Jack the Ripper: Letters from Hell

Stewart P. Evans; Keith Skinner

ISBN 10: 0750925493 / ISBN 13: 9780750925495

Published by The History Press Ltd, 2001

About this Item

Mint copy in unclipped dust jacket protected by archival mylar. The authors, a retired police officer and a historical researcher, both of whom are experts on the Whitechapel murders, read every single letter to the police or the press that purported to be from Jack the Ripper (none have been corroborated as the source). This book is filled with reproductions of and quotes from the letters, and uses them as a lens into the "hysteria and mis-perceptions that dogged both the police and Fleet Street during 1888-9, and providing valuable and revealing insights into the Victorian psyche.".

Seller Inventory # 002887

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Jack the Ripper: Letters from Hell
• Publisher: The History Press Ltd
• Publication Date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0750925493
• ISBN 13: 9780750925495
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: As New
• Dust Jacket Condition: As New
• Seller catalogs:
  • Autobiographies/Letters
  • Victorian Era

About this title

Synopsis

Analyzes more than seven hundred communications by Jack the Ripper and others who claimed to be the notorious serial killer.

Reviews

The Whitechapel murders of 1888 captured the public's attention not only for their ferocity but for an almost theatrical aspect in the form of letters from the purported killer. Evans and Skinner here expand upon the information presented in their The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Companion (LJ 12/00) by analyzing the more than 700 communications. Most of the letters are regarded as tasteless pranks, including the famous "Dear Boss" missive that introduced the name "Jack the Ripper" (investigators credit this moniker to a tabloid journalist). However, a few are believed to be genuine, namely, the "From Hell" note accompanying half a kidney possibly removed from victim Catherine Eddowes. Though perhaps frauds, the letters make interesting reading and bespeak the depravity of a society that would use gruesome murders as a means of entertainment. In addition to an analysis of their texts, this volume includes complete transcripts of all the letters held in the police files buttressed with numerous outstanding pictures of the original notes. While seasoned Ripperologists will love this book, the specificity limits its usefulness. Therefore, this is recommended only for collections already sporting a general overview volume, e.g., John J. Eddleston's noteworthy Jack the Ripper: An Encyclopedia (ABC-CLIO, 2001). Michael Rogers, "Library Journal"
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.