- Hardcover: 544 pages
- Publisher: Robinson Publishing (12 Sep 1994)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1854873296
- ISBN-13: 978-1854873293
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 16.4 x 4.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 230,687 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
Complete History of Jack the Ripper
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Product Description
Fortean Times, August, 2002
'The book's reputation is well deserved, so you should seize this additional opportunity of acquiring your own copy at a very reasonable price.'
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Product Description
This work is a definitive account of the Ripper murders of 1888. The author's research has uncovered a wealth of new data, including what is apparently a sighting of the murderous assault bearing his hallmarks. The contemporary suspects are scrutinized and the fullest details made available on several little-known candidates such as Puckridge, the altogether forgotten Benelius and Ostrog. The book offers a rebuttal of the so-called Maybrick diary, and after the most detailed discussion on all aspects of the crimes, the author, having challenged the drift of Ripper studies since 1959, makes his own more plausible revelation and establishes the American connection.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
52 of 55 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Having read several books on Jack the Ripper, I can enthusiastically declare Sugden's volume the best of the lot, for a number of reasons. First and foremost, this book is not about "Jack the Ripper" per se, but rather it is about the series of murders in Whitechapel and the ensuing investigation. It is the author's stated goal to present the facts as clearly as can be gleaned from extant police files and press reports of the time (albeit, in the latter case, cautiously and only when information is not available in official form). As other reviewers point out, Sugden is not trying to convince us that his own pet suspect is the Ripper. Whereas most Ripper books begin with a conclusion and are written with the arbitary purpose of convincing us that the author has identified the Ripper, this book actually saves the conclusion to the end. Even that conclusion, however, is not definitive. The author does, in the end, tell us why a certain suspect seems to fit the facts better than other named suspects, but he clearly states that there is no definitive proof as to whether or not that suspect was Jack, and he by no means accuses the man of the crimes. In the same vein, Sugden does not attack other writers in the field. That being said, he does point out flaws and outright mistakes in others' thinking. Even this, it must be said, is done in a noble fashion. Sugden is very determined to dispel a number of myths that have wrongly influenced Ripperology for many years, and his contribution toward this end is the most important contribution he makes. He goes to great lengths to not only point out false "facts" (such as the supposed pregnancy of Mary Kelly, for example, an idea that even Donald Rumbelow accepted when he wrote his Casebook) but to explain where these myths came from and why they were accepted by other writers.
Another wonderful thing about this book is Sugden's treatment of the victims. I must admit that I have always viewed the victims with some detachment--this is surely a personal shortcoming on my part, but it is one that many people may share, especially given that the victims were prostitutes in Victorian London over a century ago. In the pages of this book, though, these poor women actually become real and "human." I feel as if I knew them now, to at least a small degree, and, besides feeling pity and compassion for them, I have discovered that I actually liked a couple of them (especially Annie Camp). These women were not just poor "prostitutes." Other writers have done a good job of explaining the wretched conditions in Whitechapel, but no one else has made that world and its occupants really come alive and real to me before. Sugden deserves much praise for putting so much effort into researching, learning, and telling the true story of these women as comprehensively as possible.
In this book, you will find the most complete, objective story that can be told of the Whitechapel murders. "Facts" you have assumed were true will be brought to light and revealed to be myths. New information, particularly in regard to the victims, will be presented. You will not be shown Jack the Ripper, however. What do the facts tell us about Jack the Ripper? That is the question Sugden poses. He has some ideas, which he shares, but any "answers" to this mystery are ultimately left with the reader.
This book should be required reading for any person even remotely interested in Jack the Ripper. Sugden has written the sacred tome of Ripperology, in my opinion.
