Jack the Ripper: The Final Chapter [Hardcover]

Paul H. Feldman (Author), Shirley Harrison (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1998

Since October 1992 the "Diary of Jack the Ripper", which purported to be written by James Maybrick, was believed to have been a hoax. However, not one person has attempted to explain how it was forged or by whom. This book claims that this is because the diary is genuine. Feldman suggests that James Maybrick was the notorious Whitechapel Murderer, and that the largest and most detailed investigation on the subject ever to be undertaken led the author through the smokescreen of an official cover-up, via the royals and the masons, to the true provenance of the diary, Jack the Ripper's watch, and, ultimately, his identity. As well as suggesting a solution to one of the most enduring mysteries in the history of crime, this is also the story of the man possibly at its centre, James Maybrick: how he died, how his wife was falsely imprisoned for his murder, and who the real murderer of Jack the Ripper was. This story also draws in two people who are still alive today - one illegitimately descended from James Maybrick, the other from his wife, Florence.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"* 'Feldman has taken game, set and match' Colin Wilson --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

About the Author

Paul H Feldman became aware of the purported Diary of Jack the Ripper while researching for a video production in 1992. Although he initially viewed the diary with a great deal of scepticism his early research surprised him enough to inspire the most detailed and expensive investigation into the Whitechapel murderer. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 385 pages
• Publisher: Virgin Pub (April 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1852276770
• ISBN-13: 978-1852276775
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,073,877 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars History will judge Maybrick guilty but not in our lifetime, February 28, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Jack the Ripper: The Final Chapter (Hardcover)

For what it's worth, I think that the Diary is real and that James Maybrick was Jack the Ripper. History will owe those who brought the Diary to the public's attention a debt of gratitude. However, there is a lot of contentiousness in the field of "Ripper Studies", and a flaw in the book is that Feldman can't quite bring himself to rise above responding to the abuse that he has received from professional Ripperologists. He would have been better off simply allowing his research and the research of those on his team to speak for itself. But it's a very impressive job which does show how many of the KNOWN elements of Maybrick's life dovetail nicely with the theory that he wrote the Diary and was indeed the Ripper. The Diary itself is a very impressive document that largely stands on its own, and I've never quite understood how, in the absence of any real proof of forgery, it could be flatly disregarded by so many. The book is worth the price simply for the photographs in front of page 147 that show a "match" between James Maybrick and the Daily Telegraph picture of "Jack" published on October 6, 1888. Also, the geneological research of the Feldman team shows links between Maybrick and the Ripper as well as their/his present-day descendants. Some meat is added to the existing bones of the Diary's provenance, though the provenance of the Watch, while just as tantalizing in its implications, becomes somewhat murkier. The biggest problem is handwriting. Feldman produces no known sample of Maybrick's handwriting that matches with that of the diary or of the "Dear Boss" letters that Maybrick takes credit for in the diary. He finds one ancient Maybrick correspondence that resembles one questionable Ripper letter. Otherwise, he is reduced to arguing that an individual'shandwriting can vary from sample to sample and that Maybrick's own handwriting varied greatly, particularly when under the influence of arsenic. He is also reduced to relying on the opinion of a graphologist who performed a character analysis based on the handwriting in the diary. Graphology is a suspect science, which was used to incorrectly identify Anna Anderson as Russian princess Anastasia. Set against this though is the enormity of the task that Diary critics have. The contents of the Diary FORCE them to argue that the Diary and the Watch are modern forgeries -- post 1989 -- rather than ancient ones and so they are reduced to impugning the character of those own the Diary and the Watch and who brought them to the public's attention. By introducing his readers to these people through interviews and biographies, Feldman shows them to be of sound moral character. Their story that the Diary was first discovered in the mid 1940's and rediscovered in 1968 or 1969 is buttressed by their character. More research needs to be done by independent analysts of the Diary, of the watch, of James Maybrick, and generally in the field of handwriting analysis. My prediction is that history will point its finger at Maybrick and say, "He's the one" and this will be due in no small part to Feldman, Shirley Harrison (who first produced an edited version of the Diary, with commentary), Feldman's team, and those who assisted and cooperated with them. But that debt of gratitude will not be paid in our lifetime because of what still remains unknown or questionable and because of the contentiousness that surrounds "Ripper Studies" today.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Maybrick goes to the top of the list!, July 4, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Jack the Ripper: The Final Chapter (Hardcover)

For me, this book was a long-awaited follow-up to the original "Diary of Jack the Ripper". It may not quite live up to the promise made in the title of being the "final chapter", but it should move Maybrick to the top of the list of those suspected of being Jack the Ripper.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I'm Convinced. Maybrick was the Ripper, December 21, 1998

By 

Mei-Lyn Peterson ([e-mail]) (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jack the Ripper: The Final Chapter (Hardcover)

A very informative book. Paul and his dedicated team of researchers were always fighting an upward battle. Convincing critics who find it easier to cry 'Hoax' rather than take the time to consider the explanations given is not an easy job. Reading about the Maybrick descendants, their secrets, their sometimes unwillingness to talk, and seeing the likeness in their photos was enough for me. An honest book that gives all perspectives satisfying any questions the inquisitive reader might have.