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A review by crimsonpermanentassurance
Jack the Ripper: The Complete Casebook by Donald Rumbelow
3.0
What Rumbelow lacks in writerly panache, he makes up in his ability to cut through the conspiracy theories and general horseshit surrounding the Whitechapel murders.
The most successful part of this book is how well the author provides the context of the killings; describing the living conditions of the people of that place and at that time, he makes it clear how such murders not only happened, but were almost inevitable.
Like others, I found the last two sections somewhat unnecessary, but imagine they were included by way of explanation as to why 1) people are still fascinated by the Ripper, and 2) through those who emulate him (consciously or not) the kind of person he was, since we will never know the Ripper's identity for sure, and Rumbelow only deals in verifiable fact.
The most successful part of this book is how well the author provides the context of the killings; describing the living conditions of the people of that place and at that time, he makes it clear how such murders not only happened, but were almost inevitable.
Like others, I found the last two sections somewhat unnecessary, but imagine they were included by way of explanation as to why 1) people are still fascinated by the Ripper, and 2) through those who emulate him (consciously or not) the kind of person he was, since we will never know the Ripper's identity for sure, and Rumbelow only deals in verifiable fact.