Jack the Ripper and the East End

by Alex Werner (Editor), Peter Ackroyd (Introduction), Alex Werner (Editor)

In 1888, Whitechapel—at the heart of the inner East End—was the most infamous place in the country, widely imagined as a site of the blackest and deepest horror. Its streets and alleys were seen as violent and dangerous, overflowing with poverty and depravity. Aiming to uncover the reality of East End life, this important portrait of the Victorian underworld looks at slum housing, immigration, attitudes to women, poverty, violence, and crime. How the brutal killings were reported is also examined, as well as how the police tried to identify the murderer. A final section describes how Jack the Ripper has shaped our vision of London, and influenced popular culture.

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, History, Crime

288 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2008

Reviews

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of essays on London and her people in the late 19th century. Some of the essays were more interesting than others but it all put a broader aspect to the Ripper murders.

[Jay Rothermel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent collection of sociological essays about the Ripper's milieu. Particularly the close reading of contemporary street level mapping done by insurance underwriters with police escort.

Poignant first-hand anecdotes.

Clive Bloom gives relief in final entry: about popular media Ripper representations.

[Cameron · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some sections are better than others. The last two--one on maps and the other on the movies--were the best. Recommended only if your really want to get into the demographics and characteristics of "the East End".

[C!NDY L00 · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 1/2 stars

I knew that this book wasn’t about the murders or the investigation of Jack the Ripper when I purchased it, but what I didn’t know is that it would be a compilation of mostly dry academic essays and sometimes boring statics about the communal settings of London’s East End of yesteryear either. I suppose I was expecting something more sensational and this is why I’m a bit disappointed. Still it has some useful information for educational purposes and the photos are excellent, even if not all of them were taken during the era of the homicides.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was really good to read a book on Jack the Ripper which puts the killings in a location and in the context of the community and the society of the time. I think if you understand the East End and social mores of the time you can understand why the crimes were never solved and how Jack the Ripper was able to disappear into thin air each time a killing took place.

[Sunnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A series of pieces from various contributors looking at life in the East End at the time of Jack the Ripper.