Jack London Books

Like many others, I have been interested in the story of Jack the Ripper. When I finally decided to read about the crimes, I wanted to read only the best, most definitive account. I believe that Sugden's book fits the bill. He sticks only to the facts; when he theorizes, he presents an opposing view as well. He does not claim to know who Jack the Ripper was, but he does put forth a theory. After having finished this book, I cannot imagine that there is much of anything else to know about the case. I would highly, highly recommend this book to anyone interested in reading an emotionless, fact-filled book about Jack the Ripper to pick this one up.

I found this book to be a bit boring and quite wordy for my personal taste. There were alot of facts that seemed to lead nowhere. I wasn't impressed!

Unlike most "Ripperologists," Philip Sugden does not have any pet theories to prove. Therefore, like a good historian, Sugden concentrates only on all the facts of the case as they can be cooberated by the primary sources. Very well written and thoroughly researched, The Complete History of Jack the Ripper not only covers each of the known murders in detail, the book also looks at several other unsolved murders that may have been part of the series of "Jack's" crimes. Furthermore, Sugden follows the police investigation and examines the suspects developed by the police at the time. While Sugden does evaluate the likelihood of these suspects' guilt, he makes no attempt to positively identify the killer. If you read only one book on the 1888 murders in Whitechaple, read this one.

Jack the Ripper is perhaps the best-known figure in history whose real identity is obscured. He killed (as far as we know) something between 4 and 9 women in London between 1887 and 1891. He was never caught, and there's no convincing proof anyone ever saw him clearly, let alone came upon him in the act of killing and tried to stop him. He became the subject of rumor and speculation while the killings were going on, and has since been a subject of much speculation and theorizing. "Solutions" to the crimes he committed range from various suspects to a conspiracy of the British Royal Family in some fashion all the way around to anti-Semitic conspiracies.

Author Philip Sugden decided to write this book, and work from as many original sources as he could, recounting only that information he was able to confirm from contemporary records. He generally dismisses newspapers of the era, and tries to rely on police files as much as possible. What emerges is a different picture of the killer and the murders than has been presented in the past, because many previous books have repeated the errors of others while recounting what they believe happened. Sugden does his best to avoid this.

The result is a well-written, detailed, exhaustive study of the killings themselves. Sugden recounts each of the killings in detail, and then spends considerable time telling of the police response to the crimes, their attempts to counter the killings, and especially their interrogations of witnesses. One point he makes clear is how primitive their forensic thinking was at the time: fingerprints were about a decade off yet, and it wasn't even possible to analyze bloodstains to tell if they were human or animal in origin. The police, as a result, depended to a great deal on witnesses and confessions. In crimes of passion or crimes of greed, those things worked reasonably well, but with a "stranger crime" where the killer and the witnesses probably didn't know the criminal, and he probably also didn't associate with other criminals, the chances of catching him were frankly minimal. That's what happened...they didn't catch him.

I really enjoyed Sugden's book. It contains a great deal of information. The author, in the latter part of the book, leans towards one of the suspects (George Chapman) but doesn't insist that he must have done it. He does think it unlikely that Druitt, Kosminski, or Ostrog were the killer, but in each case his evidence is, like everything else at this remove, pretty much speculation. At least his speculation makes sense, however. Regardless, anyone who's interested in Jack the Ripper needs this book, definitely.

Beginning and Elite Ripperologists alike MUST read this book. A best way to explain the quality of this book is to explain Sugden's handling of the facts. Unlike the mast majority of Ripperologists, Sugden's goal is not to create theories to fill in the gaps, nor to hold onto common myths of the Ripper. Any ideas he does suggest in the book are only those most "probable" and based on the facts that are available. Like any good researched book dealing with a topic with various controversies, Sugden is quick to point out flaws in common misconceptions and how their origins were spawned from incorrect historical data.

He does a fantastic job on truly capturing the "complete history" of the Ripper case while maintaining an enjoyable read for the elite and curious passerby alike. After reading the book I finally realized why this is declared THE book to have on the Ripper case. I strongly suggest this to be the starting point and foundation for all newly interested and all who have long loved the infamous murderer of almost mythical standing.

This book, which by all means should be read before "The Letter of Marque" is a wonderful, if sad installment in the series. In the midst of the unfortunate treatment of Aubrey however, is a real powerful moment towards the end of the novel. Again, a real testament to the themes of honor and friendship that abound in this series.

This is the 11th novel in the Aubrey-Maturin seagoing series. This book is all about honor and reputation, how easy they are to lose, and how hard they are to get back. The story takes place mostly on land and finds Captain Jack Aubrey an easy mark for some stock swindlers who lure him into a confidence game, with terrible consequences. Doctor Stephen Maturin finds that he has been dumped by his flighty wife, who ran off with a Swedish officer. The book ends with the men in an unaccustomed circumstance, with Aubrey reliant on Maturin to salvage his own future.

It was nice to see the series back in good form after the silliness of "The Far Side of the World." However, some of the on-going international intrigue that spans several books has gotten so complicated that I can't remember what it was about, and I find myself not caring, either.

Reviewer: Liz Clare, co-author of the historical novel "To the Ends of the Earth: The Last Journey of Lewis and Clark"

The twelve books that precede The Reverse of the Medal in the Aubrey-Maturin series together form a coherent, engaging chronicle of naval warfare, intrigue, and romance. Had its thirteenth installment been simply more of the same, the appeal might have begun to pale; however, with a single plot twist, Patrick O'Brian changes the rules of the game completely, handing Aubrey and Maturin a whole new set of challenges.(Note: plot spoilers follow).

Captain Jack Aubrey, ashore and in funds for a change, is induced to invest in the stock market on rumors of peace. When the rumors turn out to be a hoax, Aubrey is falsely accused and convicted of stock fraud and dismissed from the Navy. With his fortunes in ruins and reinstatement to his rank a dim prospect, his only choice is to take up privateering in the newly-decommissioned Surprise.

