Completely new: can you point me in the right direction?

[Jonathan H]

In my opinion, the rwo best books on the subject are:

'Jack the Ripper: Scotland Yard Investigates' by Stewart P Evans and Don Rumbelow (2006)

It gives a terrific overview of the police hunt from 1888 to 1891, and is copiously/beautifully illustrated.

For the best work of novelistic, prose style and [leftist] polemical argument, and realising it will be brilliant but dated is:

'Autumn of Terror' by Tom Cullen (1965)

[Hunter]

Hello Skypilot,

I checked that book out at the library a few months ago... Only read it once. I liked his research on the "Dear Boss" letter and his coverage of the press to some extent but find fault on his perception of the murders in general.

[spyglass]

SKY PILOT !
( dont dispare i'm responding ) An intresting book in it's own right, but does'nt say anything about JTR. and the documentry was naff!

NEXTJENN !

In my opinion you chose the wrong book to
start with.
I suggest " JTR THE FACTS" by Paul Begg and "THE COMPLETE JTR" by Donald Rumbelow to start with.

[skypilot]

new book

Hello there.

I'm very new, and would like some advice when it comes to books! The only book I have read so far, is Patricia Cornwell's book, and as much as I like her fictional work, I was very unhappy with her JTR book! I'm after a book to teach me the facts, to get me into the subject without a biased approach. I love facts, images, newpaper articles and all of the good stuff etc...and need to find a great book to ease me into all of this

Thank you for the help in advance, and hopefully I can blend in a little after some more reading!

Jenn

I just finished "Jack the Ripper" by Andrew Cook, apparently a TV documentary was made from this. Amberley Publishers, 2009. tells how contemporary newspapers treated the murders; opines 3 different people killed the canonical five(no names); and offers expert testimony that the Dear Boss letter was possibly written by journalist Frederick Best of the Star. hope this helps; even more, hope someone responds. I've logged offf this site for months as no one ever responds to me andI'm new here as well.

[doris]

Other than the ridiculous pricetag, it touts the Sept. 17th Ripper letter as legit, when it's a modern hoax. Other unsupported claims are made or suggested, such as that Michael Kidney killed Stride. For an 'encyclopedia', it has far too much of this stuff. I'd recommend that if you don't have this, don't get it, and wait for the new A-Z coming in a few months.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

Ah yes it does have those faults, but I still think that the good bits are worth a read.
And it is 9.99GBP in paperback.

doris

[Roy Corduroy]

You can read Eddleston free online at Google Books. Also Evans Ultimate, and his 1st American SK. Don't know if Google Books is available outside the US.

The only problem is, you'll be reading along, and then it says "Page 55-56 not part of this preview"

Roy

[Tom_Wescott]

mine was only a tenner, and it contains lots of names that the a to z omits and a brilliant list of the cockups made by Cullen, Rumbelow and all those who just made stuff up.
I use it all the time.

Whats your problem with it?

Other than the ridiculous pricetag, it touts the Sept. 17th Ripper letter as legit, when it's a modern hoax. Other unsupported claims are made or suggested, such as that Michael Kidney killed Stride. For an 'encyclopedia', it has far too much of this stuff. I'd recommend that if you don't have this, don't get it, and wait for the new A-Z coming in a few months.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[doris]

I don't have this book.
I've read the review here on Ripper media and they say it's a good one, although there are some flaws.
But 75$...
The first book I've published was sold only 60 euros...!

Amitiés,
David

75 usd?

what rot, the paperback SRP is £9.99
And I still think that if the OP wants a decenct collection of ripper books it should be on their list.

doris

I recieved another box of books today from amazon

Bedlam, london and its mad, catharine arnold
east end 188, william fishman
the blackest streets, arah wise
the worst street in london, fiona rules
the vistorian workhouse, trevor may

they are all splendid, buy them too!

[DVV]

Even worse is the fact that I'm now far too broke to prosecute the publishers who didn't give me one cent for my second book. And they had the guts to have me signed the book at the "Salon du Livre" in Paris.
I wasn't even aware that it had been published in English and was being sold in all hotels in Addis Abeba.
I discovered that when I was there in early 2007.

Anyway, broke or not, I stick to Islay whisky and Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

Amitiés,
David

[Observer]

What!!! All that well earned money sluiced against a wall. I'm dissapointed in you David, that money would have financed a trip to London, the way the early Spring light dances on the sewage foam lapping around Wapping steps is most delightfull this time of year.

all the best

Observer

[DVV]

Ha Ha! No my friend!
And we sold all - roughly 950 copies (I think we offered or kept a few dozens).
There is only a used one remaining now on amazon.
They sell it 57 euros.

I agree, it's too much money.
But already drunk, alas.

Amitiés,
David

[Observer]

Hi David

60 Euros is a lot to pay for a book, do you mean that the total sale of all the books sold amounted to 60 euros?

all the best

Observer

[DVV]

I don't have this book.
I've read the review here on Ripper media and they say it's a good one, although there are some flaws.
But 75$...
The first book I've published was sold only 60 euros...!

Amitiés,
David

[doris]

It is, if you don't mind misinformation and half-baked theorizing - which I provide here daily for free - not to mention the ridiculous price tag.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

are we talking about the same book?

mine was only a tenner, and it contains lots of names that the a to z omits and a brilliant list of the cockups made by Cullen, Rumbelow and all those who just made stuff up.
I use it all the time.

Whats your problem with it?

doris

[Tom_Wescott]

It is, if you don't mind misinformation and half-baked theorizing - which I provide here daily for free - not to mention the ridiculous price tag.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott