Jack London Books

This book will keep you reading. It is a demented tale of the perpetration of serial killings in the Whitechapel neighborhood of London, England, in 1888, supposedly confessed into a diary (kept on the pages of a photo album) by a Liverpool merchant named James Maybrick: a man whose young wife was later, in real life, tried and acquitted of charges of poisoning him to death. While it is possible Maybrick was the murderer of a number of London women in 1888, and some circumstantial evidence does link him to the cruel misdeeds, there are also hundreds of other suspects, many more likely than he. What is certain is that this "diary" is a piece of late-twentieth-century fiction composed by the person once hailed as its discoverer. (While working in the house once belonging to Maybrick, the man claimed he uncovered the volume wedged under some floorboards.) We know this because this individual has been reliably reported as admitting his hoax and even signing an affidavit to that effect. That stated, the fiction penned herein is the morbid, imaginative tale of a descent into drug addiction, madness and murder, but it is, I repeat, fiction, and deserves to be read as such, except perhaps by those who might enjoy studying a poorly-executed forgery. Might I also add I am heartily sick to death of those who glamorize whatever emotionally-retarded sexual misfit killed those women long-ago? And this book serves to do just that.

I loved this book. I read if from front to back in one night. I could not put it down.

Generally there will be two extremes of ranking for this book, those who accept it as real (5 stars)and those who think it a fake (1 star). I don't accept the diary as real but Shirley Harrison does. What she puts forth in this 1998 version is her reasons and research as to why SHE thinks is authentic. Whether you 'believe' it or not is not why the book should be ranked but on the book presentation itself.

The first 165 pages I enjoyed and read with interest even though I don't go for the Diary. These pages have Harrison comparing passages in the Diary to events of the times. The next section of book, roughly 170 pages is more of a biography of James & Florie Maybrick which was alright. The last section of the book is Harrison's purported findings on the Diary itself, ink & paper age being the primary focus. While the writing style is a bit dry, the 'history' of Maybrick is interesting. The biggest problem, for me, is that Harriosn goes to no other evidence other than the Diary to prove Maybrick was Jack the Ripper. Much like Cromwell's Sickert accusations, there really is no firm supporting evidence other than what they want to believe or have invested money in. It also doesn't help that the "finder" of the Diary claims they hoaxed (demented or not - and I don't think he hoaxed it either but someone did) and then some loose tangent thread that possibly the finder's wife is of an illegitimate descent of Florie, Maybrick's wife.

Overall, the book presentation itself gets 3 stars and any "Ripperologist" should have it on their shelf, hoax or not. There's a very good statement in the prologue - if you go into it convinced it's fake you will never accept it; if you go into it convinced it's real you'll defend it. I recommend you read it with as open mind as you can and you'll enjoy the book much more.

The narration is below-average, closely resembling a "what I did on my summer vacation" essay. By looking at the basic evidence in the JtR case it is obvious that this is a fake. Factor in that the guy who "discovered" it admitted it was a hoax, and hopefully no one else will waste their money on this. From the beginning of this read to the end, it smelled suspiciously of doo-doo. For a weekend armchair quarterback Jack the Ripper fan, it's a below-average read.

This is the first of three books avaiable which deal specifically with the Diary of Jack the Ripper. Although it is not the best-written book, and could have been shorter without losing impact, it presents a credible case for the diary as being that of both James Maybrcik and JTR.

Although criticized by many ripperologists as a hoax, as fiction, as being "too good to be true," the most striking thing, in my opinion, is that no one has come up with any definitive proof that either the diary is fake, or that Maybrick could not have been JTR. Granted, it's not enough to be unable to prove a negative, but when you pile on all the circumstantial evidence provided by this and the two subsequent books that Maybrick and JTR are one and the same, it remains very interesting.

I would have given it 5 stars for content, but style is lacking.

It would appear that others have read previous London biographies and that Kershaw's work doesn't tread any new ground. I will have to take the word of the many reviewers who have stated this. That said, since this is my first Jack London biography I will review it accordingly.

Alex Kershaw does a sufficient job of describing Jack London's early life of poverty, struggle and devotion to unleashing his creative vision. His exploits on the docks, pubs and back alleys of San Francisco are documented in lively, rough fashion. Jack's wanderlust and exploits to the North are likewise given adequate treatment as are his years as a "success." In fact, for the entirety of the book we are given a good overview of the many stages of Jack's brief but fascinating life; adventures, friendships, loves, fatherhood, etc. What's missing however, is a more intensive look at the man himself. Jack's alcoholic rages, absentee roll as a father, proto National Socialism, gluttony, mood wings, regrets, emotional exhaustion, depression and realization of mortality and many, many contradictions are given superficial treatment in the beginning and middle stages of the autobiography. It's almost as if Kershaw is willing to skim over many aspects of London's personality because Jack's genius as a writer overshadowed whatever shortcomings or riddles he possessed as a man. The problem is however, as any fan of London's work will tell you, Jack is the literature and the literature is Jack. Very few writers were able to inject themselves quite so thoroughly into their work as Jack London. His presence smothers every page of his work. It's not until the end that Kershaw begins to thoroughly explore Jack London's psyche. As Kershaw clearly points out, Jack associated his physical prowess with his creative drive. The two were linked. If the body was iron, the mind was steel. For the majority of Jack's young life his body was robust, his mind Nietzschean in its discipline and resolve. As he approached the age of forty however, a still-young Jack was beset by disease and the failure of the corporeal. His vitality and energy slowly gave way to impotence and lethargy (and increasingly an inwardly-directed rage). His spirit began to collapse. Indeed, even his financial and material landscape served as a metaphor. As his kingdom crumbled, so too did the king's life force slowly ebb away. Kershaw poignantly describes Jack's slow descent and it is here that the autobiography does good service to the memory of Jack London.

Jack London A Life will give first time biography readers a good overview of Jack London; the timeline is easy to follow and Kershaw, perhaps adopting Jack's invigorating, descriptive writing style, pens the biography in a fashion that London himself would have appreciated.

In his brief treatment of London's last novel, "The Star Rover," Mr. Kershaw describes several of the "past lives" the main character narrates. He describes one as, "a wagon boy who is killed by Indians." (p. 258)

In fact, in this episode the boy is a victim of the rather infamous Mountain Meadows Massacre and he is murdered by the Mormons who perpetrated this treachery.

Kershaw's mistake is even more problematic when one remembers the history of the Mountain Meadows Massacre: that some of the Mormon attackers were disguised as Indians, and that the cover-up story concocted by the murders and later followed by Mormon historians blamed the entire event on the Indians.

The Mountain Meadows Massacre of 1857 is a fascinating bit of Western history in itself and also because of the intense amount of public relations spin the LDS church still devotes to white washing this piece of their dirty laundry. That London was even writing about the event in 1915 is rather remarkable...

It was so terrible, it made me want to kill myself

I wonder how accurate the rest of the book is when the author, Mr. Kershaw, did not care to notice that Dawson City, the Klondike, and surrounding region are not in Alaska but well inside Canada. He makes these erroneous references often.

A brilliant book because it captures the magic of London's life and reads as if he had written the book himself - fantastic stuff, and the academics should take note - this is how you bring a man and writer alive, not kill him with turgif analysis and prose. London would be proud.

This very long and incredibly detailed collection of Scotland Yard files, newspaper reports, witness statements, etc on Jack the Ripper is incredibly fascinating, no doubt, to those with some knowledge of the case who've read at least some of the books and are knowledgeable enough to be able to really appreciate and understand this plethora of rare information about the case. However, for those new to this case, I would highly recommend the Philip Sugden book, "The Complete History of Jack the Ripper", which is considered to be the best written account of the Ripper killings, and I believe it's the best starting point. "The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Companion", on the other hand, is one of those books for more advanced Ripper buffs for whom the countless facts in it are both invaluable and digestible thanks to the more fundamental knowledge they've already gained from other Ripper books.

David Rehak
author of "A Young Girl's Crimes"

This is a very good book, especially for the person who wants to cut through all the theories and misperceptions that've cropped up over the years and take a glance at what the police had to deal with. It's all the original info, no more, no less, and reading it, you'll find that it's no surprise the police didn't solve the case. Witness testimony gives a window into the general apathy among the people at the time, most of whom didn't care that they very likely heard the murder being committed. Then you realize that inner cities haven't changed all that much.

There's some good rarities in it that I haven't seen before, including crimescene sketches of Eddowes' corpse and the rarely-seen "back shot" of Mary Kelly (the untouched hand seen here is somehow extremely disturbing, given the surroundings).

Teaser - pay attention to the name Catherine Eddowes gave when she was booked in her pre-murder arrest...

I can't say whether a full-time "Ripperologist" or long-term Jack the Ripper buff/fanatic will learn anything new in this book. Because I have a passing curiosity but no extensive knowledge in the case. I read a paperback when I was growing up with the basic facts of the case and I just read Patricia Cornwell's book also. I have been searching for supplemental material on the case.

This book is worth buying for those who want to look at the basic material for themselves. For instance, I found the transcript of the inquests very interesting. You get a sense of the scene as it must have been at the time: There is a sketch of Mary Kelly's body being removed by the city and the crowd gathered around; there are photos of the victims which can be seen in other books, but I haven't seen photos of the doorways and such before. Or cartoons from the time such as the man who was repairing (cutting) his boot about a foot from where a body was found a short time later. The drawing gives a great sense of just how close he was actually sitting. Therefore one needs to keep in mind the stygian darkness of those Whitechapel streets. This is how Jack the Ripper may have gone undetected just before and after his crimes.

It also contains letters from police to each other during the investigation, which gives a sense of the urgency they felt to catch the killer and a sense of how things operated back then. Even a sketch of the morgue shed used to examine some of the Ripper victims. Also interesting were the quotes from letters from Queen Victoria stressing the importance to catch the killer -- and her suggestions on things to explore along those lines ! Also, some of the killer profiles drawn up by detectives were amazingly canny. Some books would give the impression the police of the time were bumbling and real profiling was years away; but one profile in this book seemed exactly what a modern profiler might write as to what type of person did the crime.

I came away with a much better sense of the things tried during the time to find the killer. Also the letters I saw were quoted in full with uncorrected punctuation. Other books make the mistake to merely quote pieces of the letters. If you are a person who likes to see for themselves what the evidence was (at least some of it) rather than read an author's interpretation, this is a good book to have. It is far from exhaustive I'm sure, since there is so much in the case files and much of it has vanished since the late 1980s... but it's a really good book to keep around for checking up on things quoted in other books. The inquest transcripts alone give quite a sense of what was and wasn't done at the time.

Also there are autopsy reports and even a drawing of Catherine Eddowes' injuries. And a list of her property gives a sad image of how poor these women were. Most of them were homeless, selling their bodies to pay the few cents for a bed in a public shelter for the night. I recommend this book to supplement your knowledge of the case, for those who are curious about the Ripper crimes.

Very intensive book. Contains a lot detail. Highly recommend.

I can't say whether a full-time "Ripperologist" or long-term Jack the Ripper buff/fanatic will learn anything new in this book. Because I have a passing curiosity but no extensive knowledge in the case. I read a paperback when I was growing up with the basic facts of the case and I just read Patricia Cornwell's book also. I have been searching for supplemental material on the case.

This book is worth buying for those who want to look at the basic material for themselves. For instance, I found the transcript of the inquests very interesting. You get a sense of the scene as it must have been at the time: There is a sketch of Mary Kelly's body being removed by the city and the crowd gathered around; there are photos of the victims which can be seen in other books, but I haven't seen photos of the doorways and such before. Or cartoons from the time such as the man who was repairing (cutting) his boot about a foot from where a body was found a short time later. The drawing gives a great sense of just how close he was actually sitting. Therefore one needs to keep in mind the stygian darkness of those Whitechapel streets. This is how Jack the Ripper may have gone undetected just before and after his crimes.

It also contains letters from police to each other during the investigation, which gives a sense of the urgency they felt to catch the killer and a sense of how things operated back then. Even a sketch of the morgue shed used to examine some of the Ripper victims. Also interesting were the quotes from letters from Queen Victoria stressing the importance to catch the killer -- and her suggestions on things to explore along those lines ! Also, some of the killer profiles drawn up by detectives were amazingly canny. Some books would give the impression the police of the time were bumbling and real profiling was years away; but one profile in this book seemed exactly what a modern profiler might write as to what type of person did the crime.

I came away with a much better sense of the things tried during the time to find the killer. Also the letters I saw were quoted in full with uncorrected punctuation. Other books make the mistake to merely quote pieces of the letters. If you are a person who likes to see for themselves what the evidence was (at least some of it) rather than read an author's interpretation, this is a good book to have. It is far from exhaustive I'm sure, since there is so much in the case files and much of it has vanished since the late 1980s... but it's a really good book to keep around for checking up on things quoted in other books. The inquest transcripts alone give quite a sense of what was and wasn't done at the time.

Also there are autopsy reports and even a drawing of Catherine Eddowes' injuries. And a list of her property gives a sad image of how poor these women were. Most of them were homeless, selling their bodies to pay the few cents for a bed in a public shelter for the night. I recommend this book to supplement your knowledge of the case, for those who are curious about the Ripper crimes.

I read this book after seeing the movie because I'm an Oliver Reed fan, like so many books, the movie version is so different. But I still enjoyed reading this book, written a long time ago (for me) some parts were quite difficult to read in this drama about a group of assassins who are payed to kill their leader, the film continues in a chase to find the member of the bureau who would kill Dragomiloff the leader, or to see if he successfully managed to eliminate all of them. Seeing the film first, I do prefer the film but still find this a very enjoyable read.

This book is one of the most interesting and mind grabbing that I have ever read! It brought me back from a reading hitus that I had suffered for over a year; it reminded me of how much I love books!

The story is about Dragomiloff creating his bureau and justifying the assasinations they carry out. One man challenges him and proves Dragomiloff that his bureau's work is wrong. This causes Dragomiloff to send his bureau after himself, for his assassination.

This book is truly one of his best ever and should be read by everyone, espically the people who think that London writes only about the artic. This is an intreaguing read full of twists and turns. I would reccomend it to anyone.

the plot in this book is very interesting. the bureau in question is adminitrated towards killing people who "deserves" it. their clients have to convince the leader that the person deserves to be killed. a man shows up and convinces the leader that it is HIM (the leader) that deserves to be killed, and this person agrees at last. interesting concept. but after a while the plot gets less interesting. L doesn't seem to manage his own idea, and things end up just sort of happening. not his best.

Apparently, this unfinished novel was found in the deceased Jack London's trunk. Trying to cash in on JL's name, Robert L. Fish, "finishes" the book. Well, there's a reason London gave up on it and threw it in the trunk in the first place... It's terrible.

Billed as an assassination bureau with a conscience, its chief, Ivan Dragomiloff decides whether the assassinations are "justified." Eventually, someone submits an anonymous name for termination, which Dragomiloff dutifully accepts. Well, he's the target. London quickly paints himself into a corner and the novel deteriorates into idiocy.

At a mere 178 pages it was hard to NOT finish even if you realize about half way through you're wasting your time. Some novels are better left unread. This is one of them.

London supposedly "wrote himself into a corner" in the plot of this story, or else he hadn't the time to finish it, but the resolution by Fish is not only an entertaining conclusion (despite a certain abrupt removal of a key character), but is so similar to London's writing style and his familiarities so that the author transfer is indeterminable. The best part of the book as a whole, as all Londonites will agree, is the simple philisophical dialogue exchanged between characters. For those who are seeking a die-hard, man vs. nature conflict, you still won't be disappointed with the primitiveness of the characters (philisophical, mad, and fanatic) and their interaction with a civilized world that doesn't quite match the truths that they hold to be dear. An excellent read.

I felt that the book was technically well written, but the story, subject, and outcome, were all very melo-dramatic and predicatble. The love story was unimaginable, the plot "twists" were that of a second rate novel, and the outcome completely unlikely in real life, even back then. I live in the California valley, and I have been through every town that is tramped through in this book, and only by Mr. London's sheer talent for writing did I keep enough interest to finish it. There are better, more rewarding books in London's canon than this.

This book rings true to Jack London's character - strong, nobel and powerful. It is interesting to see how truly his character comes through even in the smallest characters or the smallest insignificant event. Very inspiring!
The actual story deals with this couple who decide to leave Oakland. It is autobiographical and again its amazing to see how many books have come out of Jack London's rich and variegated life! Also the turning point in the character's lives comes through another character who must have been the young Jack London!
The interesting side to this book is a potrayal of two women and feminine views (not to be misunderstood with feminist views). Its surprising to read Jack London talking about pretty underthings!
On the whole a beautiful book, very varied in character!

This is a long book, maybe one of the longest London wrote, but no matter, you can take it in small doses, because the book is a straight narrative with no suspense, no drama, only London's wishful fantasy working overtime. No matter the obstacle, and London lays them on with heavy-handed doses of pessimism, the lily-white hero and heroine, Billy and Saxon, easily overcome each while giving the author plenty of opportunity to express his famous prejudice against all non-Anglo Saxons. London also builds his case for scientific farming, sustainability, as a method that will win out every time. While in truth, London was an abject failure at farming with every experiement ending in disaster. The tale is sugar coated fantasy, London dreaming his couple into everlasting happiness. The coincidence at the end is not to be believed. It's pure sap written in the twilight of his career when his talents appear on the wane. It's the only London book I have read to date that I would not recommend on any level.

I read this book after biking through a lot of the California towns London mentions. I pedaled through Glen Ellen and saw some of the missions. Since I am male, I could relate to the character of Billy. He is an early 20th century renaissance man. I never got bored with this book. It has a lot of personal meaning to me. I come from some of the "old stock" Billy and Saxon refer to. Tons of detail. I had to read it twice to get all the details. If you like northern California and want to know what it was like 100 years ago, read this.

As in many of his books, Jack London enraptes the reader, but this time in a story of love. It is extremely refreshing because it shows the good side of true love without that sickening sweetness so many love stories have... I read this book a few years back and read it again just recently. I am SIXTEEN. This book is definetly one that many can enjoy, no matter your age.

The title page says it all: "A Journal of the Whitechapel Murders 1888-1889 Adapted by Rick Geary." Don't expect shocking new "revelations" or speculations as to the identity of the Ripper; the text comprises excerpts from the journals of an anonymous Victorian chronicler of the Ripper's crimes. Yet it is precisely the ordinary, "following the day's news" quality of this account that is so chilling---it reminds the reader that the lost lives of these poor women were REAL and that their murders were never solved. Geary's renderings, as always, succeed admirably in fleshing out the journal entries, and his use of maps as backgrounds for many of his panels is ingenious. Reading this book was a fine approximation of taking a Ripper walking tour through Whitechapel.

If I had wanted a picture book, done in a comic book format, this would have been fine. It was not what I was looking for - I expected a more intellectual treatment. Will NOT but Geary again.

Jack the Ripper is a fact based comic. The story is told in the form of excerpts from an unamed Victorian man's journal. He says on this day this occurred on this day this body was found here, etc. The idea is to lay out just the facts and not to try to read into them. Theories on who the killer is etc are presented very briefly as they come up and no one theory is endorsed.

The visuals: The drawings here are done in a style that simulates wood cut prints. This lend itself to descriptive diagrammatic illustrations. It also keeps the gore from being so disturbing. This book isn't dwelling on the gore, but it isn't totally possible to avoid it in this case. The drawings of crime scenes etc here are very accurate, so the illustrations add to the information presented.

This is a good clean and straight forward telling of the Jack the Ripper stories. It lays out the facts and does this clearly and concisely. If you have already read lots about Jack the Ripper then this won't add anything new. It is also pretty expensive for a black and white comic book, since it is only 64 pages. The best use for this book is perhaps for families or school libraries that want a book about Jack the Ripper. It does tell about a slasher who kills prostitutes, but it is a clean treatment considering the subject.

A truly great graphic novel. Geary continues his amazing series of "A Treasury of Victorian Murder" with probably what is the most brilliant installment. The story of Jack the Ripper is explained from somewhat of a historically unbiased and objective view without being overloaded with too many sources. The comic contains a documentary side while melding description, assumption, and mystery alongside great graphic images. I have not found a flaw in Geary series other than some dissapointment with "The Borden Tragedy." I would also suggest
Peter Kuper's adaptatation of Kafka's "The Metamorphosis."

I knew just the basics about Jack the Ripper when I picked this up in a used bookstore. The drawings were so detailed and clarified logistics (maps, diagrams, plans) in a way that text cannot. The text is extremely straightforward and reality-based, giving them an authority that hyperbole would've ruined. I had no intentions of buying this, but I had a hard time putting it down.
Years later, this has turned out to be one of those purchases that I pull out over and over again. It is never far from my bed and sits with two other (soon to be three) volumes in the series. All of them lay out conundrums that leave you chilled and uneasy. You go to bed a little less sure that all is right in the world.

Once I was flipping channels on cable and the image of an alley with a distinct bend to it flashed by. "...looked like an alley from the the Ripper killings..." I thought and changed back. Sure enough, it was a documentary on the Ripper. That's how accurate this books visuals are. I correctly associated a photo I had never seen before with the crimes just from viewing Geary's drawings. His illustrative style is fastidious and engrossing.

True to it's title I do treasure these volumes.
Best of luck and much success to you Rick!

There is so much mystery and unknowns when dealing with Jack the Ripper that nearly any theory should at least be listened to before criticism is made. In this turn of suspects, James Tully proposes one James Kelly of being Jack the Ripper apparently on the basis that Kelly killed his wife, Srah Brider, by stabbing her in the throat and then cutting it open. He was tried for murder but got off on insanity charges and placed in Broadmoor, a mental institute. Kelly then escapes from Broadmoor a few years later and lives out quite a long life travelling the world before willingly returning to Broadmoor to die. That's pretty much the first three chapters of this book. This is the last we hear of James Kelly more-or-less until the final chapter.

From there, Tully takes us on a trip through the Ripper Murders, of which he includes Martha Tabram, "The Canonical 5", Alice McKenzie, and Francis Coles but he then excludes Liz Stride from the "5" suspecting her pimp Michael Kidney killed her. Tully also suggests that Mary Jane Kelly may possibly have been James Kelly's sister-in-law who was living in secret from her family. Tully describes the murders but goes into much more detail regarding the death inquests of the coroners and the testimonies of 'witnesses' of the victims. Tully then wraps up his book with a chapter entitled "The Cover-Up" in which through self speculation and a bit of conspiracy, the author places James Kelly as the Ripper with fairly vague circumstancial evidence at best. This seems largely based on some file about Kelly being sealed until 2030 AD. There is also an appendix chapter on "Things to Ponder" in regards to some of the events.

While intriguing and worth reading, I'm not truly convinced of anything from these arguments. There's little to no evidence supporting these claims. Unfortunately, the text tends to drag on and I became uninspired while reading it. It's a decent text dealing with a mid-level suspect but there's really not much supporting it at this point other than conjecture.

If your a definite Ripper buff this book is worth reading. It presents interesting facts, as to who just might be the Ripper. I definitely recommend it to anyone who is interested in looking into the mind of a very psychotic man!

Tully theorizes that Jack is really James(John)Kelly, an inmate of the Broadmoor, commited for murdering his wife by stabbing her in the neck. The notable fact is that he escaped from that facility in 1888 prior to the first of the Whitechapel murders. Here is a true madman, a paranoid who deeply distrusts women, has a history of a violent attack in early Ripper style, and is on the loose in London at precisely the correct time. Tully's case is bolstered by the very strange actions of the constabulary, whose attempts to recapture Kelly were half-hearted at best; orders being given, for instance, that if identified Kelly was not to be arrested(???). Unfortunately, there is little beyond these coincidences to make the case. As usual many questions are raised, but answers are in limited supply. Still, I recommend this book for its very plausible argument and excellent style.

Tully theorizes that Jack is really James(John)Kelly, an inmate of the Broadmoor, commited for murdering his wife by stabbing her in the neck. The notable fact is that he escaped from that facility in 1888 prior to the first of the Whitechapel murders. Here is a true madman, a paranoid who deeply distrusts women, has a history of a violent attack in early Ripper style, and is on the loose in London at precisely the correct time. Tully's case is bolstered by the very strange actions of the constabulary, whose attempts to recapture Kelly were half-hearted at best; orders being given, for instance, that if identified Kelly was not to be arrested(???). Unfortunately, there is little beyond these coincidences to make the case. As usual many questions are raised, but answers are in limited supply. Still, I recommend this book for its very plausible argument and excellent style.

While author James Tully presents a rational and logical argument for James Kelly as Jack the Ripper, most of Tully's arguments are based on circumstancial evidence, inductive reasoning, and details which easily could be merely coincidental. That's not to say the arguments fail to persuade -- in fact, Tully presents a great deal to consider. However, for this story to gain acceptance as the definitive solution, a great many more unanswered questions and possible alternative explanations would need resolved. It's food for thought he's trying to construct as a full explanatory meal. I'd recommend borrowing it from the library before buying it, if you are considering adding it to your collection.

Spring-Heeled Jack is a British superhero who was legendary long before today's popular comics: here his adventures and mishaps come alive with stories by Pullman and comic-strip illustrations by David Mostyn. The blend of graphic novel elements with paragraphs of text will encourage elementary-level readers in grades 4-6.

If ever a book was created for a child with ADD, this is it. In a mix of narrative and comic book panels, 3 orphans escape from an orphanage intending to purchase tickets to America. When young Ned is kidnapped, a legendary British superhero comes to their aid: Springheeled Jack, a trickster type.
Quotes from famous authors, like Hugo and Dickens, preface each chapter, with a variation of the quote becoming the opening line. This device takes an amusing turn when Pullman quotes himself, and the first line of the book. Footnotes abound, and a silly pseudo-French menu lends humor.
The nineteenth century melodramatic tones and orphan adventure will bring Lemon Snicket to mind; perhaps the popularity of the Baudelaire twins adventures is the reason for the reissue. Whatever the reason, Pullman delivers his trademark combination of child heroes embarking on an adventure spiced with a bit of mystery. This fun fast-paced romp is a great intro to the graphic novel format for younger readers.

I've just finished reading it to my 6 and 8 year olds. "Read, read," they roared when I threatened to stop and put them to bed. With some of the narrative drive of Raold Dahl, Pullman leavens his darkness with a brilliant combination of cheeky humor, self-satire, post modern machinations all set in a Dickensian London. My only complaint: the kids were so excited they couldn't fall asleep. Me too.

This is not the Spring-Heeled Jack that jumped really high and spat blue flames in England. Not the evil Spring-Heeled Jack that all of us paranormalists love. They just totally changed Jack's personality! How frustrating!

It's a Dickensian Batman, a Victorian Superman. Up on the roof: It's a bird! It's a cat! It's Spring-Heeled Jack, the devil-costumed defender of truth and justice. Unfortunately, while Jack has some intriguing possibilities, they're never used enough in this lackluster little novel.

Rose, Lily and Ned have escaped from the rotten orphanage (their mom is dead and their father is missing), with plans to sell a valuable locket and travel to America. But they are attacked by Mack the Knife, "the most evil villain in London," who kidnaps Ned. Lily and Rose are rescued by a mysterious figure who resembles the devil. But it's not a devil, it's Spring-Heeled Jack, who perkily informs them, "I'm good. I catch villains. I avenge wrongs. I do all kinds of stuff." (But does he slice, dice, and freshen your breath while you sleep?)

Jack takes Lily and Rose to his friend Polly, unaware that the sinister boss and amoral old maid from the orphanage are after the three children, intending to steal the locket as well. Will Spring-Heeled Jack rescue the incredibly outspoken Ned from a gang of thugs? Will he rescue the girls from Mr. Killjoy and Miss Gimlet?

One of the problems with "Spring-Heeled Jack" is the narrative. It's split between comic-strip-style cartoons and regular text -- and unfortunately neither the text or the cartoons can stand alone in telling the story. This jarring transition might be exciting for very young children, especially if a parent is reading the story out loud, but older kids will probably find it jarring. And unfortunately while corny dialogue can be stomached in the cartoon format, the regular narrative just makes it sound trite.