What sets this book apart from its predecessors is the extent to which we see Aubrey struggling honorably with devious opponents and murky matters quite at odds with his seamanlike competencies, and dealing with the loss of his Naval identity, so much a part of his being. In so doing, it contains some of O'Brian's finest writing - the scene of Aubrey's punishment in the pillory, cheered and protected by a city square full of seamen, is one of his most bitterly triumphant and touching.

The Reverse of the Medal is not the place to start reading this saga. However, the changes that it rings on the previous books' formula ensure a fresh tone and a new perspective that will invigorate even the most jaded veteran of stern-chases and luffing-matches.

Just one of an awesome series focusing on "Lucky" Jack Aubrey and his friend, Dr. Steven Maturin (sp?). Series is a robust and rich historical men-at-sea and -at-war yarn that covers many years in the late 1700 to early 1800s. Ah-HA! (inside joke). Simon Vance's voice is excellent and each character is distinct.

This series is an absolute treasure, and I can't recommend it highly enough. I do, however, caution you on a couple of things. O'Brian is difficult to read. Well, that's not quite fair, it's not difficult, it's slow to read. Paragraphs can go on for a page and a half or longer, and that makes it difficult to digest all that happened.

Whatever you do, don't give in to the temptation to skip sections because they seem like long descriptions. If you take the time to read them, they seem to always offer some gems of wit and a sly turn of phrase; plus, O'Brian can resolve an entire dilemma or introduce a battle and the aftermath in a couple of sentences.

Looked at from a certain point of view, it actually enhances the story because you have to think about what you just read.

Read them all and read them in order. I can't speak to the rest of the series, but up until now it is superb.

In spite of its length, I've read this book several times. It isn't just a widely acclaimed historic and literary masterpiece, written by a leading participant in the events he describes. It isn't just vividly written and thoroughly researched.

More importantly, it's one of the best books ever written about revolution, as relevant today as ever.

The most important conclusion that emerges is the crucial role of a revolutionary party with an overwhelmingly working class membership, leadership and political orientation: a party that has trained itself in the many years of partial struggles that precede a revolutionary crisis; studied together the lessons of past revolutionary struggles throughout the world; and done everything possible to educate broader layers of workers in those lessons.

(The point is illustrated both positively and negatively. More than once, Lenin had to turn to the Bolshevik's working class rank and file against wavering intellectuals in the party leadership.)

Please don't be put off by the first chapter, the driest and most difficult in the book. The basic idea is that capitalism arrived late in Russia, imported from abroad in the form of huge factories, which laid the basis for the rapid development of a strong, militant labor movement. As a result, the emerging capitalist class was reluctant to mobilize the masses against the feudal nobles and landlords that stood in their way, for fear that the aroused workers might turn on the capitalists themselves.

Under the impact of war and economic crisis, the resulting mixture of different forms of class oppression exploded in a combined revolt of workers, farmers, and oppressed nationalities, destroying both feudalism and capitalism by the time it was through.

Several postcripts:

(1) If you're wondering what went wrong in the Soviet Union after such a promising start, I recommend "The Revolution Betrayed" by Trotsky; also "Lenin's Final Fight" by Lenin.

(2) I disagree with Trotsky's assessment of the pre-1917 differences between himself and Lenin concerning the role of working farmers, the relationship between democratic (anti-feudal) revolution and socialist revolution, and Lenin's formula, "the democratic dictatorship of the proletariat and the peasantry". I think Trotsky's discussion of this is confusing. I recommend "Their Trotsky and Ours" by Jack Barnes. There is also a good debate in "Bolshevism and the Russian Revolution" by Doug Jenness, Ernest Mandel, and V.I. Lenin.

(3) Another reviewer pointed out that this book is available online. However, the printed version has glossaries of people, places, organizations and unfamiliar terms; a more complete chronology; and a thorough index. I relied very heavily on all of these, so much so that I used color-coded post-its to turn to them easily. Also, parts of the online version are full of obvious typos; books from Pathfinder Press are proofread very thoroughly.

(4) Finally, I recommend the ads in the back of the book. Pathfinder Press is defined by a political goal, not commercial success. It aims to provide a platform for revolutionary leaders speaking in their own words. If you like one book, you will probably like others.

This is one of the most exciting books I've ever read. It tells the amazing story of the Russian revolution of 1917, from the overthrow of the Czar to the Bolshevik Revolution of October. What makes it an incredible read is that the author, Leon Trotsky, was at the middle of it all, as one of the central planners of the insurrection that took power. Trotsky was a great revolutionary and great writer. But one thing I especially like about the book is that Trotsky uses excerpts from many other accounts, including those who hated him with a passion, to tell the story accurately. It is an inspiring story, especially for new generations of young people, workers and farmers who need to learn about an example showing that the dog-eat-dog system of capitalism we live in can be overthrown. For the definitive account of how this great revolution was later derailed, see Trotsky's Revolution Betrayed.

Whatever Trotsky's faults or your own political persuasion, his own history of the Russian Revolution is an excellently written, engaging and energetic work. Openly biased and without apology, Trotsky recounts the events before, during and after the Bolsheviks rise. Essential to understanding the motivations and mindset of one of history's greatest revolutionaries.

This book provides a very unique perspective into the Russian Revolution. Written by Leon Trotsky himself, it is an excellent way to get first hand information on the events of the revolution. Furthermore, it is very interesting to read how a leader of the revolution viewed the event after several years. Trotsky is an excellent writer, and his book is very detailed. My one warning is that if you don't know much about the Russian Revolution to begin with you may get somewhat confused because of the great amount of detail in this book.

Trotsky's History of the Russian Revolution is written in the third person - just as a historian would write it - not in a first person narrative. After reading the book for a while, I sometimes even forget that it was written by Trotsky. Then, when some bizarre interpretation appears, I think - "What is this? Who wrote this book?" only to realize that, obviously, the book is written by Trotsky and would naturally be biased!

