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Stephen P. Ryder
Board Administrator
Username: Admin
Post Number: 2902
Registered: 10-1997
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 09, 2003 - 2:03 pm: | 
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Jack the Ripper, by Paul Begg
304 pages (28 April, 2004)
Publisher: Robson Books; ISBN: 1861056877
Stephen P. Ryder, Editor
Casebook: Jack the Ripper
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Christopher T George
Inspector
Username: Chrisg
Post Number: 465
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 09, 2003 - 2:50 pm: |
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Hi, Stephen:
Thanks. Do you know if this the new edition of Paul's Jack the Ripper: The Uncensored Facts and if so has the book been retitled? As you know, Paul recently also published Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History. Prolific guy, our Paulie! 
All the best
Chris |
Neil K. MacMillan
Sergeant
Username: Wordsmith
Post Number: 39
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 31, 2003 - 9:35 am: |
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Looks like I'll have to stalk the stacks in the local bookstores Congratulations Paul!Neil |
Alan Sharp
Inspector
Username: Ash
Post Number: 318
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 31, 2003 - 10:45 am: |
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Chris, I believe it is. I read an interview with Paul once where he said that he never liked that title and it was forced on him by the publishers, so maybe he's got his own way at last! |
Stephen P. Ryder
Board Administrator
Username: Admin
Post Number: 3146
Registered: 10-1997
| | Posted on Thursday, October 14, 2004 - 9:44 pm: |
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Jack the Ripper: The Facts
Paul Begg
Robson Books, August 2004
550pp, illustrated, bib., index
ISBN 1861056877
Where to begin?
First off, although technically a new edition of Begg's earlier Uncensored Facts, in truth Facts (2004) is a completely new and different animal. Its nearly twice as long as its predecessor, and frankly, much better written. Most importantly, it is perhaps the single most comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the Ripper case currently on the market. Ladies and gentlemen, we may very well have our first "Sugden" of the 21st century.
(For those new to the case, Philip Sugden's The Complete History of Jack the Ripper has generally been considered the single-best book-length, non-suspect-oriented overview of the case since its original publication in 1994. A new paperback edition was recently released in 2002, but disappointingly it offered only a new introduction - the main text remained unchanged from the previous edition.)
Begg covers all aspects of the case with his usual eye for detail (and the occasional amusing tangent). Social conditions, police, government, suspects, coroners, doctors, victims, witnesses... every aspect of the case is laid out for the reader. Begg covers all victims from the mythical 'Fairy Fay' through to Frances Coles, but only the canonical five victims (and Tabram) get their own chapters. Similarly, dozens of suspects are discussed but only the four major police suspects (Ostrog, Kosminski, Druitt and Tumblety) are explored in depth. The Royal Conspiracy theories, along with Maybrick and Sickert, are covered more briefly in the final chapter, and lesser-known suspects are peppered throughout the earlier parts of the text.
Begg finds fault with some widely-accepted "facts" of the case. He suggests that perhaps Charles Warren was in fact much more capable than most previous authors have allowed; at least, says Begg, he was certainly not the bumbling police commissioner many earlier books and television specials have made him out to be. Suspect-wise, Begg doesn't offer a clear-cut favorite, though contextually it is clear that Anderson's "Polish Jew" remains his favorite.
The main selling point for Facts, however, and the main reason why I feel it is one of the most important books recently published on the case, is that it is incredibly comprehensive and up-to-date. If you haven't had a chance to catch up on the amazing research that's been performed by authors and researchers such as Neal Shelden, Chris Scott, Stepan Poberowski, Keith Skinner, Alex Chisholm and a slew of others over the past several years, don't worry - Begg's got you covered. It's all inside Facts. Every useful nugget that's appeared in print or online in the past decade seems to have been compiled into this book, making it essential reading for anyone interested in the case.
Highly recommended, and certainly not to be missed. Sadly Amazon.com doesn't seem to be stocking it at the moment, but North American customers should pay the extra 3-4 dollars shipping and order it from Amazon.co.uk, or from their local bookdealer. Whether or not it stands up to Sugden is perhaps a matter of personal taste, but I would wager that the vast majority of the Ripper audience would have to concede that at the very least, Begg's Facts deserves to be listed as one of the most comprehensive books ever published on the Ripper case.
Stephen P. Ryder, Exec. Editor
Casebook: Jack the Ripper
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Richard Brian Nunweek
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Richardn
Post Number: 1102
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Friday, October 15, 2004 - 4:21 pm: |
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Hi,
I Salute Paul, for updating the case, we are all guilty of forgetting the facts , and speculating to access, and I am as guilty as anyone.
