The Complete History of Jack the Ripper

Rating:
Summary: An excellent unbiased look at Jack
Review: Mr. Sugden's work is far more balanced than any other book on the subject that I've seen. He never tells you who he thinks did it but does a lot to disprove other pet theories that have been advanced in the past hundred years or so. Goes back to the original (surviving) documents for evidence and commentary. I, for one, am looking forward to his third edition where he looks at the more recent findings.

Rating:
Summary: About as "complete" as it is going to get!
Review: Not being a "ripperologist" myself and only having a passing interest in the case I found this book to be an eye-opener. I had always assumed that there were the five murders that are accepted as being the work of the ripper and that was it. I now find that there may have been six, seven, or eight. Maybe even more. There may have even been a ripper murder in America.

With this work the reader gets a case by case, witness by witness, and suspect by suspect review of the facts. The research that went into this book and the details covered show an amazing dedication on the part of Mr. Sugden. He does not fall into what has apparently been a trap for ripper writers for years by accepting secondary sources at face value. Instead he looks to primary material where possible and by doing so exposes myths that have survived in some cases for over one hundred years. As an added bonus he does not start out like many other writers on this subject with a theory to prove, bending and ignoring evidence to fit his preconceived notion.

I only had two very small problems with this book. First, Mr. Sugden is a little too open in his contempt for some other ripper writers. Sometimes he seems to go out of his way to point out their mistakes. Considering that these mistakes have have often been accepted as fact by later writers and are the basis for many myths I guess that this tactic may be necessary. Still I often found that it bothered me. Second, he uses several words which I am sure are in common use in England but cause the American reader to pause and wonder just what Sugden is talking about. My complaints are small indeed.

Sugden does end the book with the most likely suspect but admits that the case against this man still is full of holes. Will the case ever be solved? Sugden seems to think so. After reading his extraordinary book I agree.

Rating:
Summary: Wanabe Ripperologists...Read This One First!
Review: One of the few books on "Saucy Jack" that isn't written to provide "proof" of the author's pet theory. Excellently researched and documented. Hopefully in the next edition Sugden will address the facts surrounding the most recent of the Ripper candidates... the American, Dr. Tumbelty.

Rating:
Summary: The First Book for Those Interested in Jack
Review: Philip Sudgen's The Complete History of Jack the Ripper strips the killer and his victims away from the many, many myths and legends that have attached themselves to him over the past century and sticks to just the facts. This is the best available book on Jack the Ripper and the best place to begin this gruesome journey before picking up the more fanciful tales and outrageous consipiracy theories (quite fun in their own weird way but, of course, are more about the authors than Jack the Ripper or his victims). This is a long book that is as a complete as it title trumpets and is an essential component of any library looking at crime. This tale will continue to tantalize and horrify and Philip Sugden's book makes the truth even more interesting and frightening than any of the legends. And that is an amazing feat.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Book On Jack the Ripper Ever Written
Review: Philip Sugden is a trained historian who tracks his prey with a keen historical research oriented mind. He demolishes many myths about JtR that have been previously accepted as "facts." Sugden does a masterful job of telling the story (using primary sources) of the Whitechapel Murders of 1888 -91 (obviously Jack did not commit all 9 of those murders). He makes a pretty convincing case of JtR having murdered Martha Tabram three weeks before the first canonical murder (that of Mary Ann Nichols). He also thinks that it is possible that JtR did not cease his "career" with the Mary Kelly murder in Nov. 1888 but may have just possibly murdered Alice McKenzie in 1889 and Frances Coles in 1891. I also love the way he demolished the "Aaron Kosminski" theorey as a serious Ripper suspect and showed that Sir Robert Anderson was a senile delusional old fool when he wrote his memoirs and mentioned Kosminski. He also does not even bother with ludicrous theories about Royals and Freemasons and shows us that Sir Melville Macnaughton had no real reason to list Montague Druitt, Michael Ostrog and Kosminski as the prime suspects. Sugden favors George Chapman as a more likely suspect but rightfully claims a verdict of "not proven" for him. The book can be a bit tedious at times since he covers a lot of territory but is well worth the read for any student of the case or for that matter anyone interested in the London of Sherlock Holmes, Oscar Wilde and the dichotomy of West End and East End of the late 1880's. Sugden has promised that in an upgraded edition that he will deal with the Littlechild letter regarding Francis Tumblety (the Irish-American) as a suspect. Through it all the book rightfully comes to the conclusion that Jack the Ripper was that sort of most elusive predator "a Murderer of Strangers."

As an aside I recommend for readers who are interested in the subject that when they go to London to take a Jack the Ripper Walk (there are several companies that offer it, you can find them on the web) and if they want to go on the London Walks JtR walk not to do so on a weekend as it gets far too crowded and you miss some of the atmosphere when you are being herded around the East End with 250 other walkers. Unfortuantely the walk has gotten too popular for its own good. It used to be given once a week, now it is everyday. The first time I did the walk (in 1986 on a Wednesday night) there was 25 of us and the second time I did it (in 1987) on a Thursday night there were 18 of us and the whole group both times bonded very well. Better to try it on a Monday or Tuesday.