Even if you don't read the entire book, just reading some of the passages can give you a very facinating perspective into the revolution. After all, Trotsky was one of the most important leaders during the revolution. It is not often that a revolutionary leader has time to record the events he lived through. Luckily for us, Trotsky did write an account of the Russian Revolution, an event that has clearly had immense influence on world history! So, I would totally recommend this book - read it, and see what Trotsky himself has to say!

This is a huge and wonderful book-- three volumes in one book, some 1200 pages in all. The story Trotsky lays out is most inspiring and encouraging: how revolutionary-minded workers and peasants in Russia, led by the Bolshevik party, overthrew the centuries-old Czarist monarchy, defeated the attempts to impose a capitalist dictatorship and went on to establish a worker and peasant revolutionary government, opening the road to the possibility of building a socialist society. It's a book you can read repeatedly, getting more out of it each time.

Trotsky explains with rich detail the growing social crisis that wracked Russia, the devastating impact of World War I, the economic collapse, and the incapacity of the old regime to offer any way out. He takes up political developments amongst workers and peasants and the oppressed nationalities of the Russian Empire, including the many millions forced into the Russian army. You understand their growing conviction that the old society had to be and could be overturned and a new order established. And Trotsky gives real insight into the leadership that made possible an actual revolution under these conditions-- the development of the Bolshevik party led by V.I. Lenin and it's successful fight to win the allegiance of the struggling millions.

Trotsky was, along with Lenin, a central leader of the 1917 revolution and of the government it established. After Lenin's death in 1924, he led the international fight to defend the Bolshevik's revolutionary course against the conservative and reactionary bureaucracy headed by Joseph Stalin that came to power later in the Soviet Union. This work was a key part of Trotsky's efforts to make the real facts and lessons 1917 available to future generations of workers, farmers and radicalizing young people. Read it along with some of his many other important works, including The Transitional Program for Socialist Revolution, In Defense of Marxism, The Revolution Betrayed, and The Struggle Against Fascism in Germany.

Nightmares plague the narrator's childhood. In these dreams he relives the pre-stoneage life of one of his proto-human ancestors. Each night is a different episode from his ancestor's life, and the episodes are lived and relived in a jumbled, non-chronological order. The narrator places the episodes in chronological order and tells his ancestor's biography. What emerges is an action-packed, engaging saga of adventure and romance at the dawn of humanity.

London got the science of genetics wrong as he tried to explain how the narrator could have such memories, but he seems to have gotten one thing right. Modern paleo-anthropology posits that for most of prehistory, the earth contained several coexisting species of hominids. London peoples his world with three hominid species. His description of the interaction between these species probably gives an accurate depiction of ancient man's inter-species interaction.

In this short novella Jack London ('White Fang', 'The Call of the Wild', 'The Sea-Wolf') describes beings who lived at the dawn of mankind. You could call these creatures human, but they are still rudimentary beings. He tells a romance of the unknown ages populated with creatures that may have been.
Jack London's 'Before Adam' is a brilliant recreation of the dawn of humanity, describing the prehistoric world as a place of dark conflict where only the fittest will survive.
Would it be exaggerated to call it a journey to our own subconscious? A subconscious - as a hidden memory of the history of mankind - hidden so deep in our mind that it can only be reached by fiction.

I agree wholeheartedly that this is a very unique and interesting work (it's hard to even call it a novel or pin it down to another genre). The book is about a modern day protagonist who has nightmares about prehistoric life. As he becomes an adult, he posits a theory that these are the biological remnants of the experience of his distant prehistoric ancestor.

He pieces together the story from his dreams and what comes out is this book - a detailed and very graphic portayal of life before people were "people". Reading this, you are plunged into a whole different world, where the inhabitants are somewhere between people and the primate-ancestor on the evolutionary scale. It is an amazingly harsh and cruel existence with a truly "primitive" society. And yet, we get to love some of the central characters, empathise with them and marvel at this novel's description of the seeds or the birth of what we see as humanity in terms of resourcefulness and compassion.

The work also has a psychological and philosophical aspect as the modern day narrator wrestles with his "second I" and what his connection to his ancestor means to his identity. I've read several good prehistoric fiction works and this is the best - certainly the most profound - it really makes you think and amazes you.

While I'm not much into reading fiction or Sci-Fi type books; I have to say, this is probably one of the best books, I've ever read in my life. ( and I'm an avid reader)

Jack London has a way of really pulling your mind into the picture. ( Or putting pictures/stories inside your head)

If you're looking for a book to take your mind of things, or want to live a vicarious experience, I can think of no better book than this one.

This is one of Jack Londons stellar achievements. The ending will surprise you.

An awesome book, that you'll have trouble putting down, until you're finished.

I only started reading Jack London's work three years ago, but I've had an interest in prehistoric times and evolution since I was ten. When I tried explaining to other children that humans and apes may have evolved from a common ancestor they just sort of sneered in disbelief. This was over a hundred years after Charles Darwin had died.

Jack London's first SF novel "Before Adam" is an imaginitive, compelling read. Through his dreams, a twentieth century man "remembers" events from another time and place - a life lived at the dawn of time. The narrator "Big-Tooth" shows us the harsh brutality of prehistoric life, the endless struggle to survive, the constant danger posed by predators looking for food, and the menace of the "Fire Men" - a race more advanced than the species Big-Tooth belongs to, a race that have learned to use fire and kill prey with bows and arrows. It's very rare for anyone to live beyond middle age. Most people die violent deaths, either at the hands of a rival, or satisfying the hunger of a beast.

This is not the first story with a prehistoric setting (Jack London was apparently accused of plagiarism by another author, Stanley Waterloo), but it's a wonderful book nevertheless. London later wrote a book with a similar premise called "The Star Rover", in which a condemned prisoner puts himself into a trance and experiences his past lives. It's possible that J.G. Ballard had also read "Before Adam" before writing "The Drowned World", another book about race memory and the retreat into prehistory. There's a lot of psychology in it.