Whoever this Ripper' was he certainly left a blank trail, that to be honest has baffled the most dedicated of us.
Good Luck Paul,
Regards Richard. |
Natalie Severn
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Severn
Post Number: 1192
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Friday, October 15, 2004 - 4:33 pm: |
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My spouse bought it me for Christmas and it was such a treat.I agree with what Stephen says.A brilliant reference book. |
Thomas C. Wescott
Inspector
Username: Tom_wescott
Post Number: 236
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Friday, October 15, 2004 - 8:11 pm: |
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Hello all,
If you're having a hard time finding a copy, you might want to check out www.ripperbooks.com and see if Loretta Lay has any left. I purchased mine from her, got it in no time, AND it was signed! This is pretty typical of the excellent service you get from Loretta.
As for the book, it has like 150 pages of notes, so there's some good minutia(sp?) in there, though there's an awful lot of speculation (and some of it strange, at that) and unnecessary errors (like I'm one to talk), so calling it 'The Facts' may not be entirely appropriate.
To be more specific, Begg speculates - indeed, virtually asserts as fact, that Chapman was drunk on the morning of her murder - despite the medical evidence to the contrary, and the state she must have been in due to her poor health. He also speculates that Liz Stride posed as the sister of Mary Malcolm to get money, and that this was the reason for the confusion in identity! As for factual errors, well, on page 1 we're told "Only a few weeks before Charles Cross made his discovery in Buck's Row [Nichols], a prostitute named Emma Smith had died..." Emma Smith's death occured like 5 months prior to Nichols, not a few weeks.
When it comes to suspects, far too much space is allowed the Royal Conspiracy theory (despite Rip's chastisement of Rumbelow for doing the same thing in his new edition!)while legitimate and worthwhile suspects such as Roslyn D'Onston (one of only two suspects Rumbelow considers of importance) are disposed of in one sentence. So, yes, this is a biased work to some degree. Having said all that, for the educated reader, this book is a necessity as it offers up a lot of little tidbits you probably aren't aware of, and it's these kind of tidbits that open up new avenues of research. And I haven't even finished reading my copy yet! Overall, I would recommend this book as a 'must have', but be farely warned that it is not a 'reference work' per se, as it contains much speculation (however educated it may be!) and is not free of the author's personal biases, though what book really is? But a serious Ripperologist will certainly want it on his shelf.
Yours truly,
Tom Wescott |
Dan Norder
Inspector
Username: Dannorder
Post Number: 327
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Friday, October 15, 2004 - 9:00 pm: |
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Natalie,
It's a Christmas present for this year, but you got it already? Or it was a Christmas present for last year but 7+ months late?
Dan Norder, editor, Ripper Notes
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J Johnson
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Saturday, October 16, 2004 - 3:35 am: |
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Errors such as PC Barrett met a guardsman loitering in Winthrop Street [page 35] (it was really Wentworth Street); Nichols found murdered on 1 September [page 61] (it was on 31 August); and Chapman leaving the lodging house at 35 Hanbury Street [page 80] (it was really in Dorset Street). Even the experts make basic mistakes. |
Paul Jackson
Inspector
Username: Paulj
Post Number: 281
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Monday, January 17, 2005 - 6:38 am: |
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Great Book.....NOt quite as good as Sugdens, but very thorough indeed. I live in the States, but bought a copy from amazon.UK It was Shipped in 4 days. I would recommend it highly
Paul
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Matt
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Thursday, March 03, 2005 - 1:52 pm: |
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Whilst I enjoyed the book it concentrated too much on the social and political climate surrounding The Ripper . Don't get me wrong , I understand the need to put the crimes into the proper context I just don't need whole chapters on everything from the Roman occupation of Britain to the oldest profession and the birth of the tabloid media . It's a very good book but overtly padded . |
Glenn Gustaf Lauritz Andersson
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Glenna
Post Number: 3243
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, March 05, 2005 - 6:43 pm: |
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Matt,
Although I enjoyed the book and think it is the best Ripper compilation after Ultimate Companion and Sugden, I have to agree with you on that one.
The only downside with the book is the unnecessary and almost redundant focus on almost every irrelevant detail in the political context. In the long run those part ended up rather tedious and endless. Half of it could easily have been cut away without ruining the over-all political, social and historical context.
All the best
G. Andersson, author
Sweden
The Swedes are the men That Will not be Blamed for Nothing
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Phil Hill
Detective Sergeant
Username: Phil
Post Number: 148
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, March 06, 2005 - 4:30 pm: |
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But if an answer to the mystery of JtR is found, it may well arise from the political and social context.
The devil as always lies in the detail. I try to make the point when I ask in threads on Casebook - "what sort of "carriage" do you mean?" "What do you mean by a gentleman?" "Was it usual for three respectable men to be walking the streets in the early hours following the sabbath on the night eddowes was killed?"
Such questions matter - and in the answers may lie enhanced understanding of their meaning or implication.
Politically, I don't believe the Fenian and "intelligence" aspects have been studied deeply enough.
We lack detailed academic biographies of the half-dozen major police/HO figures (Warren, Anderson, Macnaghten, Swanson, Munro - and Matthews) who's attitudes and reliability are crucial to our understanding of their surviving views.
All this may be boring or seem irrelevant to anyone who's approach to the case is from a strictly criminological perspective. Begg may not have got the balance right, but I think his instincts are in precisely the right place.
Only when we have the frame burnished and carved in all its glory will we see the relevence, and perhaps clinche the value of the new pieces of information being produced by our devoted researchers, whether APs fascinating contemporary cases; or information on suspects such as Tumblety and Ostrog; or even the Diary - the verification of which might well be sorted by reference to internal and external details - the social context if you wish.
I am far from uncritical of Begg - I wish he would stop repackaging the same material - but it is writers like him who have given JtR studies respectablity, please don't knock him. If you think he is factually inaccurate, please refer to some of his predecessors (some of whom were deliberately misleading.
When I see some of the posts here, I understand why a brief background on British history may be important to some who have never been to the UK, or know little about our history and culture. The slight factual errors are probably in the proof-reading as much as anything else.
Respectfully,
Phil |
AP Wolf
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Apwolf
Post Number: 1816
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, March 06, 2005 - 6:51 pm: |
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Thanks for the little fluff, Phil, always does our petticoats proud, but I do feel you are missing uncle Charles in this fine litany.
Executive Superintendent Charles Henry Cutbush was a major player in the time period we discuss, he was directly in charge of the Ripper crimes at the start, he took most of the responsibility for the Trafalger incident, and he was involved as a police inspector in many major crimes of the time.
Now if you want someone who would be willing to investigate the crimes of those Papist Fenian bastards in the LVP then uncle Charles was your man, for those Catholic Fenian bastards were following him around, trying to shoot him, and the varmints were poisoning his drinking water.
Oh and by the way, if you want some more imagined cases of the imagined Papist Fenian plot I do have them.
They all ended up in Colney Hatch.
But nothing ever did.
Hatch, I mean.
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Glenn G. Lauritz Andersson
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Glenna
Post Number: 3258
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, March 12, 2005 - 7:19 am: |
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Phil,
I don't know who you address here, but i for my part don't "knock" Paul Begg. I think Paul Begg is excellent both as writer and researcher and is probably one of those I respect the most.
As a historian, no one can be more convinced about the importance of the social, historical and political context than myself -- those are actually the ingredients that interests me in the case, not the suspect hunts!
But I do think that the detailed political stuff got too much space in the book and much of it was neither relevant or particulary interesting. Just plain chatty and boring, and didn't really add more facts of importance for the case, than other reserachers' studies in that particular area (although they said it with less amount of words and had the ability to sort of the important stuff from the irrelevant ones). Quantity does not always mean improvement.
But as I said, apart from those points, I think it's a splendid book and one that I feel is worth consulting, and it also contains some of the best analyses of some of the highly debated questions I have read so far.
All the best
(Message edited by Glenna on March 12, 2005)
G. Andersson, author
Sweden
The Swedes are the men That Will not be Blamed for Nothing
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Howard Brown
Inspector
Username: Howard
Post Number: 269
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, March 12, 2005 - 8:12 am: |
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Glenn
I agree with you on the way Mr. Begg brings out the history of the area. Its imperative that people know where the victims come from and what their lives were about. Whitechapel might as well be Cabbage Patch,Pa. without the effort Mr.Begg among a few others go to in describing the overall climate in historical,social,political,and economical terms.
Its good to know these roots.
How Brown
JTRForums
www.jtrforums.co.uk
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Phil Hill
Inspector
Username: Phil
Post Number: 173
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, March 12, 2005 - 5:03 pm: |
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It was Matt's post that I think provoked me.
Phil |
Matt
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 16, 2005 - 11:14 am: |
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Phil
Provoked? I merely voiced my opinion on , what I thought , was a dissapointing read .
I'm not knocking anyone including the author who is obviously well respected and understands his topic . On a personal note , however , I stand by my critique . There are many interesting and informative points raised in Beggs book . I just found it a bit of a slogg to get to .
Yes , the historical and socialogical context is important but I felt it was overstretched . |
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