Essential for the Ripperologist Inside Us All

books:


	• Jack the Ripper: Letters from Hell Stewart P. Evans, Keith Skinner The History Press, 2004 - 320 pages average customer review:based on 6 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Essential for the Ripperologist Inside Us All

Jack the Ripper (Letters From Hell), by co-authors Stewart P. Evans and Keith Skinner, is exactly what it purports to be in the subtitle. It is a discussion of all the letters sent by people purporting to be Jack the Ripper to the newspapers, police and assorted individuals followed by a section printing all of the letters in the police files (there is little variety in the letters themselves showing the lack of imagination shown by most of the copy cat letter writers and this could prove a little dry for some). In addition, this volume is generously filled with photos of the letters themselves. This book is not for the beginner in the Ripper mythology as it focuses strictly on the letters and will be of most interest to those who have a basic understanding of the case already. This volume is a worthy addition to the Ripper books and will keep the legend alive for the next generation.

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Letters from Jack

Evans and Skinner present an 8x11 sized 'coffee-table book' containing letters purportedly from Jack the Ripper. The letters included are designated ones that were signed some form of JtR. The authors don't tell you they are faked or real but present them to you so you can analyze them for your own determination. There's no real way of telling if any of them were actually written by the Whitechapel murderer. The biggest bonus of this book is the fantastic photos of the letters; they are simply marvellous (5 stars). The book is worth the price for the photos alone. I found the 'discussion' of the letters dry and lacking of an actual analysis by the authors (3 stars). Also included are sample handwritings from a few Ripper suspects. Looking and comparing these were fascinating and there is quite a resemblence between the first 'Dear Boss' letter signed Jack the Ripper and a sample letter from William Bury; based on these, I'd be pretty suspicious of Bury (although that's not who I believe was the Ripper). Evans does a very good couple of chapters regarding the McCormick book about the Ripper and Dr. Dutton.

Overall, the text is okay for the first 2/3 of the book but then gets better on the McCormick/Dutton, suspects chapters. However, the photos are the real seller of this Jack the Ripper text.

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Quite possible my favorite book on JTR

This book is a fascinating and invaluable tool for looking into the mindset of the London public while the JTR murders were taking place. While I personally believe none of the letters came from the killer (save the possible exception of the Lusk letter), the letters themselves remain fascinating some grotesque and some being very eloquent. At a time when I'm tired of the latest suspect theory being thrown about, this book is a welcome change.

almost comprehensive

This is well produced and it almost has every JTR letter of significance reproduced in colour. Unfortunately there isn't a photo of the important Lusk postcard, and the book was issued apparently before the discovery of the equally important "So now they say I'm a Yid" letter. Some of these JTR letters are obviously genuine and this was recognized at the time in (I think) The Times. The authentic letters include the Lusk Letter, the Dr Openshaw Letter, the Lusk Postcard, the Police Commissioner Frazer Postcard, the "So now they say I'm a Yid" Letter, the M Baynard Postcard. Like the Goulston Street writing, the killer often signatures his letters with parts of his victims (the Lusk Letter) or with drawings of such (the Frazer Postcard or M Baynard Postcard).

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...A sight for sore eyes...

If there wasn't any writing or notes in this book it would still be worth it for the pictures by themselves. The fact that it has a masterful narration is the icing on the cake. There are up close COLOR pictures of the letters that you can read and analyze. It is printed on high quality glossy paper, (not photo paper, but very nice). I bought mine from the used section in new condition. This is a "must have" for any Ripperologist.

reviews: page 1, 2

Between August and November 1888 six women were found murdered and mutilated in London's East End and Aldgate. All were prostitutes; one was found on a common landing, one in the street, one in a backyard, one in an entry, one in a public square and the sixth in a house. The murders provoked massive interest in the press and dozens of letters quickly appeared, claiming to have been written by the killer. The origin of the name Jack the Ripper itself was a letter, famously written to 'Dear Boss,' the head of the Central News Agency.

Certain letters have been reproduced or quoted in previous books but Stewart Evans and Keith Skinner are the first to have read and examined every one. This book reproduces and transcribes all the letters, including the 'Dear Boss' correspondence and the horrific letter sent to the chairman of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee together with a piece of human kidney. The authors relate the letters to the complete story of the Whitechapel murders, tracing the hysteria and misconceptions that dogged both the police and Fleet Street during 1888-9 and providing revealing insights into the Victorian psyche.

For the first time the cases of three people arrested by the police for sending 'Jack the Ripper' letters are explored, including that of Maria Coroner, the attractive 21-year-old Bradford girl. Evans and Skinner also examine the letters of seven suspects, including Dr. Roslyn D'Onston Stephenson and Nikaner Benelius. The story of the Ripper letters ends by posing a controversial question: was Jack the Ripper merely a press invention?

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