JACK THE RIPPER THE FORGOTTEN VICTIMS

Hardback. SIGNED. 'The number of women murdered and mutilated by Jack the Ripper is impossible to know, although most researchers now agree on five individuals. These five canonical cases have been examined at length in Ripper literature, but other contemporary murders and attacks bearing strong resemblance to the gruesome Ripper slayings have received scant attention. These unsolved cases are the focus of this intriguing book. Separate chapters cover over a dozen female victims who were attacked during the years of Jack the Ripper's murder spree. Their terrible stories - a few survived to bear witness, but most died of their wounds - illuminate key aspects of the Ripper case and the period: the gangs of London's Whitechapel district, Victorian prostitutes, the public panic inspired by the crimes and fuelled by journalists, medical practices of the day, police procedures and competency, and the probable existence of other serial killers. The book also considers crimes initially attributed to Jack the Ripper in other parts of Britain and the wider world, notably New York and Jamaica. Examining several influential Ripper theories, Paul Begg and John Bennett piece together how the unfortunate victims have been assessed and reassessed over the years, showing the crucial part played by their lives and deaths in how wider society has perceived the crimes of Jack the Ripper.' Illus., Afterword, Notes + Index. 301pp. lge. 8vo. h/back. As New in dw. With tipped-in labels SIGNED BY PAUL BEGG AND JOHN BENNETT. A fairly heavy book which will require additional postage if shipped overseas.