This cutesy arrangement also harms the characters, as every one of them is essentially a stereotype except Spring-Heeled Jack himself. There are the kindly young lovers, the evil orphanage owners, the unusually patient murdering robbers, the loyal pooch and the plucky preteens. With the exception of a very witty cartoon kitchen cat, Jack himself is the only interesting character in the bunch. He's also the most underexposed, since he is present perhaps a fourth of the time that the bland Polly is.

Fans of Philip Pullman's charming "I Was A Rat!" and "Firework-Maker's Daughter" will be disappointed in this calculatedly cutesy tale. One to pass by.

This was the first time purchasing stories on CD and I loved it. I don't spend alot of time in my car but sometimes talk radio is too hostile and music isn't stimulating enough but these stories were perfect. It got me through snow storms and traffic by taking away to different places and times. I would recommend to everyone.

I purchased this for my father along with a selection of other audio books. He reported that he liked this one the best. Apparently the selection of stories was excellent, and the reading was clear and expressive.

honestly, I would never waste my money again on such a load of junk... so much better lit out there... go surf amazon.com to find some really good books

I bought this selection because of the title, which credits the stories to Mark Twain. I would have loved ten of his stories! Unfortunately, the selections for inclusion (other than Mr. Twain's) were some of the poorest examples of American literature that I have read. They weren't even good irony; they were just depressing. I'm sure there could be a great collection of American short stories; these were certainly not that.

I bought this and a few other books on CD for my husband who has a bit of dislexia (sp?) and has trouble reading. He was so engrossed in the stories that if he were near the end of one, he would sit in the driveway and listen until it was done. So then, by proxy, I know all of the stories and it seems like a wonderful 'read'. This is a perfect gift for someone who enjoys fine adventure literature by fine authors.

Warning: There are a lot of really bad books out there on Jack the Ripper, and there are some really good ones. I suggest a great starting place would be - The Complete History of Jack the Ripper by Philip Sugden. When I finished reading Sugden's book, I thought wow no one will be able to top this. Sugden's book tells the story perfectly, and alerts the reader to all the myth's, and made up stories that have been told in book and newspaper's form since 1888, he sticks to the facts. Now, at the end of his book, he list possible supects and goes into great detail. If you read the section on George Chapman in Sugden's book, and you come to the belief that he is by far the best suspect, then you should for sure buy "Alias Jack the Ripper" - I think you will come away from this book really thinking there is a better chance for him to be the Ripper than anyone. He was always at the right place, at the right time. The main reason people do not believe he is the Ripper is because- he was convicted of poisoning 3 wifes, and a serial killer would not change modes from a knife to poison. Don't believe me, believe the best authority - " A man who could watch his wifes being slowly tortured to death by poison, as he did. was capable of anything..." Inspector Frederick Abberline, 1903

I can't believe how bad this book is. It's chock full of facts (times, dates, people, places), but there is never any evidence that Severin Klosowski AKA George Chapman is the real Jack the Ripper. The author simply assumes that this is the case, and proceeds to explain his theory. There are many places where conclusions come before any explanation is given. I knew going in that this book was biased towards one suspect, but I at least expected to be presented with facts, followed by evidence that Klosowski was the culprit. Instead, I am bombarded with wild claims and speculation.

This book would have gotten at least two stars if the information had been structured well. For example, every chapter is peppered with statements about "typical" serial killers. Why not put all these statements into a chapter about serial killers instead of wasting my time with filler? Also, I got sick of sentences like, "For him, killing was a business, and business was good." That's just plain dumb. And for goodness sake! Don't just stick a newspaper excerpt in the middle of a chapter without any warning!!!

In conclusion, don't read this book. I heard there are other good ones by Sudgen and Rumbelow.

Severin Klosowski, also known as George Chapman (1865-1903), was a Polish junior surgeon who emigrated to Britain in 1887, where, save for a period in New Jersey 1890-91, he worked as a hairdresser, mostly in and around London, including in the Whitechapel area of the East End. Between 1895 and 1901 he murdered through poisoning three common-law wives, being convicted and hanged in 1903. He has long been suspected by some of being the notorious "Jack the Ripper", who murdered and usually mutilated a number of prostitutes in the Whitechapel and Spitalfields area of London in 1888 and possibly subsequently. This book is a biography of Chapman predicated on the theory that he was the Whitechapel Murderer, and weaving together details of his life with accounts of the Whitechapel killings and several other murders for which, the author speculates, he might also have been responsible.

