Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History

'The clearest, most accurate, and most up-to-date account of the Ripper murders, by one of Britain's greatest and most respected experts on the "autumn of terror" in Victorian London.' William D. Rubenstein, Professor of Modern History, University of Wales, Aberystwyth

¿One of the most important Ripper releases of the past several years... one of the best overarching accounts of social conditions in London's East End, as well as the history and internal politics of both the police, government and press organizations of the time.¿ Casebook: Jack the Ripper

England in the 1880s was a society in transition, shedding the skin of Victorianism and moving towards a more modern age. Promiscuity, moral decline, prostitution, unemployment, poverty, police inefficiency¿ all these things combined to create a feeling of uncertainty and fear.

The East End of London became the focus of that fear. Here lived the uneducated, poverty-ridden and morally destitute masses. When Jack the Ripper walked onto the streets of the East End he came to represent everything that was wrong with the area and with society as a whole. He was fear in a human form, an unknown lurker in the shadows who could cross boundaries and kill.

Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History is not yet another attempt to identify the culprit. Instead, the book sets the murders in their historical context, examining in depth what East London was like in 1888, how it came to be that way, and how events led to one of the most infamous and grisly episodes of the Victorian era.

Paul Begg is one of the world's foremost experts on the case of Jack the Ripper. He is the author of Jack the Ripper: The Facts, and co-author of The Jack the Ripper A to Z. He is the Editor of the Ripperologist magazine.

'Such an extensive and entertaining book has long been needed, and we are fortunate that Paul Begg has chosen to write it' Ripper Notes 

'As good a general account of Jack the Ripper as exists' The Sunday Telegraph

'Rather than being another attempt to identify the culprit, this book examines the facts behind one of the most infamous and grisly episodes of the Victorian era.' Best of British

 The book is a social history of Victorian East London as it is about the murders themselves. Begg argues that the case excited such interest precisely because of the notoriety of the East End at the time. Chronological coverage includes detailed accounts of the lives of each of the victims and an examination of the police investigation.

'The clearest, most accurate, and most up-to-date account of the Ripper murders, by one of Britain's greatest and most respected experts on the "autumn of terror" in Victorian London.'

William D. Rubenstein, Professor of Modern History, University of Wales, Aberystwyth

England in the 1880s was a society in transition, shedding the skin of Victorianism and moving towards a more modern age. Promiscuity, moral decline, prostitution, unemployment, poverty, police inefficiency all these things combined to create a feeling of uncertainty and fear.

The East End of London became the focus of that fear. Here lived the uneducated, poverty-ridden and morally destitute masses. When Jack the Ripper walked onto the streets of the East End he came to represent everything that was wrong with the area and with society as a whole. He was fear in a human form, an unknown lurker in the shadows who could cross boundaries and kill.

Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History is not yet another attempt to identify the culprit. Instead, the book sets the murders in their historical context, examining in depth what East London was like in 1888, how it came to be that way, and how events led to one of the most infamous and grisly episodes of the Victorian era.

In 1888 the Whitechapel area of London was the scene of some of the most brutal murders ever recorded in history - and yet the case of Jack the Ripper remains unsolved. Steering clear of wild conspiracy theories, and spurious attempts to advance new theories about the identity of the culprit, Paul Begg instead provides the facts behind one of the most infamous and grisly episodes of the Victorian era.

The book is a social history of Victorian East London as it is about the murders themselves. Begg argues that the case excited such interest precisely because of the notoriety of the East End at the time. Chronological coverage includes detailed accounts of the lives of each of the victims and an examination of the police investigation.

Paul Begg is a leading authority on the subject of Jack the Ripper. He regularly appears on TV documentaries on the Ripper, has advised the novelists Tom Clancy and Patricia Cornwell on the facts behind the mystery and has given talks to the FBI on the subject. He is a full time writer and current Editor of the Ripperologist magazine. His previous books include, Jack the Ripper: The UncensoredFacts (Robson, 1988) and the Jack the Ripper A-Z (Hodder).

•  The story and identity of Jack the Ripper remains a subject of enduring interest and fascination for the general public

• Provides a detailed yet readable, blow-by-blow account of the crimes - who saw and did what, where and when

• Unique as a general read for those who simply want to know what happened and to understand why the Ripper is remembered today

• Author is a renowned ¿Ripperologist¿ - editor of the Ripperologist magazine and author of several previous books on Jack the Ripper

is a leading authority on the subject of Jack the Ripper. He regularly appears on TV documentaries on the Ripper, has advised the novelists Tom Clancy and Patricia Cornwell on the facts behind the mystery and has given talks to the FBI on the subject. He is a full time writer and current Editor of the Ripperologist magazine. His previous books include, Jack the Ripper: The Uncensored Facts (Robson, 1988) and the Jack the Ripper A-Z (Hodder).

Ch. 1: INTRODUCTION  ix

Ch. 2: THE EAST END  1

Ch.3: EMMA ELIZABETH SMITH  32

Ch. 4: THE BITTER CRY  39

Ch. 5: MARTHA TABRAM  62

Ch. 6: FLOUNDER AND FUMBLE, AND 'CATCH WHOM YOU CAN!'  70

Ch.7: THE MAIDEN TRIBUTE  128

Ch. 8: 'AT THE CRATER OF A VOLCANO'  163

Ch. 9: ANNIE CHAPMAN  187

Ch. 10: THE DOUBLE EVENT - ELIZABETH STRIDE  209

Ch. 11: CATHARINE EDDOWES  235

Ch. 12: DEAR BOSS  249

Ch. 13: MARY JANE KELLY  287

Ch. 14: THE GREAT VICTORIAN MYSTERY: WHO WAS JACK THE RIPPER?  315

Ch. 15: OTHER RIPPER SUSPECTS  356

INDEX