| Author |
Message |
    
sam stringer
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 16, 2003 - 12:03 pm: |       |
As someone quite new to the subject could some of you please give me your opinions as to the best books to read to give me a general unbiased view of events. The books I have read so far have been the likes of the Cornwell book, the Shirly Harrison "Diary of Jack the Ripper" etc. I have found these books a little too concrete in the author's opinions on who Jack was. Any ideas would be appreciated |
Donald Souden
Detective Sergeant
Username: Supe
Post Number: 81
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Monday, December 22, 2003 - 2:06 pm: | |
Sam,
Donald Rumbelow's Jack the Ripper: The Complete Casebook is old, but good. The Complete History of Jack the Ripper by Philip Sugden is newer and very good (though the George Chapman chapter should be read critically). Jack the Ripper A to Z by Begg, Fido and Skinner is a must reference and if you want the original documents find The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Companion edited by Evans and Skinner. These should keep you busy for a while.
Don. |
Andrew Spallek
Inspector
Username: Aspallek
Post Number: 306
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Monday, December 22, 2003 - 2:13 pm: | |
Begg's book, Unsensored Facts, (or something like that) is also good.
First book on the case that I read was Martin Fido's The Crimes, Detection and Death of Jack the Ripper. It is not a bad starting point, but of course, presents only one theory.
Andy S.
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Monty
Chief Inspector
Username: Monty
Post Number: 552
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 23, 2003 - 4:27 am: | |
Sam,
Anything by Begg, Fido, Skinner, Evans, Sugden and Edwards (His topographical work is rated by me). Rumbelow is another author Id look at.
Just as a starting point. Try to avoid the suspects these book endorse (reluctantly I believe, in some cases). Just take in the facts.
Monty
 |
Alan Sharp
Inspector
Username: Ash
Post Number: 300
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 23, 2003 - 6:46 am: | |
Sam
I believe Paul Begg has a revised edition of Uncensored Facts coming out early next year. Could be worth waiting for. Meanwhile his Definitive History is well worth a read as well. Have to recommend Fido's book and Bob Hinton's From Hell... and James Tully's Prisoner 1167: Was this man Jack the Ripper? each of which pushes a particular suspect but goes about it in the right way by studying the facts first and then looking for a suspect who fits, rather than the other way around as in Patsy Cornball or Ivor Edwards case. |
Monty
Chief Inspector
Username: Monty
Post Number: 561
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Monday, January 05, 2004 - 10:58 am: | |
Alan,
Just a pointer son, not provocation...honest,
but Ivor spent 3 years pounding streets, books, reports ect searching for a motive. This inturn led him to believe that the suspect in his book is Jack the Ripper.
He never chose Stephenson...he came to this conclusion after researching the case evidence.
Respectfully,
Monty
|
Alan Sharp
Inspector
Username: Ash
Post Number: 329
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Monday, January 05, 2004 - 11:56 am: | |
Monty
In that case I apologise for that part of my comment. I still don't think it's a very good book though. I respect the fact that he put a lot of work into it, but I'm afraid I did not feel that the result lived up to the effort. |
Frank van Oploo
Detective Sergeant
Username: Franko
Post Number: 125
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Monday, January 05, 2004 - 12:33 pm: | |
Hi Sam,
In addition to all the books mentioned above, I would recommend 'Jack the Ripper, An Encyclopaedia' by John J. Eddleston. Although it carries some mistakes, it's unbiased, concise and easy to read. Perfect for someone who's new on the subject.
All the best,
Frank |
Monty
Chief Inspector
Username: Monty
Post Number: 570
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Monday, January 05, 2004 - 12:37 pm: | |
Alan,
No worries.
Though I may disagree I do respect your views....which I value...believe it or not !
Monty
|
Alan Sharp
Inspector
Username: Ash
Post Number: 331
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 06, 2004 - 5:02 am: | |
Why thank you kind sir! Actualy I must admit though that I am very glad I bought the book because the maps and diagrams are excellent and I refer to them constantly. Actually the ones in the Eddleston book mentioned above are very good as well. |
Monty
Chief Inspector
Username: Monty
Post Number: 571
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 06, 2004 - 6:20 am: | |
Alan,
Thats the reason I rate Ivors book. The maps, the timing of getting from A-B ect. I walked and timed these distances before I knew Ivor had already done so. I wish he had told me this cos I could have had a pint instead !!!
Its no secret that Ivor is a friend. Im not going to go down the road of debating his book, theory or they the guy himself but I will mention that I do not agree with his ideas regarding motive and suspect. He knows this. But I do agree with his ideas on the 'mechanics' of this case. How Jack operated, the positioning of the body ect.