As a species we've certainly come a long way, or so we like to think. The slaughter initiated by the Fire Men looking for living space has been repeated time and time again. Our "intelligence" has enabled us to come up with more ingenious ways to kill each other, moving from bows and arrows to guns to weapons of mass destruction. From what can be seen on television or read in newspapers, it seems we're still a long way from "growing up". Jack London's novel should teach us not to be complacent.

Love this book and have loved reading Call of the Wild, since I was 9 or 10.
I also recommend the other collection because it has a few this one doesn't. The Portable Jack London (Viking Portable Library) The thing I liked in addition are the old letters he wrote. Cool reflection and time travel to that time period.

Novels and Stories was the first of a two volume set that I scored for cheap on ebay a few years ago. The second, Novels and Social writings concentrates on his political/social novels and essays while this one is comprised of his Alaskan and sea bearing adventure stories.

This book weighs in at over 1000 pages and includes three GREAT novels in Call of the Wild, The Sea Wolf and White Fang as well as multitudes of his short stories.

I can't say enough about how much I love Londons writings and how much admiration I have for him as a man as well. I've read Call of the Wild about every two years or so since the first time I read it as a child and I get more out of it every time I re-read it. His adventure stories on one level are just great red blooded adventure stories that anyone who has any heart or spirit would enjoy and there is a deeper level to London as well. His stories are highly spiritual if you are able to look at them on another level. Although thats something that you have to "feel" from within I suppose.

You can't lump too many people into the same sphere with London...Twain, Poe, and Lovecraft are a few that spring to mind. He's an American Titan, and he gets the fawning treatment you'd expect from the Library of America in this exemplary, extraordinary, green-registered book.

Call of the Wild is a page-turning yarn about a dog that becomes a wolf. It's listed on the MLA 100, but any competent kid of ten could tackle it...and enjoy it.

White Fang is a canine bildungsroman that inverts the plot of Call of the Wild, with the wolf becoming a dog. Also a page-turner, also something a kid would read without having to be coerced, and possessed of a truly classic scene where White Fang fights a bulldog.

The Klondike Short Stories are all superb--some people think London's metier was the short story rather than the novel--with Batard being a personal favorite.

The Sea-Wolf is a work of genius...until it all comes crashing down with the introduction of Maud Brewster, and the escape to Endeavour Island. What had heretofore been a truly transcendent work of art transmogrifies into a clunky, melodramatic, and tedious chore, where London's love of sailing jargon threatens to overwhelm the reader.

The Selected Short Stories show that London wasn't just a Yukon guy...he had some other arrows in his quiver. A few stories demonstrate his--at the time--devout socialism, which lasted up until he himself got rich. The Apostate is the weakest of these, but The Strength of the Strong is a pretty good allegory for fin-de-siecle capitalism, with all its gory excesses. London also writes convincingly about such diverse topics as boxing, South Sea cannibals, and straight-up science fiction.

This book of books is excellent, and any American who fancies himself a lover of literature would be remiss in not reading it.

After reading this book for school, (not that I was forced to) I gave it a 4/5 star rating. It was excellent when it came to the setting of the story. Even though it is a very short, it crams alot of suspensfull and interesting moments into 100 some odd pages. This book is quite good and page turning. I highly recommend it to readers who like a mix of reality and fantasy in one. Masterful piece of writing.

This book was really good, but I believe that White Fang was better. Many settings took place, but I will start with the main ones. The first setting in this book was Judge Millers Mansion. The second is the dog breakers place, in which Buck (the main character, a dog,) learns the "law of Club and Fang." The third place is where Buck learns the method of husky fighting, and because the other dog died, he lived a long and well-lived life. The first major event in this book is when a person steals Buck from Judge Miller, and he is starved and strangled and is thrown in a shed to wait for a train to the dog breaker. There, he is introduced to the primitive law of club and fang. After that, he, and a Newfoundland, are taken to Alaska. There, he is introduced to the method of Husky Fighting, and then is put into the harness, and is put to work on the mushing sled. The next major event is when Buck is taken of his first mushing trip in the wild. There he learns how to keep warm in the harsh winters by digging into the snow and having your body heat heat up the space. The next area is when Buck and Spitz finally fight to the death, and Buck takes the position of lead dog on the mushing track. Finally, the last major setting is when Buck finaly turns to the wild, and he attacks the YeeHats with a vengance, because they had killed his LOVED master. The conflict in this book is Buck is a spoilled rotten dog, until he reaches the North and finds that he has wild ancestors. They eventually take over Buck and he lives with the wild.

If you've never read a book by Leon Garfield before, then you don't know what you're missing. One of the masters of children's literature, and a direct literary descendant of Charles Dickens (encompassing his love of dark and murky plots, meaningful character names and stupendous use of language), Garfield writes stories set in the mid-18th century with such authenticity that it's as if he'd lived through them.

Bartholomew Dorking (later dubbed "Tolly") is a young apprentice to a draper when he's accosted by Mrs Gorgandy, a professional widow who claims bodies from the gallows for the sole purpose of selling them to surgeons. Coercing the young teenager into watching the body of the dreadful Black Jack, Tolly is horrified when the corpse suddenly lurches back to life! By the insertion of a piping into his windpipe, Black Jack has cheated strangulation by the noose, much to the dismay of Tolly who now finds himself the convict's unwilling associate as he flees through the dark London streets.

Feeling responsible for the criminal's return to life, Tolly finds himself intolerably bound to him, even when he finds himself assisting in the sabotage of coaches. Yet by twist of fate, Black Jack upturns a carriage traveling from the Carter household, which contains young Belle Carter on the way to an asylum. Considered mad since she was a little girl, Tolly now finds himself with a new traveling companion, one that his soft heart cannot bear to see locked away in madhouse. Caught up with a traveling circus, troubled by the twin burdens of Black Jack and Belle, hounded by the malicious Hatch and desperate to evade the authorities, Tolly grows from boy to man in the vividly portrayed atmosphere of Dickensian London.

