London of Jack the Ripper Then and Now

by Robert Clack, Philip Hutchinson

A photographic journey through the 'London of Jack the Ripper' as it was when he stalked the mean streets and alleyways of the Capital. A step-by-step tour of the crime scenes, giving a history of the victims, the crimes and the police investigation. Using many previously unpublished photographs and illustrations, the authors put the reader on the very streets that Jack walked, showing the crime scenes, the victims' homes, the common lodging houses and the public houses. They show readers how to retrace the steps the victims took, pointing out the changes to that particular area and when those changes occurred. Using contemporary documents and police files, the authors trace the history of all 11 Whitechapel murders from 1888 to 1891 and discuss other contemporary attacks that may well have been by the same hand. The book will not only be of interest to Ripperologists, but also to those who are interested in the history of London and the East End of London in particular.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, History, London

192 pages, Paperback

First published October 29, 2010

About the author

Librarian note:
There is more than one author with this name

Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this one in London and read it through during my flight home.
This book is a photographic journey through the London of Jack the Ripper as it was when he stalked the streets in the victorian area.
The book takes the reader on a step by step tour of the crime scenes, giving some knowledge of the victims, the crime and the police investigations.
Well the book doesn't discover something new, all has been mentioned before,but I really liked the photographes which shown the East End and the crime scenes during the 19th century and the modern,new London.
The pictures showing the common lodgind houses,the public houses and the victims homes. So the book show readers the changes to that particular area and when those changes occured.
Furthermore the book traces the "obvious" Ripper victims as well as it discuss other contemporary attacks that well have been by the same hand.
Unfortunately the book ends here and the authors didn't list the main suspects which would had been also very interesting.

[Deanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doesn't tell you anything really new about the crimes, but the photos of the area add something to the story. To see pictures from shortly after the period, and then as those ares look now is haunting in it's way. Much of the area has changed mainly due to the blitz, brand new buildings in between Victorian and Georgian areas. The various theories relating to the identity of Jack are dealt with briefly, it's not a book which comes up with fanciful notions, it deals with the facts that are known.
Worth a look for the photos alone.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are numerous books about Jack The Ripper on the market these days & it's sometimes hard to know which ones to read & which to avoid. This collection of photographs, accompanied by some useful text, is well worth a read. Of particular interest are photographs taken by amateur criminologist John Gordon Whitby in 1961, showing many Ripper locations that no longer exist today. My favourite book on the subject, by far, is still the superb The Complete Jack The Ripper by Donald Rumbelow, but this is a worthy edition to anyones collection.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent photos, sensible recap of murders

Interesting, objective recap of the Ripper murders. It's an excellent summary of what is known and what Ripperologists have guessed over the years.

Seeing the old photos of the areas is helpful, makes it much clearer than just reading about it. I enjoyed comparing them to the present day photos.

[Donna Maguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to follow!

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book overall. The pictures were a great help to getting a better idea about the area.