The Mammoth Book of the Jack the Ripper

De: Maxim Jakubowski

Narrado por: Kris Dyer

This audiobook focuses on the countless theories that have been put forward with regard to the identity of the notorious Victorian serial killer and offers an extensive section presenting all the known facts in the case. It includes 30 essays by the most famous, often controversial Ripperologists putting forward their own theories.

It remains one of the few audiobooks to offer a series of alternative solutions to Jack the Ripper's identity and the truth behind the Whitechapel murders. But how many new theories and identities can researchers come up with?

©1999 Maxim Jakubowski (P)2015 Audible, Ltd

Ripperology at its finest.

I am doing research for my own book a YA novel that is set in 1888 in the height of the ripper experience. What i loved is the specific perspectives that a variety of Ripperologists offer. Some good, some bad, some abusrd and rediculous that are evident of the Penny Dreadfuls of the time, but all theories that have endless creative possibilities to retell the story. When looking at Historical fiction writing this is a good reference. I feel like i was there when listening to this.

Best of a good bunch of books on the subject. Thanks for the audible copy.

Must listen

Most favorite listen since so far!! You won’t regret it at all. The different views are a wet

Good stuff

I thought that it was pretty good and I recommend it to a ripper heads!

Charmingly amateurish sniping

This book is an interesting collection of theories about Jack the Ripper from various sources. It gets slightly repetitive, as the canonical murders are rehashed, as are a few of the disputed killings. But it oddly helps to solidify the basic facts of the story in the listener's mind. At least it did for me.

What is most striking about the book (in its own way, quite entertaining) is the predictable pettiness that is rampant in any "ripperologist" discussion. There is a charming amateurishness to the collection. (Anyone who's listened to the Rippercast podcast, will understand completely).

Numerous essays start by touching on the wilful disdain by other authors regarding the facts of the case, how cocksure they are of their conclusions without any supporting evidence. This is usually followed by how, with their own intensive research, they have uncovered the truth. (Somehow, even though they all have intensive research, they come to wildly different conclusions, and all are confident in their conclusions. Go figure.) Others make sure to note their bona fides, and experience in the field of ripperology. It's kind of like long suffering Cubs fans, who bemoaned bandwagon jumpers in 2016. It's actually fun to hear the sniping though.

The oddest essay is probably the one that is essentially a love letter to Patricia Cornwell. One of the more prominent authors who has engaged in the behaviour mentioned in the previous paragraph, she's defended by one essayist, with no other real point to it.

Fun stuff, but not entirely informative regarding any one solution to the identity of Jack. And full disclosure, for my use, with digestible chapters of an hour or less, and each a separate essay, it's good material for insomnia. This is not a criticism that it's boring, but just convenient.

Learned some new things

Always been interested in this subject. Learned lots of new things. I did find it someone what redundant and often wondered if I was back tracking but with so many people having theories it’s hard not to be.