Garfield incorporates certain aspects of 18th century life into his story; the beginning of medical study (resulting in the need for dead bodies), the tricks of the trade in traveling fairgrounds, the idea that madness was contained in the bloodlines of families, and the religious fervor that heralded the end of the world (apparently Armageddon was forecast on a regular basis). Reading a Garfield book is getting a history lesson without realizing it, as all these components are beautifully knitted into the context of the story.

Also worth mentioning are the characters themselves; each one brought vividly to life. Tolly is a kind-hearted teenager with a somewhat nervous disposition, though Garfield tells us: "Sort hearts are easily combustible, and when they take fire, they burn with a sudden blaze." Burdened with a clear sense of right and wrong, with a conscience that makes him act on these impulses, (probably due to his idolization of his uncle, a sea captain) you can't help but admire his determination to do the right thing - whether he really wants to or not. Likewise, the terrifying Black Jack is a figure out of a nightmare: hulking, unpredictable, violent and menacing. Even minor characters, such as the dreamy Belle, cheerful Doctor Carmody and blustering Mrs Gorgandy are all great examples of creating unforgettable characters with the right imaginative language.

And Garfield was the master of descriptive language; reading any book of his a joy simply because it is wrapped in expert use of the English language, so rich and dense, you'll find yourself re-reading sentences just to appreciate the care with which they were crafted. Want some examples?

"The boy and the giant felon stared towards each other. In the one pair of eyes was savagery, contempt, even murder - and an angry bitterness that he should be obliged to the white-faced maggot of an apprentice who peered up at him. In the boy's eyes there was fear of savagery, fear of murder, and also a glint of bitterness provoked by the felon's contempt."

"They moved with circumspection through the night; chose infirm alleys and crippled lanes that slunk by the river in a blind and stinking confusion - as if the very streets were lost and would have cast themselves into the river if only they could have found the way."

"A huge spade struck and tore the green quilt...then another. Again and again the spades struck, till the earth flew up in gusts and scudding showers, spattering the stones and spoiling the green. Bending above these spades were two questing faces: one enormous, bearded, black as sin - the other young, desperate, not knowing or daring to know what lay beneath...only wild with hurry."

If you've never read Leon Garfield before, then you're doing yourself a great disservice. Although "Black Jack" is not my favourite of his works (that honour belongs to Smith), you won't regret picking up this book.

There's something in this book--in its characters, its settings, its situations--that is quite reminiscent of the work of Charles Dickens. But it's a lot shorter and simpler than the average Dickens novel. So I could recommend this book to anyone who likes Dickens, and even more so, to anyone who would like Dickens if only he weren't so long-winded. Or just to anyone who enjoys a rousing, well-written, action-packed novel with colorful characters.

Oh, and even though this book is marketed for younger readers, I see no reason why adults could not thoroughly enjoy it as well.

Leon Garfield is one of the best writers for older children ever; no, make that for anyone! His gorgeous language, fabulous, gripping plots, vivid characters and Shakespearean understanding of humanity put him in the very top class of that golden age of children's books of the 60s and 70's--and some of the best of today's golden age, such as Philip Pullman, cite him as an importantinfluence. Back Jack is one of his best books, a wild, terrifying, exciting, romantic and mysterious adventure story that left me reeling as a kid, and still thrills me to bits! Don't miss it!

Leon Garfield's one of those authors that, once discovered, feel like personal triumphs. When I read a Leon Garfield book, I suddenly have the impression that I've done something noble and great for the cause of humanity. He feels like my own personal children's author. The kind that I discovered all on my own and that, as one of the best kept secrets in kiddie lit, I don't necessarily want anyone else to know about. Then I come to my senses, sigh, and write a review like this one. Ever since I discovered his brilliant Dickensian, "Smith", I've been meaning to work my way through the Garfield oeuvre. "Black Jack" was second on my reading list and, now that I've read it through, it has become my favorite book by this author. If you've a child that's been enraptured by books like, "A Series of Unfortunate Events" or even, "The Wolves of Willoughby Chase", then you'd be committing a serious crime to omit from your reading list this most enjoyable of high Victorian adventures.

When a set of unlikely circumstances end with young Bartholomew Dorking guarding the coffin of the recently hanged villain Black Jack, the boy is less than delighted. An apprentice to a draper, Tolly has always led an upstanding pious life. Next thing he knows, however, the recently hanged Black Jack (the kind of man described here as, "a mighty fellow, and rough... as if the Almighty had sketched him out (and left the Devil to fill him in) before He'd settled on something of a quieter, more genteel size") is not as dead as he first appeared. In fact, he is very much alive. Taking Tolly with him wherever he goes, the boy finds himself the unwitting accomplice to this most dark-hearted of villains. In the course of their adventures they meet madwomen, frauds, fortune tellers, and sailors. And while Tolly finds true love in the most unlikely of places, Black Jack learns how to use his enormous strength for something other than villainy.

The book is a highly satisfying read. Part of this is due to the characters Garfield's conjured up. Tolly is fourteen and your typical heroic orphan. The kind of lad that Oliver Twist could've grown up to be (if Oliver was a little less saintly and little more human). His eventual lady love, one Miss Belle Carter, begins the book as mad but eventually is seen to be just a gal who suffered a severe shock in her youth and has needed to recover from it ever since. But the true hero of this tale is the title character. Black Jack's one in a million. He's so real that you can practically feel his villainy emanating off the pages that describe him. At the same time, there are chinks in his personality that allow you to understand why Tolly feels he must earn Jack's respect, even as he hates and fears him. Jack has his weaknesses as well. He fears madness above all things and he's often rather disconcerted when he observes Tolly doing the right thing in the face of what's easy. By the end of the book you'll find yourself cheering Jack and Tolly on and wishing that Mr. Leon Garfield had had the inclination to make several sequels of their adventures to accompany this marvelous tale.