This is the first extensive, integrated treatment of the life of George Chapman, and in this regard it appears to be well researched and is well written. On "Jack the Ripper" and the Whitechapel murders there has been a plethora of earlier books, but again the work is written in a captivating style which makes it one of the more readable accounts. Other murders, not generally reckoned as part of the "Jack the Ripper" series, are treated in extenso for the first time, especially the "Thames Torso Murders" of 1888-89, a series of killings of women whose bodies were disected and dumped in pieces in out-of-the-way places or in the Thames river. The police at the time did not consider these to be a single series, or to be connected with "Jack the Ripper", but Gordon poses the perfectly reasonable question "just how many sexual serial killers were working in the East End of London in 1888-89?" (p. 124). We may note that: (1) In the late 19th century the police were unused to handling cases of serial murder and probably thought that such a killer would not much vary his methods, whereas more recent cases show that radical variations by a single hand do in fact happen. (2) Though most of the cut-up victims remained unidentified (which probably accounts for the comparative lack of interest in these killings compared with the Whitechapel Murders, both at the time and now), one who was identified was Elizabeth Jackson, parts of whose body were found floating in the Thames in June 1889. Like the Ripper victims she was a prostitute, and clothing in which her remains were wrapped was tagged with the name "L.E. Fisher"; Elizabeth Fisher was the sister of Ripper-victim Catherine Eddowes, and the name "Lizzie Fisher" had also been given in one press report as the name of the Ripper's victim in Miller's Court, later identified as Mary Jane Kelly. (3) Just over three months after the murder of prostitute Carrie Brown in a New York hotel room (recounted on pp. 226 ff.), there was the discovery of another murder. Though not included in Gordon's account, it was reported in The Morning Journal of 3rd August 1891, under the headline "Is It Jack's Work". The body of the victim, a prostitute, was found floating in the East River; it had been mutilated in a way similar to that of Carrie Brown. This suggests to me that if the New York murders are to be attributed to "Jack the Ripper", whether he was Chapman or not, the dumping of a body in the river was a modus operandi of that individual.

How appropriately the various series of murders can be linked together in this biography depends, of course, on whether one accepts Chapman as a plausible candidate for "Jack the Ripper" - and as the Thames Torso Murderer, as the New York City murderer, and as responsible for a number of other killings. Gordon does not say that he did commit all of the murders he describes, just that he could have. But if Chapman were not responsible at least for the majority of the murders in Whitechapel, a main thesis of the book would fall.

To me Chapman stands as a quite plausible "Jack the Ripper", when compared with the myriad of other suspects that have been put forward since the murders, if only because, from an age when serial killers were still quite rare, we do know, at least, that he was one. Nor, in the light of subsequent cases, should the change from street-killer and mutilator of prostitutes to wife-poisoner necessarily seem incredible. Chapman has been taken seriously as a possible "Jack the Ripper" ever since the historian Philip Sugden favoured him in his methodically researched book The Complete History of Jack the Ripper. As Sugden there stated, however, the evidence against Chapman, though better than for other leading suspects, was not strong.

On the whole I feel that the account by Gordon makes the case against Chapman the more likely, though far from proved. Though he fails to connect him directly with any of the Ripper or other narrated murders, or even to demonstrate that he was definitely always close to the scene, he has shown that he could have been. Occasionally the time-line is, admittedly, a little tight, and the argument requires some special pleading, as with the case of Chapman's arrival in the U.S. in time to murder Carrie Brown.

There are also occasional examples of startling under-research, as, for example, the suggestion that George Chapman's common-law wife Annie Georgina Chapman, from whom he took his Anglo-Saxon name, was the daughter of Ripper-victim Annie Chapman, whom he may have met while attending his victim's funeral. A little genealogical research would have clarified whether such an identification were a possibility or not.

Nevertheless, the arguments are on the whole reasonable and sound, and even for those who cannot accept Chapman as the Ripper, the book will for some time remain the best biography of wife-poisoner George Chapman and a very readable account of the Whitechapel and other murders.

George Chapman (Severin Klosowski) is certainly a plausibe suspect and has always been one of my favorites. Nonetheless, I have never been completely convinced that he was the Ripper and this book did not change my opinion despite the author's assertion that Chapman had to be the Killer.

The central argument is that Chapman was in the area for all the killings (including the so called American Ripper killing of 'Old Shakespeare' and the Torso murders) and that this, added to fact that he was hanged for three murders, clearly establishes his guilt. Clearly (and perhaps unfortunately), it does not...

The author does acknowledge that the evidence is insufficient to result in a conviction, but he asserts without reservation that Chapman was the Ripper all along. To my mind, although the available evidence makes a great case for the *possibility* of this, there is absolutely no direct evidence of his actual involvment.

Having said this, I still reccomend this book as an essential for a serious collector of Ripperology. It provides good food for thought and (perhaps) avenues for further research.

TAking a further step following the lead revealed by author Philip Sudgen in THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF JACK THE RIPPER, Gordon works his case upon George Chapman, the poisoner of wives, being Jack the Ripper. Of course he can't say definitely the Chapman was the Ripper, because his name neveer entered the Whitechapel's investigators reports before 1903, when Chapman was executed. Anyway, a very good book.