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Jack the Ripper: The Simple Truth
"THE BEST JACK THE RIPPER BOOK OF THEM ALL…Ripperology with a human face." REVISED EDITION WITH NEW AFTERWORD AND INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR, & CORRECTIONS OF CORRUPTED TEXT Bruce Paley's book has been hailed as a classic of the genre for many reasons. Not only does he build a powerful case against his suspect, Joseph Barnett, but Paley probably did more research than anyone else, with the result that his depiction of the East End of London c. 1888 is second to none, and has been singled out for its unrivalled richness and vividness. Paley has also been praised for his studious, unsensational account of the crimes, and his compassionate portraits of the Ripper’s victims. This is what some of the critics had to say. Writing in The Daily Mail (25/11/95), Val Hennessy "Bruce Paley's excellent book convinces me, for one, that Jack the Ripper has at last been nailed…Apart from convincingly identifying the Ripper, Paley's book paints an extraordinarily vivid picture of late 19th century London. It opens your eyes to the hopeless, harsh lives endured by single and deserted women, especially those with children, in the days before job opportunities and full time education." As such, Hennessey echoes the words of the esteemed writer Colin Wilson, who wrote in the foreword to Paley's "If I had to recommend a single book on Jack the Ripper to someone who knew nothing about the subject, I would unhesitatingly choose this one. Bruce Paley has captured the atmosphere of Whitechapel at the time of the murders - and indeed, London in the late 19th century - with a sense of living reality that no other writer on the case has achieved…[It is] the most evocative book on the period that I have ever read." Writing in the Guardian (22/11/06), Nancy Banks-Smith "[Jack the Ripper] was almost certainly Joseph Barnett, the live-in lover of the last victim, Mary Kelly, a theory convincingly argued by Bruce Paley in his book Jack the The Simple Truth." Some years later, Adrian Morris, the editor of The Journal of the Whitechapel Society, declared Paley's book to be the best Jack the Ripper book of them all. "The immense strength of Paley's book," Morris wrote in February, 2010, "is that his suspect Barnett is perfectly placed to act as an almost unknowing device to explore the milieu of the East End with its poverty, exploitation and vice, whilst also drawing the reader into the soulless world of the victim...This Paley does brilliantly. His prose is powerful and, dare I say it beautiful. In Paley's words the Nietzschian hordes that are measured and understood as a value of history become material to act within a story that explores the full tragedy of the East End. Paley really does understand the East End A.D.1888, his words map out its DNA, his sentences tap out the arithmetic of existence. For one to understand the Whitechapel murders, one must understand the times. Nowhere can one do this better than in the chapters Paley devotes to this historical sociology. For Paley understands that while the Ripper was killing its womenfolk (albeit destitutes), the East End itself was eating its children in the jaws of poverty. Paley's excellent and wide ranging research underpins his descriptions. This is history with a poetical syncopation that adds to the subject matter in the mind of the reader. Paley describes the environs of Dorset Street and Miller's Court that takes some beating and is redolent of an informed approach that makes you feel he must have known the old place…I can only amplify [Colin Wilson's] endorsement uttered on the book's 1995 release by adding, without wishing to seem overly unctuous, that when compiling a booklist of authors that one would like to proffer to the uninitiated, soon-to-be initiated or just plain curious on the subject of the Whitechapel murders, I would advise that the list starts wit
231 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1995
278 people are currently reading
212 people want to read
About the author
Bruce Paley
5 books6 followersMy grandparents came from Ukraine and Belarus. I was born in Manhattan, after which my family moved to Queens, where I grew up, and I currently live in the UK. I am the author of the books Jack the Ripper: The Simple Truth (Headline, UK) regarded by many as the best book on that crowded subject, and Giraffes in my Hair (Fantagraphics, USA), a graphic novel written in collaboration with my partner, the cartoonist Carol Swain. I have also contributed to various music journals both in the US and the UK. I am currently seeking a publisher/agent for two books I completed during lockdown: That Evil Life is set in the downtown New York punk music and drug scene of the late 1970s, when I worked as a music journalist for the Soho Weekly News. The novel follows the ups and downs of two functioning heroin addicts and their circle of friends who exist in a self-contained bubble in lower Manhattan, where the concerns and realities of the world at large do not penetrate their daily lives; it features a character based on Johnny Thunders, who was a friend of mine. The other book, The Obrovský Theatre Co. of Blaznivyzeme, is a political satire/black comedy that deals with the exploits of a troupe of dwarfs as they try to mount a production of Hamlet. (It is also the perfect vehicle for Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) only he doesn’t know it yet!). Over the years my jobs have included stints as a hot dog vendor at Shea Stadium (where I saw but could not hear The Beatles); a horse wrangler at a dude ranch; a New York cabbie; a comic shop owner, and a private detective, among others. As a boy, I used to deliver Greta Garbo’s groceries. In 1968 I ran away with my girlfriend, with Jimi Hendrix’s personal blessing. A friend of a well-known guitarist once OD’d in my New York apartment and got me evicted. I was at the infamous 1968 Chicago Democratic Convention in Chicago, where I crashed with armed Black militants; I was also at Woodstock, tripping on LSD for The Who. A few years later I got caught up in a coup d’etat in Morocco, and in 1995, I was arrested in Tangier for trying to smuggle my Czech girlfriend into the country. Once I had to help the inebriated Great Train Robber Bruce Reynolds onto a train. I also once stole an Egyptian artefact from New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, only to smuggle it back in after I became convinced it was cursed!Bruce entered the world in 1949, at Beth Israel Hospital in lower Manhattan. His father was a first generation Jewish American of Russian stock, who married a woman of Polish extraction and opened a candy store in midtown Manhattan. One memory of that time involves an "old" woman who used to stop by the store for cigarettes, after which Bruce would carry her groceries to her apartment around the corner, where she would give him a quarter tip. One day Bruce's father told him that the woman was a famous actress. Her name? Greta Garbo.
