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** This is an archived, static copy of the Casebook messages boards dating from 1998 to 2003. These threads cannot be replied to here. If you want to participate in our current forums please go to https://forum.casebook.org **
Illustrated Guide to Jack the Ripper, An (Fisher)
Casebook Message Boards: Ripper Media: Specific Titles:
Non-Fiction:
Illustrated Guide to Jack the Ripper, An (Fisher)
Author: Stephen P. Ryder
Wednesday, 18 November 1998 - 11:58 pm |        | The first major release from P & D Riley Publishers, AN ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JACK THE RIPPER is a refreshing look at the pertinent facts of the case. True to its name, the book is filled with hundreds of illustrations and photographs, many of which have never before been published. Unfortunately, Fisher's text falls drastically short of par, mostly as a result of poor editing which allowed numerous grammatical errors to filter through into the final work. It becomes ever more difficult to ignore these errors as the book continues, as 'talking' becomes 'taking,' and 'through' becomes 'though.' Page 38 even seems to have cropped off an entire sentence or two at the bottom of the first column. The struggle to comprehend what Fisher wants to say drags the piece down with every new page.
Luckily, however, the copious illustrations more than makes up for the shoddy editing. Within the 96 pages of this book one finds well over 200 illustrations, a fair number of which have never before been seen. Some of the more memorable photos include some precise modern Whitechapel photos shown in contrast with those of 1888, many taken from exactly the same location and angle in order to show how the area has changed. Others include photos of Reverend Samuel Barnett and Robert James Lees which were new to this reader, as well as a number of photos of modern researchers such as Robin Odell (who wrote the forward to the book), Richard Whittington-Egan, John Morrison, and Mark Galloway.
The book itself is split into a number of sections -- the main body of the work is devoted to a quick rundown of the case with a noticeable bias toward the author's own theory, which he later reveals to be that the Ripper was a Turkish priest (with the logic that such barbarism was totally unknown in all parts of the 19th century world except for in Turkey!). It was refreshing however, that Fisher did not attempt to force his suspect upon the reader -- he left it open for individual interpretation. Besides this, the book includes a nice, compact, and commendable timeline of the major events, a rundown of social conditions, and a short "Who's Who" glossary of some of the major players in the case, similar to the JACK THE RIPPER: A TO Z.
Highly recommended for those looking for a refreshing graphical look at the case, but those in the market for a professional and scholarly resource would do best to leave this one on the shelf. Fisher's research was indeed extensive, and his knowledge on the case is formidable, but the sloppy editing truly takes its toll on the reader. In short, I have to agree with Robin Odell in his forward: "It is a modest, but nonetheless rich, visual history of long-remembered infamous crimes and their social setting."
Copies can be ordered direct from the publishers:
P & D Riley
12 Bridgeway East
Runcorn
Cheshire
WA7 6LD
England
Or, for those in the US, from: Peter Bentley,
State Mutual Book & Periodical Service,
17th Floor, Fifth Avenue,
New York, NY 10175,
USA
Hardcover £14.95 ($30 US currency only, includes postage)
Paperback £9.95 ($20 US currency only, includes postage) |
Author: P & D Riley
Wednesday, 18 November 1998 - 11:58 pm | | I Have read the review on 'An Illustrated Guide to Jack the Ripper' which you kindly published on your page and quite frankly I was surprised (no shocked!) that there were so many typographical errors, particularly on page 38 where we have now realised that two lines are missing. We have now taken immediate steps to correct this and all future copies sold of our remaining print run will contain an addendum showing the missing lines. We have also immediately dismissed the freelance proof reader-editor we used for this book.
We will also be talking to our printer to see what can be done to correct errors in future printings of the book. We can only use as an excuse that this was our first book on the international market and we are determined that our reputation will not suffer through shoddy proof-reading/editing. I hope you can let your readers know that we are doing everything we can to sort out the problem.
Thanks for your help again.
Peter Riley
P & D RILEY |
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