name the 5 best Ripper books

[Pontius2000]

leave out Begg's book, JTR A-Z, Scotland Yard Investigates, and Letters From Hell as these 4 kind of go without saying, imho.

I am trying to get a consensus on what people think are the best ones that others may not have read since Holidays are coming up. can be suspect based or whatever.

the only 4 really good ones I can think of (besides the above 4) are

Martin Fido's book
Rob House's book
Prisoner 1167
and the book on William Bury

Rob House's is the best of the 4 imo.

[The Grave Maurice]

I think I'd vote for five copies of Sugden's book.

[Jonathan H]

For literary style and as a dazzling polemic:

Tom Cullen's 'Autumn of Terror' (1965)

As a work of judiciously considering sources:

Paul Begg's 'Jack the Ripper -- The Facts' (2006)

For its inspirational value in checking primary sources:

Stewart Evans' and Paul Gainey's 'The Lodger: The Arrest and Escape of Jack the Ripper' (1995)

For arguably solving the Anderson conundrum and for its illustrations:

Stewart Evans' and Don Rumbelow's 'Jack the Ripper -- Scotland Yard Investigates' (2006)

For [provisionally] solving the whole 'mystery':

Sir Melville Macnaghten's 'Days of My Years' (1914)

[Adam Went]

I feel slightly ill at the suggestion of Macnaghten's biography being amongst the best books, but I do agree with Jonathan as far as "The Lodger" goes.

Personally I like a book which doesn't focus just on the JTR case but the surrounding issues and the lives of the citizens in the area during his time.....so "Jack the Ripper's London" or similar is ideal as far as that side of things is concerned.

Cheers,
Adam.

[lynn cates]

one little, two little, three little musty tomes

Hello Pontius. try:

1. Evans and Skinner, "The Ultimate Companion."

2. Campbell, "Fenian Fire."

3. Butterworth, "The World that Never Was."

4. Molony, "The Phoenix park Murders."

5. Lots and lots of period papers.

Number one discusses Jack the Ripper, the rest help put the situation into perspective.

Cheers.
LC

[Tom_Wescott]

Hi Pontius, which book on Bury, McPherson or Beadle? If Beadle, which edition? Abiding by your rule to omit all those books, a number of which would comprise my list, here ya go.

1) The Man Who Hunted JTR, Evans & Connell
2) Sugden
3) The Lodger/First American Serial Killer (for setting the standard for suspect books).
4) House's book, for doing a good job with Kosminski.
5) Spiro's new book for taking a level-headed approve to some of the more esoteric areas of Ripperology.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Robert]

I wouldn't like to pick the 5 best, but one book which is guaranteed in my top five is the Sourcebook (Evans and Skinner).

[mariab]

I can't pick 5 either, 5 is too much.
I'd go with
1) The Ultimate
2) SY investigates
3) Sugden (despite its irritating frequent lack of footnotes/documentation).

For a suspect-related book I'd too go for The Lodger/JTR: the first American serial killer?, though I don't own it and haven't read it in its entirety.
I also wanna buy The London of JTR.

Lynn, is Molony (on the Phoenix Park murders) really that good?
Butterworth I find too “light“.

[The Grave Maurice]

3) Sugden (despite its irritating frequent lack of footnotes/documentation).

Them's fightin' words to us Sugdenites, Maria. I assume it's a joke.

[mariab]

There are a few things missing, Ken. Best not discussed on a thread.

[The Grave Maurice]

?????? You've lost me.

[lynn cates]

yep

Hello Maria. Definitely. It shows the investigation as it took place along with the mistakes and brilliant moves.

Cheers.
LC

[John Malcolm]

The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Sourcebook/ Companion
Who Was Jack the Ripper? compiled by Camille Wolff
The Man Who Hunted Jack the Ripper
Jack the Ripper:The Casebook by Richard Jones
...and The Case for Scotland Yard's Prime Suspect by Rob House
Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History by Paul Begg
Public Reactions to Jack the Ripper by Stephen Ryder
The London of Jack the Ripper: Then and Now by Hutchinson/Clack
The Complete Jack the Ripper by Don Rumbelow
The Life and Times of Jack the Ripper by Philip Sugden

Sorry, I couldn't narrow it down to five. There are some very good ones left off the list, but, there you go....

[mariab]

?????? You've lost me.

I'll PM you.

Hello Maria. Definitely. It shows the investigation as it took place along with the mistakes and brilliant moves.

I'm considering buying it then. I also have parts of Campbell which you scanned over to me, for which I'm very grateful.

[lynn cates]

books

Hello Maria. Yes, do. And, if you find Campbell interesting, you may wish to buy his book as well.

Cheers.
LC