Tragedy entered Bruce's life when he was not yet three years old, when his mother died suddenly of a brain tumour. Only a year later his father remarried and the family moved briefly to the South Bronx, and then to Whitestone, Queens. Like most kinds of the time, Bruce had a Davy Crockett hat, collected baseball cards, and played sandlot baseball and football. But Bruce's stepmother never accepted him, and he grew into a rebellious teenager, eventually running off to California in 1968 with his girlfriend in those carefree hippie times when you could stick out your thumb and travel several thousand miles across America on a whim, communing with countless likeminded souls along the way. It was upon returning to New York after several months on the road that a friend gave Bruce a copy of Jack Kerouac's On the Road, which triggered his interest in the works of Kerouac and the Beat writers, and inspired Bruce to want to become a writer; he even once read a poem of his to Allen Ginsberg! But as the sunshine of the '60s gave way to the clouds of the '70s,
Tragedy entered Bruce's life when he was not yet three years old, when his mother died suddenly of a brain tumour. Only a year later his father remarried and the family moved briefly to the South Bronx, and then to Whitestone, Queens. Like most kinds of the time, Bruce had a Davy Crockett hat, collected baseball cards, and played sandlot baseball and football. But Bruce's stepmother never accepted him, and he grew into a rebellious teenager, eventually running off to California in 1968 with his girlfriend in those carefree hippie times when you could stick out your thumb and travel several thousand miles across America on a whim, communing with countless likeminded souls along the way. It was upon returning to New York after several months on the road that a friend gave Bruce a copy of Jack Kerouac's On the Road, which triggered his interest in the works of Kerouac and the Beat writers, and inspired Bruce to want to become a writer; he even once read a poem of his to Allen Ginsberg! But as the sunshine of the '60s gave way to the clouds of the '70s,
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
December 13, 2022
One of the best Ripper reads.
July 1, 2016
Out of the dark, dank streets of late 19th Century Whitechapel stalks another candidate to don Jack's bloody cape. Dear Boss, I do love these theories. Paley reconstructs Whitechapel in a manner that gives the impression he was actually there. He's done an awful lot of background research for the period (which many Ripperologists eschew) and it shows. His theory is built around the shy, stammering Joseph Barnett, though at times his conjecture seems laboured as if he is actually trying to convince himself. His descriptions of the murders themselves (esp Mary Kelly's), however is top notch, and he argues well and passionately against other, more popular, suspects. A worthy addition to the ever expanding library of Ripper whodunnits.
January 2, 2025
This book deserves 3 stars for the historical background the author provides. It is very descriptive, delving into many of the socioeconomic factors that made up Victorian life in the time of the Ripper. This book, however, presents a new suspect for Jack the Ripper and discusses it as if it were fact throughout the whole book. The "evidence" he provides is circumstantial and the motive was, in my opinion, somewhat preposterous considering the nature of the murders. As he added more and more "evidence," the more skeptical I became. Through my skepticism, the well researched historical narrative kept me hanging on hoping that a clincher would appear and the author's theory would all of a sudden make profound sense. This didn't happen.
March 3, 2012
Three stars due to the vivid portrayal of life in Whitechapel in the 19th Century. I think we should all be grateful that Mr Paley is a writer and not a judge. The 'evidence' presented here ranges from the circumstantial to the downright ridiculous and each 'step' in his reasoning is founded on little more than speculation and surmise.
