Rating: 
Summary: Amazing:Definative
Review: This book was absolutely amazing and gave every aspect possible about the murders. To read it well, in my opinion, you must have a light feel for the case, but otherwise this book corners every possibilty and every theory out there. It features mkany of the theories not covered in other books, such as the royal conspiracy and Dr. Ostrog. I enjoyed it in every aspect, a great addition to any Ripperologists library.
Rating:
Summary: The Ripper Bible
Review: This excellent book, along with Beggs "Jack the Ripper A-Z", should form the foundation for anyone attempting to unravel 100 years of confusion about the Autumn of Terror. Exhaustively researched from primary sources,it is an indespensible, absolute "must have" for any "ripperologist". I'd also reccommend it for anyone with an interest in true crime stories.
Rating:
Summary: The Only Ripper Book You'll Need
Review: This giant book documents the entire reign of Jack the Ripper. The book gives you information on each of the crimes, the major suspects and the major players involved in the search for this infamous 19th century killer. Unlike other books and shows on the Ripper Killings I liked this book because it took an objective look at all of the evidence but it did not try to force one scinario on you. This book will give you a bunch of suspects, but it allows you to make the final determination as to who you may think the Ripper was.
The book goes into great detail on all subjects. You really get to know the victims and how they lived. You also get to know many of the people that were involved in the investigation and their weaknesses when it came to solving the crime. At times the introduction to all the characters is a little too inclusive, but the book is layed out very well so that you will never get bored.
The murders are explained in graphic detail, and some crime scene photos appear in the center of the book. These graphic descriptions are followed by an in depth analysis of the witnesses and the investigation of that particular murder. The author also does a great job of trying to dismiss the inaccuracies that surround the crimes. Throughout the book he rebuffs the conclusions that other authors have come to incorrectly.
Don't be turned off by the length of this book. It reads easily and is a must read for anybody with even a slight interest in the case. This book is perfect for the beginner as well as the advanced Ripperologist.
Rating:
Summary: Complete history worth buying in any format
Review: This is an unusual Ripper book, one that does not have an axe (or knife in this case) to grind, nor does it have a favorite theory to advance. Following in the steps of Donald Rumbelow's "The Complete Jack the Ripper," Philip Sugden decided to go back to the original source material, plus the packet of material taken from the London police that was mailed back to them in 1987, and recount the history of the case. This he does well, going over the material, the press reports and other writers' theories with a skeptical eye and a fearless passion for the truth. He finds, not surprisingly, that the press reports are extremely inaccurate, that most of the memoirs written by police officials decades after the fact were not to be believed, and that many Ripperologists were either criminally negligent or, at best, unable to see deeply into the evidence and render accurate judgments. There is some new material here, however, particularly Sugden's researches into the three suspects Sir Melville Macnaghten thought were prime Ripper candidates. At the time of the killings, Macnaghten was assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police in charge of CID, but that rank did not spare him from Sugden's dissection of his claims that the Ripper was M.J. Druitt, Kosminski, or Michael Ostrog. By checking out Macnaghten's other claims in his statements, it becomes plain that the old boy had no evidence to back up his charges. Sugden traces other claims and counterclaims like this, and while he was unable to unmask the Ripper, he does offer a candidate more suitable that Macnaghten's three, and with the help of criminal profiling, suggests a line of investigation that may throw more light on this century-old mystery. If you're unable to plow through the 800-page Ripper book coming up in December, this is the one book to get!
Rating: 
Summary: Objective and well researched, but not a page turner
Review: This is probably the definitive Jack the Ripper book. It is everything that most books are not. It doesn't put forth wild theories about charity workers or dim-witted royals. Sugden does not spend half the book discussing the letter forgeries. It is amazingly researched and I think almost totally objective. He does state clearly who of his main suspects (he doesn't name many: most theories are completely ludicrous) he thinks should definitely not be suspects. Noticibly missing: Walter Sickert. This may be because the book was written before the publishing of the infamous book accusing him, or because he doesn't deem him a worth suspect. Also could have used more on the living conditions of the East End at that time as some of the other books include. Overall, no ripperologist should be without it.
Rating:
Summary: You've got your best Ripper book at last!
Review: This is the best book I've read on the subject in terms of its comprehensiveness, readability, and especially of its emphasis on recognizing and debunking long-held myths, fallacies, and factual inaccuracies about the murders. The research done for the book is thorough, the presentation of the facts is organized, explanations on why certain "facts" are myths are lucid, and the author's theories on who Jack the Ripper might or might not be are fascinating.
Rating:
Summary: "From Hell" to Here
Review: This is the book for anyone whose interest in Jack the Ripper was sparked by the movie "From Hell." A well-researched and factual analysis of the available evidence regarding the Whitechapel murders, the author debunks many of the subsequent theories that are in print and available from Amazon.com! It is very well-written and intriguing, the kind of book you do not want to put down. I also recommend "The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Companion." It is a collection of the surviving primary source evidence. Everything you need to become a Ripperologist!
Rating:
Summary: The best Ripper book
Review: This is the place to start if you're curious about Jack the Ripper. Sugden uses original documents to cut through a century of Ripper mythology repeated at 3rd,4th and 5th hand by earlier Ripper books. He also has no axe to grind in behalf of any particular candidate for the mantle of original Ripper.
Rating:
Summary: The unquestioned authority
Review: This is the unquestioned authority on Jack The Ripper. Just facts, no author-based theories or half-cooked embellishments here. Very, very thorough. Certainly puts Patricia Cornwell and her book of nonsense about "solving" the Ripper mystery to shame........
Rating:
Summary: The unquestioned authority
Review: This is the unquestioned authority on Jack The Ripper. Just facts, no author-based theories or half-cooked embellishments here. Very, very thorough. Certainly puts Patricia Cornwell and her book of nonsense about "solving" the Ripper mystery to shame........
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