Customer Reviews

The Complete Jack the Ripper

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
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Mr Rumbelow's book is probably the most entertaining and well-written book available on the Whitechapel crimes yet produced. Although first published in 1975 it still seems fresher than most works on the subject today. Mr Rumbelow recounts many unknown about the Whitechapel/East End area at the time of the murders. Strange and interesting facts such as the local confectioner's of the time selling 'Leather Apron' toffee abound in this volume and makes for a very entertaining read. Mr Rumbelow himself is a police officer of 27 years experience and brings this knowledge to the fore in his examination of the slayings. A natural writer, he keeps the book pacy and fresh, having written previous works on police history/true crime. This book is most recommended, it was revised and reprinted in 1988 by Penguin Publishing and is invaluable to anyone studying the crimes of 'Jack the Ripper'. His examination of the suspects is exemplary and brings human feeling and warmth to the victims of the murderer, something which mo

Donald Rumbelow is a former police office. As such, he writes from a logical, investigative stand-point. He does not glorify, conspiricize or add to the bizarre aura surrounding these crimes.

Mr. Rumbelow begins and ends with the facts of the case. He gives a terrific background to conditions in Whitechapel in the 1880s, very important to understanding the crimes. He has gone through police files to pull out the actual records and facts recorded at the time of the records, and he goes through the main suspects and gives the pros and cons of each suspect.

Donald Rumbelow also tries to put to rest some of the conspiracies that surround the case (eg. it was not unusual for the police to destroy records as they were not routinely saved until well into the 20th century). Mr. Rumbelow also puts into perspective forensic science at the time of these murders, for example finger print evidence was only admitted into legal proceedings and became common place 20 years later. All of this helps us understand some of the reasons that Jack the Ripper was never caught (at least as the Ripper) and why he has not been definitely identified over 100 years later.

The book is a bit out of date, however it still has a lot of good information - especially concerning the realities of police work and conditions in the East End in the 1880s. I would strongly recommend this book as a good starting place for anyone interested in reading about the Ripper killings. However be forewarned, these are brutal murders described fairly graphically with some photos of the victims. If you are very squeemish, this isn't the book for you.

In all the silliness that has been published about the Ripper killings, this is one of the half-dozen or so books that top the pile. It was the first thorough and truly unbiased attempt to deal with the case in a clear-headed investigative manner. It also inspired much of the research that has led to new and enlightening discoveries in the 25 years since it was first published. Other reader reviews that criticize Rumbelow forget that some of what is now publicly known was not available in 1975. The Sugden book is more up to date, but for many years this was the be-all and end-all book for Ripperologists. It is still worth reading, especially for dedicated students of the subject. The opening section on the horrors of life in Victorian Whiechapel is still a remarkable bit of writing, and the approach to the evidence is clear and extremely well-organized.

Donald Rumbelow has an excellent writing style and this is an easy to read and understand book. In particular, he does a great job of helping the reader understand the conditions in London's east end during this time of the old city's history. He also gives the reader a complete understanding of the limitations faced by police in the late 1800's. If no one saw the killer commit the crime, it was almost impossible to make an arrest.

This is a fairly short book as compared to other ripper books but there is a wealth of information. This would be an excellent book for someone just getting interested in the ripper for it is more of an introduction to the case than anything else. Rumbelow never really makes any attempt to solve the case. Instead he spends a lot of time showing the faults in other ripper writer's theroies. I think it was Sherlock Holmes who said that if you get rid of all the things that were impossible, what was left was the answer, no matter how improbable. I think that may be what Rumbelow is up to.

Truth be known, the section I enjoyed most was the chapter called "Beyond the Grave", which deals with ripper like killers who followed Jack. The Yorkshire and Dusseldorf rippers and Jack the Stripper for example. Their cases are not only highly interesting but also prove that the shadow of Jack the Ripper will be hanging over us for a long time.

This book is a great start for someone interested in Ripperology! Although there have been theories born since the first edition of this book, Rumbelow's theories and information are complete for its time. Rumbelow's clearly presents the facts and information. He also clearly discounts other theories with facts as well. It is a cleanly written book and a suprisingly fast read. Black and White photos are included. Rumbelow never clearly states who he believes the Ripper was, but it is evident "between the lines". Read it and see for yourself. I think you'll enjoy it!

Thsi book is definitely a dark ride, and may also keep you up nights (esp. if you're licky enough to be reading in a creepy hotel in London, as I did). I have a copy signed by the author, who gives Jack the Ripper walking tours in London. He is an articulate and intelligent man, and so is his book, dismissing far-fetched conspiracies in favor of where the facts actually lead. An inthralling and chilling read.

This is the best book on the subject, written by a retired Police Officer at Scotland Yard. I loaned it out and it never came back. This is the definitive Jack the Ripper book.

Donald Rumbelow, as a Scotland Yard Detective, provides a grim, realistic study of the Ripper Case, even down to studying such vague connections as Ellery Queen fictional work concerning it.
He was permitted access to records that are still sealed, and was shocked to find how little of the records survived. He was also able to put back the death bed picture of Mary Kelly.

The only fault I find is in his analysis of the suspects. He seemed to rigid and not willing to look into this with any real depth.

Overall, a must for any ripperologist!!

I just returned from London and attended Donald Rumbelow's "Ripper Walk" (on 20 May 04) and Donald has just revised his book. He did not have any copies available at the end of the walk because they are sitting at the publishers (Penguin) but will be available anytime now. As everyone has stated, this gentleman knows his subject. It was one of the highlights of my trip to London!

This book contains the most thorough coverage of all possible aspects of the Ripper crimes. I couldn't put it down. Fascinating!