weis is not on firm ground here which lowers the overall judgment. Nevertheless, this is a very interesting and moving book which is worthwile reading just for the literary quality.
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