So there you have it. A children's book for everyone to enjoy. You like descriptions? Then take a gander at passages like: "(She was) a happy, greasy, jingly lady whose skin was always aglitter with fine brass dust so that she had the air of being a worn but once costly Christmas present". You like a riveting story? By the second half of this book you'll be disinclined to set it down for even half a breath. You can't read a book unless the characters are likable? Even Tolly is a great guy to root for, and HE'S the saintly hero! Some people pooh-pooh Garfield as a lesser Dickens. I prefer to think of him as the logical step kids need between their everyday literature and real Dickens. If you want your child to pick up "Nicholas Nickleby" for fun, don't immediately ungulf them in that text first. Start them out slowly with a little Leon Garfield. With any luck, they'll be howling for more things along that vein. But don't relegate Garfield simply to the ranks of second-rate Dickens. He's an artist in his own right and his books are well worth discovering. You'll love it. I promise.

My sister, the unstoppable Codemaster Talon, gave this book to read as part of our literary exchange program (she gives me books to read, and I give her books to read). When I first glanced at this book, I thought it would be an easy read (it's just over 200 pages). Then, when I started reading it, I found myself stumbling over some of the old-fashioned English phrases. I asked her when it was written. "The 70s." she said. "The 1970s?" I asked? "No, the 1870s", she joked. I honestly wasn't sure which one was the real date when until she told me. Yes, this book is indeed authentic in it's language. But for me it was hard. My sister told me to stick with it. Boy am I glad I did.

The story starts out with the giant Black Jack being executed, and then procedes to tell the story of a poor good-natured youngster who finds himself in this terrifying scoundral's strange company. The strange thing is that for some reason, this terrible man finds that he likes the young lad, and won't let him go.

When the boy finds himself suddenly and strangely abandoned by the giant after starting (and ending) his search for an escaped lunatic young girl, he folows the road till he finds (and joins) a traveling carnival. The that's where our story begins.

As Black Jack struggles with his fear of lunatics (can you believe it?) and growing admiration for his young friend, Tolly (the young fellow) gains maturity and learns about life as he helps the poor lunatic (her name's Belle) regain her sanity. It's really engaging, because all the characters are so very HUMAN, and as Tolly continually tries to help the girl while at the same time keeping her from getting to close (she loves him you know) he starts to find that he cares for her too.

When Belle becomes convinced that she really is insane and has herself commited, and Tolly can't get the people imprisoning her to let him see her (despite his growing love for her), and Black Jack won't let anything get in the way of his friend's happiness... Well, let's just say it makes for one of the greatest climaxes I've ever seen in a book (especially when you consider the world is ending at the same time).

What really addicted me to this book was one thing. Love. When I read the passages about how Tolly and Belle found their feelings for each other grow, it gave me a simply wonderful feeling. The author of this book has managed to perfectly describe the feeling of being in love. I haven't felt this way while reading a book in a long time. This feeling the book gave me grew stronger and stronger as it progressed, but the very, very end made it shoot to the sky. Because what Belle kept describing in her wild rants of insanity turned out not to be mere dreams after all, but visions of a future more wonderful than she could have imagined.

If anything I have said connected with you in any way, READ THIS BOOK.

Why is this book so difficult to find? Why hasn't it been re-printed? Who knows...

This book was extremely difficult to find for some time. I had a Russian translation of it.

The fact is that translations of this relatively unknown work by J. London, actually a novelization of a movie script by Charles Goddard, are in wide circulation, especially in Russia, where it has been one of a group of favourite books.

I myself have read it a several times, bot as a child, and as an adult. In that latter occasion I was reading more critically and it is my opinion that it has nothing less than "King Solomon's Mines" or other similar books, widely read by many... Romance, exotic location, colorful portraying of characters, magnificent villains, burning sun and glowing treasure, lovely señoritas, twists - all that in a shape of a gripping narrative in one of the best books by London I have ever read. Scholars specializing on the author's work may state that it is a lot different then other more popular of his works, but I don't think anyone could say that it's not top of its genre. You will enjoy it immensely!

EDITED: it was finally reprinted in 2003 by Kessinger Publishing Co

Friendship, Love, Adventure - this book has it ALL!

Extremely hard to find in the US. Why did they stop printing it is anybody's guess.

I read this book when I was little. Since then, I have neither been able to forget it nor to find it. The book is especially ideal for teenagers/older children. Why is it out of print?

I read this book three times when I was young. It is the best adventure story I ever read. The beginning is boring a little, but further things happen so fast, so different, graphically, unlimited and smart. The plot isn't linear and unpredictable. There are love, pursuers, treasure hunting and intrigues.

This is not really a novel, it is a collection of short stories held together by a frame-tale. I suspect that Jack London had written these stories over a period of time, and decided to put them together in this fashion in hopes of making them into a novel. But one can still read each story by itself. The themes and backgrounds of the various stories differ greatly, also a few are rather dull, while others are interesting. All in all, a great work and one of London's finest.

yo quiero tener este libro en español. este libro se llama originalmente the jacket, en español la camisa de fuerza.

I want have this book in spanish , too can produce a good traduction.

I read this book many years ago and it has stuck in my mind as one of the greatest books I have ever read. It is very different from most of London's books, but I think one of his best. It is truly an original idea and its contents will stay with you for a long time. It is also a great adventure novel!

What many people don't realize is that Jack London's STAR ROVER is actually a slightly fictionalized version of a book called THE 25th Man, by a man named Ed Morrell. Ed Morrell is The Man who spent over 15 years in San Quentin Prison and over five years in solitary confinement, mostly restrained in a modified strait jacket. Ed Morrell was faced with two options. First he could simply go slowly insane or he could learn to escape the physical confines of his body. What Mr. Morrell did, I believe, many people will be able to do by the end of this Century. Star Rover, is in fact, a detailed software manual for use with the human mind.

And the woman who Jack London hired to travel and take notes from Mr. Morrell was the very child which Ed used to visit during his out of body travels. Eventually she became Mrs. Morrell and they settled at 7164 Vine Street in Hollywood, California and Ed lived to the ripe old age of 78. What I can't understand is why hasn't the MOVIE been produced yet???