Rating:
Summary: THE vital history of the Whitechapel Murders
Review: Philip Sugden's "The Complete History of Jack the Ripper" should be the basis for any serious study of the subject. Working from primary sources to a degree which sets a standard by which other "investigators" should be judged, Sugden does an admirable job of sorting fact from fiction in an area where rumour and outrageous conspiracy theories have too long been allowed to hold sway. My advice to anyone approaching the subject for the first time would be: 1: Read Sugden 2: Read up on any "theory" of the case that takes your fancy, then: 3: READ SUGDEN AGAIN. 4: Repeat steps 2 & 3 as many times as you wish.

In short, don't believe anything until you've checked it against the "Complete History". Whilst no one book on the subject can be entirely flawless, you couldn't be in safer hands than with Mr. Sugden's book.

Rating:
Summary: This Book Should Be Considered The Standard Work on Jack the
Review: Pros: Brilliantly researched and written, approaches from an objective standpoint.
Cons: His painstaking research may put off those not prepared for detail.
The Bottom Line: A solid historical work, an objective view of a tangled subject, and proof that truth is more gripping than fiction.
Recommended: Yes

I picked up this book because I have always been interested in the case (yes... even before the film "From Hell") but I was put off by the mountain of titles covering the subject. I read that Philip Sugden's book "The Complete History of Jack the Ripper" was THE book to read on this case.

What's new and useful is the author's approach to the subject. While others often write a book on this case trying to prove a pet theory, Sugden remains firm in his objective appraisal of the first hand evidence. This leads to a surprising amount of revision as many errors, often repeated by other authors, are uncovered. He spends a few pages to discuss and analyze the most popular or highly regarded theories and dispenses with most of them. Also of value is the analysis of modern psychological profiling and other techniques that shed some light on the case.

It was widely believed by the police in 1888, for example, that the killer was likely to have either been incarcerated, or committed suicide. Their reasoning was that it appeared the ferocity of the attacks escalated until an ecstasy of carnage against Mary Kelly at Miller's Court. They assumed the killer must have had to break down following such madness and kill himself or be turned into an asylum by his family. We now know from over a century of experience with serial killers that they rarely take their own lives. Also, if one were to include the murder of Martha Tabrum, (a killing that closely matched the other murders attributed to Jack the Ripper) the idea that the ferocity of the attacks increased in scale falls apart. It appears from the evidence the ferocity of the attacks was in measure to the amount of time the killer had with the victim. When Sugen applies modern FBI psychological profiling, the known facts about the Ripper fit him closely with the known traits of modern serial killers: a white male, aged 28 - 45, killing women in a small area (Whitechapel where all the murders were less than a mile apart), seemingly to experiment with technique until the killer arrived at a proven and deadly skill, and that he would never stop.

Following an exacting review of the known evidence Sudgen covers the three most celebrated suspects: Montague John Druitt, Aaron Kosminski, and Michael Ostog, yet concludes with his own analysis of known serial killer and possibly the Ripper himself, George Chapman.

Of interest in this work is the history of East London and English society of the late 18th century, the history of the police of London and their attempts to catch the Ripper, and also of the first documented serial killer and how the case has evolved since 1888. If you have a taste for non-fiction, true crime, mystery and intrigue, this is a no put down read. Any serious student of this case needs to read this book.

Rating:
Summary: UNBELIAVABLE RESEARCH!! A MASTER IN HISTORICAL RESEARCH!!
Review: Sudgen did the impossible: he researched hard, going straight into the original sources, without depending on other books about the subject. Along the way, he pratically destroyed every suspicion put upon determined suspects, and ends the book without giving a plausible supesct, altough pointing to George Chapman, minly because he was, afetr 1903, the main suspect to detective Abberline.

Rating:
Summary: Incomplete and flawed
Review: Sugden gives a good account of the murders, but he is far too impressed with his own theories and interpretations. Any theory he does not agree with is summarily dismissed without explanation.

Rating:
Summary: very thorough reference on the Ripper murders
Review: Sugden gives us one of the strongest detailed works on the Ripper (though I love Stephen Knight and believe he was close to the real solution before his death of Cancer, and appreciate the effort of Scotland Yard detective Donald Rumbelow - his analysis of the suspects undercut his work), this is a super reference work for Ripperologists or writers looking for period works to give the novels more details.

He covers the various aspects of each murder, all the hoopla surrounding it such as the From Hell letter and Dear Boss, goes into the false leads. I really did not need his study of other ripper theories - but maybe some will appreciate is pondering on this.

But all in all, a must for people look for more details on the Ripper case or writers wanting a feel for the period.