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The Secret of Prisoner 1167: Was This Man Jack the Ripper?
In this controversial book, Ripperologist James Tully reveals the culmination of thirty years studying the most horrible of murderers.
396 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 28, 2018
An interesting theory on who Jack the Ripper could really have been.
This book makes a good attempt to prove the identity of Jack the Ripper, with fairly compelling evidence, having spent the best part of 30 years investigating.
Whether the evidence is wholly credible is another matter, and there are certainly suspicious circumstances around why Prisoner 1167's (James Kelly) home office files are not to be opened until 2030, considering he was only convicted one the one murder it seems very odd.
There's certainly a cover up about something, maybe we'll find out in 2030.
This book makes a good attempt to prove the identity of Jack the Ripper, with fairly compelling evidence, having spent the best part of 30 years investigating.
Whether the evidence is wholly credible is another matter, and there are certainly suspicious circumstances around why Prisoner 1167's (James Kelly) home office files are not to be opened until 2030, considering he was only convicted one the one murder it seems very odd.
There's certainly a cover up about something, maybe we'll find out in 2030.
July 1, 2019
This was a very interesting and well researched book though I felt the writing style was a little too conversational and sensationalist.
Tully does make some convincing points and I do hope to documents can be released in 2030 for the public to see.
Tully does make some convincing points and I do hope to documents can be released in 2030 for the public to see.
May 5, 2025
Mum bought me this book back in the 1990s, knowing how I often pondered on was Jack The Ripper.
November 29, 2013
Wow! I can't believe I actually gave this book 4 stars. I didn't think this man had it in him to write something that was, for me, worth reading. After all, he wrote what I feel is one of the WORST books of all-time, The Crimes of Charlotte Bronte.
Some people might complain and say that this book is too biased. But let's be honest here. Aren't the majority of Jack the Ripper books biased? The authors like to claim that they are revealing evidence that doesn't necessarily say that the person that they are writing about IS Jack the Ripper, but their books give enough evidence to get you "thinking". Therefore you should make your own decision. And in the end, the author DOES think that the person they are saying committed the crimes IS Jack the Ripper because if they didn't think so, would they have written the book in the first place?!?
Anyway, I have said for years that I think James Kelly was the strongest candidate. And I believe it even more so now after reading this book. From the evidence that I have known, this book and the Discovery Channel's program about him a few years ago, I would be willing to make some sort of bet on it. While reading this book, and knowing what they did on that program, it is a shame that someone couldn't combine the two (there are facts in both that have been omitted - the book doesn't include some of what the program says and vice versa). What the author has written and the NYC detective came up with would be an incredible read to have all of the facts together at one time. And then maybe some people would start to think that James Kelly was Jack the Ripper instead of some of the more outrageous suspects out there. He is as good of, if not better, than any of those other suspects. And I think this book shows that fact.
It is worth a read for anyone who is open to other suspects. And it is definitely worth a read for those who have always felt Kelly was the killer.
Some people might complain and say that this book is too biased. But let's be honest here. Aren't the majority of Jack the Ripper books biased? The authors like to claim that they are revealing evidence that doesn't necessarily say that the person that they are writing about IS Jack the Ripper, but their books give enough evidence to get you "thinking". Therefore you should make your own decision. And in the end, the author DOES think that the person they are saying committed the crimes IS Jack the Ripper because if they didn't think so, would they have written the book in the first place?!?
Anyway, I have said for years that I think James Kelly was the strongest candidate. And I believe it even more so now after reading this book. From the evidence that I have known, this book and the Discovery Channel's program about him a few years ago, I would be willing to make some sort of bet on it. While reading this book, and knowing what they did on that program, it is a shame that someone couldn't combine the two (there are facts in both that have been omitted - the book doesn't include some of what the program says and vice versa). What the author has written and the NYC detective came up with would be an incredible read to have all of the facts together at one time. And then maybe some people would start to think that James Kelly was Jack the Ripper instead of some of the more outrageous suspects out there. He is as good of, if not better, than any of those other suspects. And I think this book shows that fact.
It is worth a read for anyone who is open to other suspects. And it is definitely worth a read for those who have always felt Kelly was the killer.
October 11, 2011
I read this book at least once a month. I'm not sure why, but my best guess is so that I can refresh my memory of the Whitechapel cases. James Tully does a phenomenal job at trying to prove the point that this prisoner, James Kelly, was in fact the unknown notorious serial killer that haunted the streets of London.
October 26, 2012
I don't believe it for a second but this was very enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews