Jack The Ripper - Mark Whitehead [56]
Evans, Stewart P and Skinner, Keith (eds), The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Sourcebook, London: Robinson, 2000, Hardback, 692 pages, £25, ISBN 1841192252.
A necessary purchase for any budding Ripperologist, Evans and Skinner have compiled the definitive reference book on the Ripper crimes. It contains all Home Office and Scotland Yard files on the case, plus available inquest transcripts. There are also reproductions of the first Ripper letters, the Macnaghten Memoranda et al. The truth is in here, somewhere...
Begg, Paul, Fido, Martin and Skinner, Keith, The Jack the Ripper A-Z, London: Headline, 1996, Paperback, 522 pages, £8.99, ISBN 0747255229.
Another reference work without which the Ripperologist would be nothing. Despite some factual errors (which encourage you to do your own research – go on), this is an exhaustively compiled volume containing information on every aspect and person involved in the case.
Evans, Stewart and Skinner, Keith, Jack the Ripper: Letters from Hell, Stroud: Sutton, 2004, Paperback, 306 pages, £12.99, ISBN 075093770X.
This excellently-produced volume provides transcripts and reproductions of many of the missives that bombarded press and police during and since the crimes. So did Sickert write them all?
Begg, Paul, Jack the Ripper:The Facts, London: Robson, 2006, Paperback, 560 pages, £8.99, ISBN: 1861058705.
As well-referenced as Begg’s previous Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History, The Facts contains less social history but far more exhaustive detail about the case. The choice between this and the Sugden is really down to personal preference.
Curtis, L Perry, Jack the Ripper and the London Press,Yale:Yale University Press, 2001, Hardback, 320 pages, £25.00, ISBN 0300088728.
Interesting study of the press’s relationship with the Ripper crimes. A little dry in places with an occasionally faltering argument but full marks for a different approach.
Bibliographies
Both of the following contain exhaustive listings of the vast range of factual and fictional titles available:
Kelly, Alexander and Sharp, David, Jack the Ripper: A Bibliography and Review of the Literature, London: Association of Assistant Librarians, 1994, Paperback, 176 pages, £6, ISBN 0900092904.
Strachan, Ross, The Jack the Ripper Handbook: A Reader’s Companion, UK: Great Scot Services, 1999, Paperback, 188 pages, £12, ISBN 0953694909.
Fiction
The following are worth tracking down for excellent speculative explorations of the Ripper case.While the first is out of print, the other two should be easier to get hold of.
Parry, Michel (ed), Jack the Knife: Tales of Jack the Ripper, London: Mayflower, 1975, Paperback, 160 pages, 50p, ISBN 583125026. Contains stories by Joseph F Pumilia, Hume Nisbet, Marie Belloc Lowndes, Anon, Anthony Boucher, R Chetwynd-Hayes, Philip José Farmer, Robert Bloch, Ramsey Campbell and Harlan Ellison (nb: between two anthologies called Jack the Ripper [1988, Futura Books, edited by Gardner Dozis and Susan Casper and 2004, i-books, edited by Martin Greenburg] most of Jack the Knife’s stories are reprinted.)
Geary, Rick, A Treasury of Victorian Murder: Jack the Ripper, US: NBM Publishing, 1995, Hardback, 64 pages, $15.95, ISBN 1561631248
Moore, Alan and Campbell, Eddie, From Hell, UK: Knockabout Comics, 2000, Paperback, 576 pages, £24.99, ISBN: 0861661419
The Whitechapel Web
It’ll come as no surprise that there are quite a few websites covering the Ripper’s crimes. Of these, those most worth a visit are:
www.casebook.org ‘The Daddy’. Easily the best Ripper site, this has sections
devoted to the victims, suspects, press reports etc. Nicely
laid out with special ‘dissertations’ on various aspects of the
case, any budding Ripperologist should make this their first
net stop.
www.accomodata.co.uk/jack.htm
Subtly illustrated pages with the basics of the case summarised,
this site makes a good Ripper digest for the curious.
www.hollywoodripper.com
The ideal site if you want to find out more about Jack’s celluloid outings. Plenty of trivia