Books on the Non-Canonicals?

[Felidos]

Hello all,
I was wondering if anyone can reccomend books containing a good amount of information on the non-canonicals (Mylett, Mackenzie, Coles, etc.). Particularily interested in books with info on the torso murders (do any books exist that are mainly about the torso murders? Never heard of one, maybe someone should write it?). So much published info is out there re: the five canonicals and Tabram, not had so much luck with the rest.

PS- Have recently heard of the book "Carroty Nell," sounds good re: Coles. Otherwise the Ultimate Jack the Ripper Companion is best I've found yet for the noncanons, still doesn't have much on the torsos except for Pinchin Street.

[Phil Carter]

Hello Felidos,

Apparently, such a book is in the pipeline as we speak. If that author reads this, the author may possibly confirm this or provide permission for someone to confirm this for them.

best wishes

Phil

[sdreid]

I haven't read it but there is a book about the Torso Murders. The author's name is R. Michael Gordon I believe.

[Wolf Vanderlinden]

The Thames Torso Murders of Victorian London, R. Michael Gordon, McFarland & Company, Inc., 2002.

The book argues, as all of Gordon's books do, that Severin Klosowski (George Chapman) was not only the Ripper but the Torso Murderer (if indeed one single killer existed) as well.

Wolf.

[Rob Clack]

Ripperologist #108 has the most detailed and uptodate account of Catherine Mylett's life and is a pretty good read if I do say so myself

Rob

[Felidos]

Fabulous info re: the Torso Murders book (or books? if author for new book will confirm)! Those cases interest me because there is so little coverage of them, yet they are so bizarre. I'll hafta check out #108, too.

Any further info on good 'noncanonical' books is, of course, greatly appreciated Have any other noncanonicals received their own books besides Frances Coles and the, erm, torsos?

[Stewart P Evans]

'Non-Ripper Victims'

Someone told me, and they didn't think it was any secret, that the new book on the non-Ripper' Whitechapel victims is the one being written by Paul Begg for the Yale University Press - but don't quote me.

[Laurie]

Hi Felidos,

I just purchased "Carrotty Nell" through Amazon and received it today. I haven't started it yet, but when I do I will let you know how it is. I will get started on it tonight. I'm also interested in the Torso murders, so if I find anything I will run it by you also.

Regards,

Laurie

[Felidos]

Thanks Laurie!!!
By the way, I just noticed this available on Amazon: A NEW Torso Murders Book to be released in May:

http://www.amazon.com/THAMES-TORSO-MURDERS-Wharncliffe-Crime/dp/1848844301/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1289581180&sr=8-2

Oddly, it is not by Paul Begg but by M. J. Trow. Perhaps Begg will be releasing one next year as well? Competition!

[Laurie]

Thank you Felidos! That is something to look forward to! Oh, I did attempt to start reading Carroty Nell last night, but I didn't get very far. I fell asleep while on the very first page! LOL! It has nothing to do with the book though. I've been working really long shifts (14 hours, I'm a Pharmacist) so right when I got comfortable, I was out! I'm off for the weekend so I do plan on giving it another go. I will keep you updated. Thank you again for posting that link about the Torso Murders book!!

[Felidos]

Thanks Laurie! If 'Nell is good I'll be putting it on my Christmas list
By the way, have you read the Torso Murders book by Michael Gordon, and was it a worthwhile read? I see it's $30 so I'm hesitant unless it's good, I could buy 2 other books for $30.
I read Gordon's Alias Jack the Ripper and that had some interesting torso stuff in it, I'm hoping the Torso book has a lot more info. If it's basically 15pages of torso murders and 200 on the Ripper cases, though... no

[Laurie]

So far so good Felidos! I'm just past the halfway point in the book. The only thing is that it isn't all based on Frances Coles. The title is a little misleading. It has a chapter for each of the Canonicals, then in Part 2, which is about halfway through, it's about Frances. Having said that, it is a very good book though. It's just that I have so many books now and I know pretty much most of everything about the Canocials that is offered. It is still worth it though.

No, unfortunetly I have yet to buy a book on the Torso Murders. That is going to be in my next set that I will buy. Have you read any good ones as of late? Probably next week sometime I will check out Amazon and my local Barnes and Noble to see what they have. I will continue to keep you updated on everything. Happy Reading!!!

[Felidos]

Hello, I haven't read any torso books at all (or none calling themselves "torso murders books"), although I did read some info on them from Alias Jack the Ripper (very little of it is about the torso murders, like maybe 20 pages) and what I could gather from the Ultimate Jack the Ripper Companion (it really didn't have much on the torso murders except for the "Pinchen street" victim). Fascinating that the murders weren't really linked to the Ripper, or even remarked upon much- and one was even found very soon after the double murder. I guess finding body parts wasn't unique back then? What was wrong with people ?

Of course I've always wondered why Mr. Lusk stuck an organ in his desk drawer for a week (he thought it was a hoax, yes, but it was a decomposing thing! Did that not smell?). I guess people really were different back then.

[JTRSickert]

hey everyone,

I just wanted to point out that, aside from R. Michael Gordon's book on the Thames Torso murders, he has also gone on to write the books The American Murders of Jack the Ripper and The Poison Murders of Jack The Ripper

While both of these books again propose Klosowski as being the Ripper, the focus is on the non-canonical murders (such as Carrie Brown) and Chapman's wives that he poisoned.