What is the worst Ripper book you've ever read?

[Bridewell]

I confess that I got my copy of Psychic Investigation from a car boot sale so it wasn't bad value for the quid or so I paid for it.

[Cogidubnus]

Hi Colin

I'm afraid I can substantiate what you're saying...

But set against that, look at the ridiculous prices still being charged, for example, for Spiro's load of old rubbish, which I paid more than £30 for and have regretted ever since

All the best

Dave

[Bridewell]

"Jack the Ripper - A Psychic Investigation" by Pamela Ball is a contender. The psychic involved was not helped by the quality of the information provided.

[Bridewell]

If you figure out how to make money from a Ripper book please be sure to let me know. I've been trying without success for years.

I'm ashamed to say that I picked up a copy of "The Facts" brand new, in hardback, for £2 a few weeks ago. I'm guessing that you didn't make much on that copy. I should point out that this post is 'off topic' for this thread - just wanted to point out that good JtR books can be had for not much money.

[Bridewell]

I'm always ready to revise my opinions.

Are you sure you're posting on the right forum?

[PaulB]

I'm voting for my book when it's out it will be truly awfull and lacking in any real facts but it will sell and make me a load of money and that's the most important thing.

If you figure out how to make money from a Ripper book please be sure to let me know. I've been trying without success for years.

[pinkmoon]

I'm voting for my book when it's out it will be truly awfull and lacking in any real facts but it will sell and make me a load of money and that's the most important thing.

[Tom_Wescott]

n

Jack the Ripper: American Hero: Was Lincoln's Avenger the Whitechapel Murderer? by Jacob Corbett

The second is so bad I am at a loss to describe it. The argument Corbett advances is explained in about a page and a half and in essence is that Corbett's fate being unknown he could have come to London. The rest of the book consists of the inquest reports lifted wholesale from Casebook, in one case Corbett not even bothering to remove the yellow highlighting. For this he charged a tenner.

Oh Lord, I'd completely forgotten about this one. I have a few copies of it. I ordered only one but was sent like four. I recall checking to make sure I wasn't overcharged, but only charged for one. I was actually excited about that until I dove in to the book. Most horrid thing. I heard shortly after it was pulled from sale. Not sure why or if that's true but someone said they tried to order it and it wasn't available.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[PaulB]

There are plenty of contenders for the worst book about Jack the Ripper, and it depends how you define "worst", but two which in my view put all others in the shade are

Death of a Prince by Jeanette Han

Jack the Ripper: American Hero: Was Lincoln's Avenger the Whitechapel Murderer? by Jacob Corbett

The first is a compulsively readable account of a group of Australian ladies on a psychic tour of Britain and solving the Ripper mystery. Readable but truly awful. The second is so bad I am at a loss to describe it. The argument Corbett advances is explained in about a page and a half and in essence is that Corbett's fate being unknown he could have come to London. The rest of the book consists of the inquest reports lifted wholesale from Casebook, in one case Corbett not even bothering to remove the yellow highlighting. For this he charged a tenner.

The list of plain bad books such as Uncle Jack, Hand of a Woman, and so on, is ever growing.

[Peter Griffith aka gryff]

How about "Bloodstains" by Jeff Mudgett.

Is it actually a book - it seems to be only available in electronic format at Amazon.com?

Amazon use these words to describe the content:

"Bloodstains is the startling tale of one man’s search for the truth after inheriting the personal diaries belonging to his great-great-grandfather who he discovers was America’s first and most notorious serial killer Herman Webster Mudgett. Better known by his alias H.H. Holmes"
...
"Jeff pieces together a dynamic and extraordinary puzzle, including the strong possibility that Holmes was also Jack the Ripper"
...
"Far more than a documentary, Bloodstains is precariously balanced on the very edge between non-fiction and the paranormal, as the author’s research of his evil ancestor quickly takes on a personal aspect."

Anyone actually read it?

cheers, gryff

[barnflatwyngarde]

And a point in favor of "Summing up and Verdict" is that it's the first book to mention Anderson's Blackwood Magazine memoirs and relate that the Seaside home ID failed because the witness was a fellow jew. A detail not in Fido (who guesses that the witness was a City PC). Which is note worthy since the book appeared the same month that Jim Swanson approached the Daily Telegraph, and so does not support the idea that the marginalia was a forgery based on modern published texts.

JM

I had forgotten about the Seaside Home identification.

I will start rereading again today.

Looking forward to going through the time tunnel!

[jmenges]

And a point in favor of "Summing up and Verdict" is that it's the first book to mention Anderson's Blackwood Magazine memoirs and relate that the Seaside home ID failed because the witness was a fellow jew. A detail not in Fido (who guesses that the witness was a City PC). Which is note worthy since the book appeared the same month that Jim Swanson approached the Daily Telegraph, and so does not support the idea that the marginalia was a forgery based on modern published texts.

JM

[barnflatwyngarde]

Me too, Jon. Summing up and Verdict was a fun read, but full of errors because the authors had not kept up with the latest research of the time. The book came out along with Fido and shortly after Begg and so got lost in the shuffle.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

Doh!

Ok, I'll give it another read.
I'm always ready to revise my opinions.

[Rosella]

'Prince Jack' by a long gallop. I didn't read it for years, as it was banned in England. I think Frank Spiering has/had issues!

[Damaso Marte]

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