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
If you only ever read one book about the Jack the ripper murders of 1888, make it this one. Even readers that have studied the ripper for years will find new nuggets of information here. Superbly written, it sweeps you along on a tide of facts and theorys, you wont be able to put it down. I can't recommend this book enough, superb.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I've always been fascinated by Jack the Ripper and of the crimes he committed without really knowing anything of the victims or how many he actually killed ...which to this day is still debatable. Having been brought up on seeing various movies claiming to be the definitive version and all varying widely off the mark as I now know, I wanted a factual account of the events and made this the first book on the subject that I bought (over a year ago now...this is a belated review but allows me to compare it to other books) and it's unquestionably one of the best. The writing is superb and takes you on a mentally stimulating picture of victorian London and of the hardship the residents of the East End had to endure on a daily basis. The facts given about each murder are presented in such a way you will not be able to put the book down - I read the whole thing in two days. Philip Sugden waits until the end to go into who he thinks is the most likely suspect (in his opinion) therefore leaving the rest of the book to present the facts as they should be read allowing the reader to make up his or her own mind. After reading this I think Martha Tabram should be included along with the canonical five and have my own reasons for including her. That's the best thing about this book - everyone will come away with an unbiased opinion of their own based on the facts that this brilliant book places before them. Highly recommended and having bought further books on the subject it remains the most impressive one I've read. It's also one of only a few books that shows a map of the area which you can refer back to; extremely helpful especially when reading about the night of Sept 30th. Why other books fail to include this simple (and obvious) visual reference escapes me - many books say this happened there then he went here via this way before turning up that way and then going back this way and he probably turned into this street without giving the reader any idea of where things were happening. After reading the stories of each victim and feeling that I've got to know a lot about them through the narrative of the book - they were innocent women after all, forced by desperation to walk the streets through no choice of their own just to get a bed for the night, this book shows to the reader the full horror of what Jack the Ripper did (showing photos of the victims taken at the mortuary and in the case of Mary Jane Kelly graphically showing the full savagery of the person the police were dealing with). The fact that nobody to this day knows his identity is just one reason for the continued fascination of something that happened over 120 years ago. If only Albert Cadosch had looked over the fence when he heard that thump history may have been re written.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
This Comes Close
I bought this book a some years ago, and as soon as I started to read I could not put it down. I realised straightaway that this was a totally different approach and investigation... Read more
Published 1 month ago by David F J Pollard
A scholarly autopsy on the infamous Ripper
It is astonishing that a relatively short series of brutal murders in the summer and autumn of 1888 should have rocked the British Empire, which was then at its apogee, and sent... Read more
Published 1 month ago by worldofjimbob
Comprehensive & exhaustive
Unless further significant evidence comes to light, this is probably the only book you'll ever need to read on this subject. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Alan Cambs
Dear Boss
Oh Murder! This is one of the finest and well researched books I have ever read. I had a very basic knowledge of the man they call Jack the Ripper, and being 100 pages from the end... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Jensen77
Fantastic
This book is absolutely fantastic, very easy to read. The author states he has written the most comprehensive book on the murders, and he is right. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Helena
timeless mystery
you will not find a better book on the subject,and i have read quite a few. philip sugden takes an unbiased approach,and goes through information with a fine tooth comb, leaving... Read more
Published 16 months ago by miss marple
Best Book on The Ripper EVER MADE
Best Book on The Ripper EVER MADE... if you want to know who Jack the Ripper was, read this book, Sugden analyses the evidence coldly, factually and brilliantly
Published 18 months ago by JerGrav
Jack the Ripper
This is not a typical holiday read, but it was the book I spent a holiday reading in absolute fascination! I knew very little about the Ripper case, but that did not matter. Read more
Published 22 months ago by S Riaz
Everything you wanted to know and more...
In his business, Jack was a devilish kind of genius.
In this thick book (500 pages !) we discover the (true ?) facts and the many faces of the possible murderers. Read more
In this thick book (500 pages !) we discover the (true ?) facts and the many faces of the possible murderers. Read more
Published on 20 Jan 2010 by Voltaire
Gripping and intelligent! A real page-turner
I was looking for a good book on the Jack the Ripper murders after watching the crime series Whitechapel on ITV. Read more
Published on 10 May 2009 by PR
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