It makes me very sad that only a few people knows about this book. It tells the story of a man who finds himself in prison. He is trapped in a madman's shirt, in order to confess facts he knew nothing about. Obliged to pass days and nights without being able to move a single muscle, living in complete darkness inside special punishment cells, he manages to avoid getting nuts and yet bravely resists his tortures' will. Developing a way of traveling with his mind, he escapes from all human suffering and still has the chance to watch his actions of past lives, finally understanding how most of his present beliefs and flaws had been built.This is a tale about FREEDOM and REDEMPTION! It makes you firmly believe that free spirits are unbeatable and that we can dream no matter how life is. For anybody who is familiar with London's deep feelings about life and dreaming and freedom, I must say that this is his best book ever. A glimpse of the deepest beliefs of a great writer who left us so soon. A MUST!!!

Greater Nowheres is truly a remarkably entertaining travel book, informative and extremely pleasurable, a wonderful way to escape your own mundane life and travel to one of the most desolate yet beautiful places in the world that few have seen. David Finklestein and Jack London,, long time friends and travel companions take us into deep inside the Austrlian Outback where they had originally planned to study the deadly "Salties", the crocodiles that had recently regained its reputation as a man-eating reptile. But the two intrepid explorers soon found the inhabitants of the Outback infinitely more interesting, strange and exciting than the crocs. Leaving the comforts of the modern world, these very different individuals who had originally immigrated to the Outback to seek, wealth, fame, or leave behind family ties, found instead a simple life that most came to prefer. A life, that without its luxuries, or even basic necessities, suited them better. For a journey through an Australia thaat few have seen, I enjoyed this trip with a pair of guides who became my own friends and companians as they made their way through the hazardous yet beautiful land befriending Outback people who obtained peace of mind and a unique way of life in one of the most exotic terrains in the world.

Here's what newspaper and magazine critics have said about GREATER NOWHERES:

"Delightful... Finkelstein and London write well. Their account is filled with engaging descriptions of beautiful, forbidding landscapes, the tough bush boys they meet and the lore of the Godforsaken town...[Their] trip is not for every traveler. But their book is."
-Chicago Tribune

"The reason to read this book is the myriad brief encounters, many of which are hilarious."
-Los Angeles Times Book Review

"...a fine volume in the literature of unpleasant but enlightened travel."
-Outside Magazine

"Always exciting, sometimes hilarious... The perfect gift for the armchair traveler."
--Travel & Leisure

"The book is laugh-out-loud funny. [The authors] have a good ear for looney pub chatter...and a deft touch for characterization."
--San Francisco Chronicle

"Authors Finkelstein and London earn a resounding wow! 'Greater Nowheres [is written] with such engaging observation, detail, style, humor and occasional salty language that readers can experience the Outback without leaving home, while laughing out loud."
--Ridgecrest (CA) News Review

"Most of this entertaining and well-written book consists of conversations with vivid characters: stockmen, aborigines, 'roo' hunters, bushrangers, pioneers, escapists, and lunatics. The humor, the resilience and 'mateship' of these free-spirited frontiersmen is evident throughout the book: unforgettable people in an unforgiving land.''
--Library Journal

"A vivid book...bound to attract attention."
--Toronto Globe and Mail

"... gives us a rare view of the bush and its extremes of weather, of distance, and of character. You'll enjoy it even if you don't get there yourself."
-New York Post

"A pleasure."
--The New York Times Book Review

And here's how a press release described it:

Talk about classic returns. Dave Finkelstein and Jack London's immensely popular, wildly funny, and critically acclaimed book GREATER NOWHERES: WANDERINGS ACROSS THE OUTBACK, which was first published almost two decades ago, is back-this time in paperback and with a new introduction by Dave Finkelstein-to give delight to a new generation of readers.

The book is a must for those with a penchant for exciting adventure tales, as well as for armchair travelers and lovers of humorous "on-the-road" stories--in this case, off-the-road, "bush-bashing" stories--here brilliantly and poignantly told by two oddly compatible traveling companions, one the Irish romantic, the other the Talmudic rationalist.

Driving a Toyota 4-wheel-drive truck and armed with snake boots, an "esky" full of beer, and an insatiable appetite for adventure, intrepid journalists Dave Finkelstein and Jack London set out into the Australian bush in pursuit of the fearsome saltwater crocodile, a huge, notoriously dangerous reptile with an equally insatiable appetite for humans.

Though the "salties" prove elusive, in their travels the authors stumble upon a diverse and outrageously entertaining cast of dinki-di Australian characters-sun-hardened men and strong-willed women--eking out an existence in the croc's hardscrabble, primordial habitat: stockmen, aborigines, "roo" hunters, bushrangers, latter-day pioneers, escapists, and outright lunatics.

In ramshackle pubs along desolate stretches of dusty track, shantytown settlements in the middle of nowhere, and million-acre cattle stations hundreds of miles from their nearest neighbors, they experience an Australia rarely seen by the average traveler: dwarf-throwing contests, cold spaghetti sandwiches, even a regional rash called "Karumba rot"-the inevitable souvenir of a visit to the forbidding Gulf of Carpentaria, with its swelteringly oppressive tropical climate.

Yet, like no other observers before them, in their celebration of the Outback and its inhabitants, the authors (described by one reviewer as "at least as amusing as the extravagant characters they meet") get to the heart and fiber of the Australian soul, to the very essence of what makes Australia the unique and marvelous country it is.

As author Jim Harrison says, "GREATER NOWHERES is an absolutely wonderful book... a classic of travel literature. It's unthinkable that anyone would go to Australia without first reading this book."

Rich in the history and geography of a vast, fascinating continent, GREATER NOWHERES is also an exploration of solitude, mateship, contemplation, and adventure.

