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Amazon.co.uk Review
Even for those disturbed by the phenomenon, it is impossible to deny the continuing fascination of Jack the Ripper. And we are not just interested in the historical Jack (whoever he was): as a source a grisly inspiration for writers, this most famous of serial killers has had a healthy afterlife. Legions of criminologists, professional historians and amateur investigators have produced a variety of fascinating solutions to the unsolved mystery of "Saucy Jack". Some of the proposed wielders of the knife have been bizarre choices--from the painter Sickert to even more blue-blooded candidates. But the 16 compelling arguments contained in this volume (one of whose editors is the crime specialist Maxim Jakubowski) could be said to close the book on Jack as comprehensively as possible. This hefty read, as gripping as anything by Thomas Harris and the like, is fascinating not least for the wildly contradictory theories put forward by such writers as Colin Wilson and Peter Turnbull. We are also, of course, given the historical facts in the first 100 pages and as well as ensuring that the reader will be firmly engrossed, Jakubowski and Braund allow us to make up our own minds. Perhaps the continuing interest in Jack is a result of the fact that we will probably never know his identity for sure. --Barry Forshaw
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"'Closes the book on Jack as comprehensively as possible' - Crime Time"
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is probably my favourite book on the ripper murders. It has all the facts you ever need to know about the case, loads of essays from various ripperologists on the case and has a good section on other obscure suspects thought at one time or another to have been the ripper. its a good read.
Just one thing though - the authors also have a book out called the a to z of jack the ripper - this is in fact the same book as this one - as i found out when i bought both.
Just one thing though - the authors also have a book out called the a to z of jack the ripper - this is in fact the same book as this one - as i found out when i bought both.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Ripperology moves quickly. It makes the microchip development seem slow. Leave the country for a while and you'll come back to a new paperback being serialised in the Daily Mail and a body being exhumed from some Suburban cemetery. By its nature therefore any "Mammoth Book" on the subject is likely to become obsolete (to a certain extent) quicker than your last Apple product. Taking this all into account, The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper is a value-for-money starting point on the subject. I love it, and will keep it as a reference book until such point as the suspect merry-go-round has probably went round full circle.
21 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is an excellent introduction to Ripperology for the uninitiated; likewise, it is very useful for someone, like myself, who has read about Jack the Ripper fairly extensively in the past and just needed a good brush-up before taking up the mantle of amateur detective again. Don't worry--I'm not going to name a suspect here in this review (partly because I certainly do not know the true identity of Jack the Ripper). I leave the theorizing to the writers who contributed to this book. These contributors come from different walks of life, and their proffered theories range from the ludicrous to the seemingly substantive. Thankfully, no chapters are given to Stephen Knight's wild "royal conspiracy," although it is mentioned on occasion for the purpose of repeating how ridiculous such ideas are. The subject of the Maybrick diary is broached, with a good balance of positive and negative reactions to it (personally, I think it is a fake). There is one chapter that did annoy me somewhat, even though I can understand the point of it. Basically, and I won't identify him here, the contributor argues that X was the Ripper, presents evidence (circumstantial, of course, which is really the best that any theorist can offer in this case) of why this person was the Ripper, then ends the section with a Gotcha!. See how easy it is to build a case around any "suspect," he says--while that is a valid point, anyone who has read anything about this case knows the fragility and circumstantial nature of virtually every piece of evidence extant in the field, and I for one would not have chosen to waste my time reading a chapter that, in the end, was essentially nonsense.
The first section of the book , I should point out, consists of a very useful timeline and summation of the events and evidence, what the editors call the "undisputed facts." While no single piece of evidence is truly "undisputed" among Ripperologists, this section does provide an objective look at the subject matter. It is followed by sections specifically addressing the witness statements (many of which are of course contradictory and/or unreliable, which the editors point out), autopsy reports, the controversial "Ripper letters," police views, and disputed texts. Anyone who reads through that introductory session will have a useful foundation of knowledge to draw upon when interpreting the competing theories that make up the bulk of the book. That being said, any reader would really benefit from having another source of an encyclopedic nature handy (and there are such books out there) because it can be confusing to keep all of the names straight when there are so many suspects that the contributors ask us to consider.
All in all, this is an excellent source of information on Jack the Ripper. The background information provided by the editors is quite objective and fact-oriented, which is a rare find in books on this subject. In most cases, someone decides who the Ripper surely was and then goes about finding "facts" to fit his/her theory. That is certainly what some of the contributors to this book have done. The editors, commendably, have not done that; they do not even offer any "views" on the individual theories presented here. Their "just the facts, ma'am" approach is much appreciated and welcome. While this is not the "best" book on the subject, it may well be the best introduction available to the history and myth of the Whitechapel murderer.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Mammoth book of Jack the Ripper
Great book for anyone who thinks they know who the Whitecapel murderer was!
Comprising of numerous books most presenting the authors view of the murders, while attempting to... Read more
Comprising of numerous books most presenting the authors view of the murders, while attempting to... Read more
Published 7 days ago by Hazel
Not my usual reading material but nevertheless I was engrossed in the...
I bought this on a whim, it was deal of the day a couple of weeks back. I was fimiliar with the story of the murders to know it's an unsolved who dunnit with a lot of potential... Read more
Published 27 days ago by Charlie&Molly
Everything you need to know about Jack...
I thought this book was ideal for those (not many I imagine) who did not know the full story about Jack The Ripper.. Read more
Published 1 month ago by scrummybum113
Good Book. Not too impressed with the title
This book sets the scene well and is basically a series of essays by different authors, each making a case for their particular suspect. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Mr. Colin R. Macdonald
Excellent!
A truly fascinating book that encompasses all of the Ripper murders, and those who investigated the crimes, in detail. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Zorro
The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper
This detailed and fascinating book contains all the information you will ever need to know about 'Jack the Ripper. Read more
Published on 22 Nov 2002 by "christodouloug534"
A TRULY BRILLIANT BOOK OF THE JACK THE RIPPER
FROM THE OUTSET OF THIS BOOK. YOU KNOW IT SETS THE STANDARDS OF ALL JACK THE RIPPER BOOKS I HAVE READ. IN EVERY CHAPTER THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE YOU NEVER KNEW. Read more
Published on 15 Sep 2000 by philliplloydwilliams@lineone.net
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