Recommended Ripper Books Please

[looby64]

Hi, I have read just a few Ripper books, mainly in compilation with other murders, but would be grateful If you good people could recommend some for me to read, maybe your favourite one and why would be great.
Thanks Looby64

[Tom_Wescott]

Hi there, below are a few books that I believe most posters would recommend as dependable reference books -

JTR: The Complete History by Philip Sugden
JTR: Scotland Yard Investigates by Stewart P Evans and Don Rumbelow
JTR: The Facts by Paul Begg (not to be confused with his The Uncensored Facts, a much shorter first edition. Be sure to get just 'The Facts', ma'am.

It will take you a while to absorb these books, so I'd say that's a great starter set.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[The Grave Maurice]

And when you've finished those three excellent books, Looby, have a look at this thread for more suggestions:

http://forum.casebook.org/showthread.php?t=2231

[looby64]

Thanks for you suggestions, look forward to reading these books.
x Looby66

[RavenDarkendale]

Has anyone besides me read

The Bell Tower: The Case of Jack the Ripper Finally Solved... in San Francisco by Robert Graysmith

It is an attempt to blame both the murders of two girls in the Emmanuel Baptist Church in San Francisco, in 1895, and the 1888 JtR murders on a Pastor John "Jack" Gibson solely on the fact that he was so very secretive and had been in London during the ripper murders.

In fact a man named Theo Durrant was convicted of the Bell Tower murders and subsequently hanged.

Having read several books on the San Francisco crimes, there is a strong possibility that Durrant was, as he claimed, innocent. But the finger doesn't point to Pastor Gibson, but to another church member who was almost Durrant's double. Pastor Gibson vanishes from the scene after the San Francisco earthquake, and is never seen again.

The story is far-fetched, but it gives a new suspect, Pastor Gibson, a new theory, JtR vanished into the American West, and tells a comprehensive version of the investigation and trial of Durrant. Makes a good read but the JtR connection must be taken with a grain of salt, I think...

[sdreid]

I read it out of the library many years ago.

[Magpie]

Anything with Stewart, Begg or Skinner among the authors is a sure bet.

[RavenDarkendale]

Also found this one on amazon kindle:

Hidden Suspect: The Whitechapel Murders by Frank Pearse

He postulates the ripper was John Pavitt Sawyer, who worked as a hairdresser at 97 Whitechapel High Street, and was a Freemason. Searching for more knowledge, he came under the influence of three higher Masons, who had him do the mutilation slayings as a Mason Ritual.

I consider the whole BS, but Pearson does give a good reason for the double murder. In his story, Sawyer was given specific dates for the murders and mutilations. Almost caught with Elizabeth Stride, Sawyer had to find a new victim fast. Eddows was at the right place at the wrong time.

Another "secret kept by my family" type story...

[lynn cates]

fatal anachronism

Hello Raven. There is a thread on that book. Actually, the Sawyer story may contain a fatal anachronism.

Cheers.
LC