Paul Begg

In 1888 the Whitechapel area of London was the scene of some of the most brutal murders ever recorded in history - and yet the case of Jack the Ripper remains unsolved. Steering clear of wild conspiracy theories, and spurious attempts to advance new theories about the identity of the culprit, Paul Begg instead provides the facts behind one of the most infamous and grisly episodes of the Victorian era. The book is a social history of Victorian East London as it is about the murders themselves. Begg argues that the case excited such interest precisely because of the notoriety of the East End at the time. Chronological coverage includes detailed accounts of the lives of each of the victims and an examination of the police investigation.

The Definitive History

Jack the Ripper

Using contemporary documents, police files, Home Office papers and newspaper reports, 'Jack the Ripper: The Facts' recreates the notorious crimes and police investigation of 1888 to provide the best available overview of the 'Great Victorian Mystery', the greatest unsolved, true crime story of all time. Written by one of the world's foremost authorities on the case, this is a completely rewritten and fully updated edition of Begg's classic title Jack the Ripper. It follows the crimes chronologically and records the most significant events, witness testimonies and aspects of the police investigation. As well as objectively examining the primary police suspects, Begg provides a fascinating and authoritative insight into related political issues and background events.

The Facts

Jack The Ripper

John Bennett

Every fact, theory and myth behind the 1888 Whitechapel killings scrutinized, dissected and analysed by today's leading Ripperologist. In this comprehensive account of London's most infamous serial killer, Paul Begg, the foremost modern authority on the case, explores the facts behind the most grisly episode of the Victorian era: the slaughter of several prostitutes over a two-month period. Setting the scene in the impoverished East End, Begg's meticulous research offers detailed accounts of the lives of the Ripper's female victims and a thorough examination of the police investigation. It looks at the many suspects uncovered over the years and the way in which they have often mirrored contemporary concerns, and he examines the growth and development of the myth in film and literature. The Complete and Essential Jack the Ripper is the definitive book, exploring both the myth and reality of Britain's most famous murderer and his victims.

The Complete and Essential Jack the Ripper

Discover the truth behind the myth in The Complete Jack the Ripper by Paul Begg and John Bennett. Whitechapel, 1888: a spate of brutal murders becomes the most notorious criminal episode in London's history. The killer, chillingly nicknamed 'The Whitechapel Murderer', 'Leather Apron' and, most famously, 'Jack the Ripper', is never brought to justice for the slaughter and mutilation of at least five women in the slums of East London. But the mystery is deepened by a letter sent "From Hell" to Scotland Yard, accompanied by half of a preserved human kidney... In this comprehensive account of London's most infamous killer, the foremost authorities on the case explore the facts behind the most grisly episode of the Victorian era. Setting the scene in the impoverished East End, the authors' meticulous research offers detailed accounts of the lives of the victims and an examination of the police investigation. The Complete Jack the Ripper is the definitive book by Paul Begg and John Bennett, exploring both the myth and reality behind the allusive killer. Paul Begg and John Bennett are researchers and authors, widely recognized as authorities on Jack the Ripper. Paul Begg's books include Jack the Ripper: The Facts, Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History, and he is a co-author of The Jack the Ripper A to Z. John Bennett has written numerous articles and lectured frequently on Jack the Ripper and the East End of London. He has acted as adviser to and participated in documentaries made by television channels worldwide and was the co-writer for the successful Channel 5 programme Jack the Ripper: The Definitive Story. He is author of E1: A Journey Through Whitechapel and Spitalfields and co-author of Jack the Ripper: CSI Whitechapel.

Jack the Ripper the Uncensored Facts

Paul Begg tells the story of the discovery of Mary Celeste, the people who vanished and the recent discovery of the wreckage. The book also features the transcript of the Gibraltar proceedings.

The Greatest Mystery of the Sea

Mary Celeste

Mary Celeste is an iconic mystery - a perfectly seaworthy ship found wandering aimlessly at sea, her crew strangely and inexplicably missing. Paul Begg tells the story of the discovery of Mary Celeste and the people who vanished, and investigates over a century’s worth of speculation and survivors’ tales, searching for the facts behind one of the world’s great mysteries.

Over 100 years have elapsed since what is believed to have been Jack the Ripper's final murder, yet hundreds of books, television programs, and films continue to be produced every year on the subject. Jack the Ripper: Crime Scene Investigation takes readers back to the London of 1888 through unique reconstructions of the Ripper's murders. Detailed crime-scene re-creations, plus thoroughly researched text written by experts, give readers the most complete view to date of the gruesome crimes that shook Victorian society.

CSI: Whitechapel

People who Disappear

Into Thin Air

Jack lo Squartatore: la vera storia

Londra, autunno 1888. Nei bassifondi dell’East End, tra vicoli fangosi e catapecchie sbilenche, tra le urla degli ubriachi e i richiami delle prostitute, si aggira Jack the Ripper, lo Squartatore. Così lo chiamano gli strilloni dell’“Evening News” o dello “Standard” che si contendono i clienti agli angoli delle strade. In città non si parla d’altro. In poco più di due mesi, tra il 31 agosto e il 9 novembre, sono cinque le donne uccise e orribilmente mutilate dal suo coltello. A centotrent’anni di distanza, l’identità dell’autore di quegli omicidi rimane il grande mistero vittoriano. Quel che è certo, invece, è che Jack lo Squartatore fu molto di più di un semplice assassino. Secondo Paul Begg, uno dei massimi esperti in materia, possiamo addirittura considerarlo uno dei creatori della Londra moderna: una città che in quell’epoca traboccava di miserie e brutture di ogni tipo, denunciate sui giornali da un grande scrittore come George Bernard Shaw, ma ignorate con sufficienza dall’opinione pubblica britannica. Almeno fino ai delitti dello Squartatore, che ebbero una straordinaria risonanza mediatica, influenzando i mutamenti urbani degli anni successivi. In questa ricostruzione appassionante e documentata, grazie a una vivida descrizione degli ambienti ci immergiamo tra quei vicoli e incontriamo da vicino le vittime di Jack, i detective che gli hanno dato la caccia, i presunti colpevoli, moltiplicatisi ben presto alimentando le più svariate – e spesso fantasiose – teorie: dallo straccione al gentiluomo, dal pittore di fama al membro della famiglia reale, passando per avvocati, parrucchieri, ciarlatani, chirurghi. E attraverso l’analisi approfondita di archivi della polizia, relazioni alla camera dei Lord, carteggi inediti tra gli investigatori, ma soprattutto degli articoli di giornale del periodo, scopriamo che nella Londra vittoriana il potere della stampa, soprattutto quella popolare, era enorme. Al punto da contribuire in maniera decisiva alla creazione di una delle figure popolari più spaventose e longeve di tutti i tempi: l’archetipo del moderno serial killer. «Il racconto più chiaro, preciso e aggiornato sui delitti dello squartatore, da parte di uno dei maggiori studiosi di quell’autunno di terrore nella Londra vittoriana» - William D. Rubinstein, professore di Storia moderna all’Università del Galles

Paul Begg

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