As for bio-data on the co-authors:

DAVE FINKELSTEIN, a graduate of Harvard Law School, had a legal career distinguished only by its brevity--one month. Fluent in Mandarin, he went on to become a Chinese interpreter for the U.S.Department of State--the first language student of his generation to qualify for that position--then the Ford Foundation's first China specialist. Now a freelance writer, he has written about political and wildlife issues throughout the world. His articles have appeared in numerous publications, including The New Yorker, New York Times, and Washington Post. A flamenco guitarist and avid fisherman, he also holds an 8th degree in Okinawan karate. He lives in New York City.

Until his death in November '06, JACK LONDON lived in Key West, Florida. His work appeared in Audubon, Sports Afield, the Miami Herald, and The London Observer.

I could not put the book down once I started. It read much like the great classics Huck Finn or Tom Sawyer. In fact, Dave Finkelstein's writing resembles Mark Twain's, with his colorful and vivid sense of humor. The book is must reading for those planning to visit Australia, and for adventurers in general. It is easy reading, too, and clearly defines mateship and the meaning of friendship.

Leon Day, New York City

Anyone with the least bit of wanderlust in them will find this book thoroughly enjoyable. And even those who have never wanted to travel to far distant places also will find this an excellent read. The Outback of Australia is intriguing by itself and the alternating sections written by the authors is a clever way to get separate views of their experiences across to the reader. The history of each area blends in smoothly with their living experiences and their sense of humor adds immensely to the enjoyment of the book.

Because this book is for some reason unaviable in Canada, I ordered it from amazon.co.uk and was not in the least disappointed. The book contains much less detail on the social conditions than his "Definitive History" in favour of a complete history of the case. While in some ways, this book contains less detail on certain aspects than Sugden does, it still, in my opinion, deserves to be ranked with it as the best comprehensive account of the case because it deals with much of the more recent research on the case and still provides a wealth detail, not all of which is in Sugden. The book provides an overview of the case, and covers the expected ground, with chapters on each of the canonical victims (including Tabram), Leather Apron, the letters (with significant detail on the Dear Boss and Lusk letters), the police, the reactions/climate in Whitechapel and London, and the Macnaghten Memorandum. All the chapters contain references to primary sources, mostly quotes from newspapers and police reports.
The suspect oriented chapters on the case include Druitt, Ostrog, Kosminski and Tumbelty. There is also a small section in the Kosminski chapter on Fido's "David Cohen" theory, which in my opinion, despite the dificulties, is the best one out there (I think the confusion of suspects and Anderson's veracity cannot be so easily dismissed). A final chapter briefly discusses, and refutes, various other suspect theories, including the royal theory, Sickert and Maybrick. There are also a few pages of Chapman/Klosowski in chapter 8. There are also the standard victim pictures in the book and pictures of the murder sites. There are also pictures of many of the notable police officers involved in the case as well as two photos of the Swanson marginalia.
Begg's account is, in many respects, as conservative as Sugden's, correctly I think. For example, they both express agnosticism about authenticity of the Lusk kidney, and deem Packer completely unreliable.
There are also differences between Begg's account and Sugden's, giving the book a certain enjoyable idiosyncratic flavour. Sugden and Begg both add Tabram as a probable sixth canonical victim (in my opinion quite rightly), and plausibly discount Smith, Coles and Mackenzie. However, while Sugden includes Millwood and excludes Wilson, Begg discounts Millwood and makes a case Wilson. One final, and perhaps the biggest, difference between the two is that Sugden argued that George Chapman/Klosowski is the only known suspect who could have been, and perhaps was, the killer, Begg all but discounts Chapman seems to tacitly favour Kosminski, although he rightly acknowledges a lack any definitive evidence. While Ripperologists will probably have to die not knowing anything for certain, one cannot help but obssessively keep working at it and Begg's work is basically the best we can do.

The odds are, if you are into the Jack the Ripper story, you're into more than just the plain facts. You're into the time period, true crime, and probably find psychology fascinating. Paul Begg incorporates all these into his book, compressing fact after fact into a page-turning suspense story...that really happened!
It goes in chronological order, explaining all kinds of national/international events shaping the Whitechapel district where at least 5 (yep, at LEAST 5) women of ill-repute were killed and horribly mutilated. Don't rely on stuff like "From Hell" if you want historical accuracy. Read this book and learn from an expert that makes things easy to understand.

After reading Philip Sugden's Complete History of Jack The Ripper, over ten years ago, I thought no one would be able to write a book that would compare to this. Paul Begg's first edition came out first (which I didn't read the first edition). However, he did a total update on the book, and because of all the praise it received I had to read it. He is an excellent writer, and even though I've read many books on the Ripper, he has a way of telling this story with total freshness. I also must give him credit for being totally unbiased in who may or may not have killed these 4,5,6,7,8, or 9 women. Is it a better book than Philip Sugden's? For me, it's too close to call. I think both have done a great job. Be sure to get the revised edition of this one.

If you're tired of reading all the fictional "non-fiction" works on Jack the Ripper, this is a book for you. It's very well-written in a straightforward style & sensibly organized, & thus easy to follow. Mr. Begg is a co-author of "The Jack the Ripper A - Z," one of the two "bibles" of Jack the Ripper study (along with Philip Sugden's "The Complete History of Jack the Ripper") & therefore Mr. Begg is one of the field's eminent experts. The book is not without conjecture, but conjectures are identified as such & not stated as "facts." This book is excellently produced from the spooky dust jacket to the quality binding & typeface. There are none of the typos, misspellings, or misconstructed sentences that are common in the many self-published Jack the Ripper books available. "Jack the Ripper: The Facts" comes together in a way that allows the reader to concentrate on what the author is writing rather than leaving the reader trying to figure out what the author "really meant" (but did not write). A wonderful book on a fascinating subject, this has to be considered one the top three of all Jack the Ripper books. The updated (2004) hardcover version is available through amazon.co.uk, it's been expanded to 550 pages, & has an excellent index & bibliography. Highly Recommended!