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Serial Killers & Mass Murderers - Biography, Serial Killings & Mass Murders, Regional British History - London
Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History by Paul Begg — book cover

Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History

by Paul Begg
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Overview

'A must-have addition to the shelves of anyone interested in this iconic Victorian mystery.' Gilda O'Neill, author of My East End

'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.

Synopsis

Steering clear of wild conspiracy theories, this is the paperback edition of the book to which people turn for the facts behind one of the infamous and grisly episodes of the Victorian era.

  • 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

About the Author, Paul Begg

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 Uncensored Facts (Robson, 1988) and the Jack the Ripper A-Z (Hodder).

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Editorials

From the Publisher

Reviews of the hardback edition:

'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

Book Details

Published
February 1, 2005
Publisher
Longman
Pages
408
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9781405807128

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