But its the fact that he got of his arse and walked and timed the area that gets my respect.
And yes, I agree (make the most of it old chap, it dont happen too often) that Eddlestons maps are very good. I refer to them often.
Later
|
Mara
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 - 12:39 pm: | |
Can you recommend any good sources for finding out information on the Victorian era, in particular more obscure day to day information, such as daily life, life in asylums (did they have wheelchairs and did they call them wheelchairs?), what was the inside of a police station like? Were men and women who were picked up drunk put in group cells or individual cells? Were there walls between each cell or could prisoners communicate with each other and see each other? Were there beds in the cells? How was police brutality addressed in this era, or was it at all? I've purchase some books on the era in general but none of them go into as much detail as I'd hoped. Any suggestions would be very appreciated. Yes, I' also spending hours roaming with search engines.
Mara
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Frank van Oploo
Inspector
Username: Franko
Post Number: 159
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 - 4:54 pm: | |
Hi Mara,
You've probably already checked this enormous site, but if you haven't you might want to check under 'Victorian London' and under 'Ripper Media'/'Book reviews'. I haven't read all what is found there, but perhaps there is something of interest to you.
Good luck,
Frank |
John Hacker
Inspector
Username: Jhacker
Post Number: 154
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, January 22, 2004 - 3:16 pm: | |
Mara,
Those are some pretty specific questions you have that are unlikely to be addressed in any general Victorian work. I have a big pile of unread antique books on Victorian criminology that might have some of the information you're looking for. I'll take a glance through some of them if I can get a chance and see if I can find one to recommend.
Other than that, my best suggestion would be to go through some book dealers specializing in rare and antique books and see what you can find. There's a surprising number of books on the subject that date to the period in question and surely one or more of them has the answers you're looking for.
Regards,
John Hacker |
Mara
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Thursday, January 22, 2004 - 7:16 pm: | |
Aww, you're a sweetheart, but I didn't mean to make anyone go to so much trouble. However, I'd love to know some of the titles you have, whatever you can recall off-hand, because I am also interested in Victorian research in general. Thanks! |
Timsta
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Thursday, January 22, 2004 - 3:57 pm: | |
Mara:
I can recommend 'The Victorian Underworld' by Kellow Chesney (Maurice Temple Smith, 1970). I have a Pelican softcover I got on ebay for $5 or something - ISBN 0 14 02.1582 4, if that helps.
Regards
Timsta
|
John Hacker
Inspector
Username: Jhacker
Post Number: 169
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, January 25, 2004 - 12:00 am: | |
Mara,
I've got a number of Scotland Yard specific titles that probably wouldn't be much help.
One title you might want to look at is "Urban Crime in Victorian London" by J.J. Tobias which was first published in 1967.
Another one you might find interesting is "London's Underworld" by Henry Mayhew. It's published by Spring Books (My copy was printed in 1969), and is edited by Peter Quennell. It contains selections from "Those Who Will Not Work" the fourth volume of "London Labour and the London Poor" first published in 1862. It's a bit early, but it should still have some items of interest.
I'll dig around in the piles a bit more and see if I can come up with anything more useful.
Regards,
John |
D G Cornelius
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Monday, April 05, 2004 - 11:46 pm: | |
Sorry to reply so late. Henry Mayhew wrote an even better book in his multi-volume series, "The Great World of London", entitled "The Criminal Prisons of London" which has only been reprinted to my knowledge once, but is available in larger libraries. Mayhew's interest is not only in prisons as destinations but also the routes taken to them. In one particularly memorable discourse, he associates the hot beds [poor choice of words] of crime, vagrancy, and vice with their proximities to public charities, in turn descending from medieval monastic institutions.
Respects, d. g. cornelius |
Bullwinkle
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 06, 2004 - 4:30 pm: | |
If you want to really know the solution of the case, come over to the clean, fresh taste of A?R. When you realize that you've known the answer all along, that it was right before your uncomprehending eyes for decades, why, the earth will move under your feet. Your bowels will drop right out of you.
B.
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Jason Scott Mullins
Inspector
Username: Crix0r
Post Number: 165
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, April 08, 2004 - 9:51 am: | |
Your bowels will drop right out of you.
bwaahahahahhaha!!
Hehehe, that was a good one. With your permission, I'd like to use it someday.
In order for him to come to the clean, refreshing taste of Archbishop Ripper (or has the definition of A?R changed?), you'd have to tell him the whole theory. Something that you have been .. reluctant to do.
crix0r |
