The Many Faces of Jack the Ripper [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

M. J. Trow (Author), Tim Craddock (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1998

A complete psychological and pictorial account of the gruesome 'Ripper' murders that shocked a nation. This is the thrilling profile of a killer with vivid reconstructions of the actual crimes.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Originally published in England in 1997, this is the most heavily illustrated title available on the Whitechapel murders and features both vintage and contemporary photos. Rather than unfurl the case chronologically from the first killing, Trow (Maxwell's House, St. Martin's, 1995) instead presents a more sociological analysis of the grisly events of 1888, quoting repeatedly from Jack London's People of the Abyss and other works that shattered the storybook image of London. As compared with previous volumes, Trow's is a tad light on detail but gains points for boldly insisting that the murder of Liz Stride was a coincidental killing not committed by Saucy Jack. Another plus is the inclusion of a modern forensic profile of some noted serial killers. Trow goofs, however, when drawing the illogical conclusion that the killer wasn't a foreigner because "there is nothing in the behavior of the immigrants of the 1880s to suggest violence of this type," which implies that any local cockney was capable of these singularly horrific acts! A minor blunder that does not mar an otherwise acceptable volume; recommended.?Michael Rogers, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Trow examines the career of the world's first and in many ways still its "best" serial killer in fine fashion. While focusing on popular media portrayals of Jack, Trow also evaluates the usual cast of those suspected of being Jack (the Duke of Clarence, Randolph Churchill, etc.) and finds the cases against them unpersuasive. His summation of each murder generally blamed on Jack features recently recovered autopsy photographs that are gruesome, to be sure, but warranted in view of the perennial argument over the fiend's surgical skills and anatomical knowledge. Noteworthy is Trow's consideration throughout the book of the anti-Semitism that pervaded Victorian society and permeated the Ripper affair: in a time and place when "foreign" was a common euphemism for Jewish, many witnesses described suspicious "foreign" -looking individuals in proximity to the crime scenes or to victims. Such deft handling of the contemporary details is something that particularly distinguishes this Ripper book that neophyte and veteran Ripperologists alike should enjoy. Mike Tribby

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Summerdale Pub Ltd; illustrated edition edition (November 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1840240164
• ISBN-13: 978-1840240160
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,690,849 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Okay, but could have been better, April 27, 2000

By 

Nate Owens - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Many Faces of Jack the Ripper (Hardcover)

For a book that touted the fact it would be full of interesting pictures, the promised photos weren't that prominent! Don't get me wrong--there are a lot of interesting images--but I expected them to be larger, with more direct commentary ... a focus on the images, the photos, and their connection to the history.

Instead, the book reads like a typical JtR book, with a lot more illustrations. Trow makes a few good points, though, and the last chapter is really, really interesting. Worth reading, but don't expect too much on the picture front.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Photo-rich sociological analysis of the case, June 25, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Many Faces of Jack the Ripper (Hardcover)

Trow, M.J. The Many Faces of Jack the Ripper. Summersdale, dist. by Seven Hills. Jun. 1998. c.192p. bibliog. index. photogs. ISBN 1-84024-016-4. $25.95. TRUE CRIME

Originally published in England in 1997, this is the most heavily illustrated title on the Whitechapel murders and features both vintage and contemporary photos. Rather than unfurl the case chronologically beginning with the first murder, Trow instead presents a more sociological analysis of the grisly events of 1888, quoting repeatedly from Jack London's People of the Abyss and other works that shattered the story-book image of London and revealed it to be an open sewer. As compared to previous volumes, Trow's is a tad light on detail but gains points for boldly insisting that the murder of Liz Stride was a coincidental killing not committed by Saucy Jack. Another plus is the inclusion of a modern forensic profile of some noted serial killers that is helpful to armchair investigators. Trow, however, goofs when drawing the illogical conclusion that the killer was a local Irish cockney and not a foreigner because "There is nothing in the behavior of the immigrants of the 1880s to suggest violence of this type," which implies that any cockney was capable of these singularly horrific acts! A minor blunder that does not mar an otherwise acceptable volume. Recommended.-Michael Rogers, "Library Journal

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good photos!, August 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Many Faces of Jack the Ripper (Hardcover)

I liked the photos, some of the murder sites no longer exist today, so it was neat to see the sites of the murders. The text was interesting, but the high point of this book for me was the photographs.