An interesting read, but not exactly enlightening.
An interesting read, but not exactly enlightening.
June 2, 2021
Paley's case isn't as compelling as he thinks it is, and Ripper research has outpaced this book, but it's still an interesting story and solid theory.
March 3, 2012
Paley's descriptions of the East End are superb, and because he's gone to the trouble of quoting from lesser-used sources his narrative never feels like a rehash of other Ripper books. In short, however many Ripper books you've read, you'll get something out of this.
Where it slightly falls down is in the laying-out of his theory. From the get-go Paley names Joseph Barnett as the Ripper and the case he presents is convincing enough: Barnett certainly has the opportunity and he fits a sort of serial killer profile. I'm not sure if his motive is entirely consistent with the crimes themselves, though, and neither does Paley unearth anything in Barnett's background to suggest he might have had the personality for the dreadful butchery of the Ripper. Most disappointing is that Paley doesn't attempt to demonstrate why Barnett is a better candidate than other Ripper suspects; in fact, he doesn't even *mention* any other Ripper suspects. Is Barnett a more likely Ripper than Druitt? Gull? Pedachenko? Maybrick? Actually, he is, but you'll need to read other Ripper books to know that, I'm afraid. That said, this is still one of the better Ripper books out there and I would have no hesitation in recommending it.
Where it slightly falls down is in the laying-out of his theory. From the get-go Paley names Joseph Barnett as the Ripper and the case he presents is convincing enough: Barnett certainly has the opportunity and he fits a sort of serial killer profile. I'm not sure if his motive is entirely consistent with the crimes themselves, though, and neither does Paley unearth anything in Barnett's background to suggest he might have had the personality for the dreadful butchery of the Ripper. Most disappointing is that Paley doesn't attempt to demonstrate why Barnett is a better candidate than other Ripper suspects; in fact, he doesn't even *mention* any other Ripper suspects. Is Barnett a more likely Ripper than Druitt? Gull? Pedachenko? Maybrick? Actually, he is, but you'll need to read other Ripper books to know that, I'm afraid. That said, this is still one of the better Ripper books out there and I would have no hesitation in recommending it.
April 6, 2014
Paley did some excellent research about conditions in the East End for his book, and found very interesting information on Joseph Barnett. Where it falls down is his absolute conviction that the murderer absolutely had to be Barnett. It's certainly possible, but I've never been able to get behind writers who insist that their solution is the only one.
It is quite interesting that Barnett lost his steady job right before the killings, as well as the information on the key to Mary Kelly's room. I would have liked it much better if Paley had written more as "this is what I think" rather than "this absolutely has to be what happened."
It is quite interesting that Barnett lost his steady job right before the killings, as well as the information on the key to Mary Kelly's room. I would have liked it much better if Paley had written more as "this is what I think" rather than "this absolutely has to be what happened."
November 20, 2024
Quite a well though out argument for the identity of Jack the Ripper.
I love the inclusion of the FBI profile for use as a comparison or starting point, and I think it could be enhanced using methods similar to those seen in 'Cutting Point', such as probability calculations that someone else may have committed the murders.
The Catherine Eddowes murder is particularly interesting given that she was known to Barnett and was the odd one out in not being a prostitute, however this randomness could just as much have been rage from the first kill not being completed, but definitely food for thought.
The escalation of murders, in an effort to keep Kelly at home fits very well with events, but noting that after the 4th murder Kelly mostly stayed at home and this lead to the longest duration between murders could just as easily be explained by an increased police (including plain clothes) and vigilante presence and an overall lack of people on the street at night. Correlation is not causation.
However the author needs to be very careful at some points not to undermine his own argument.
For example when discussing the Ripper letters, he says that 'all the evidence points to the conclusion that the original Jack the Ripper letters had indeed been written by the killer himself, while not a shred of hard evidence exists to support any claims to the contrary'.
That's not how burden of proof works sorry mate, all evidence in favour of the letters being genuine is circumstantial at best (i.e. mail wasn't collected on Sunday, so if posted Sunday it would be post stamped Monday, thus is must have been posted Sunday... but this could as easily be Monday) and evidence proving it is not genuine is not required as this is the base we are starting from (even then we have a confession from Journalists saying they were fake).
Sone closing points lead into this as well, where the author trips over himself to load up arguments that are not required i.e:
- Cleaning fish gives (Barnett) basic anotomical knowledge. In what world?
- Its suspected the killer posed as a client, but most of the victims were familiar with Barnett being in a relationship with Kelly. Would they take him as a client?
I think the sad part of this whole event is the methods the police could have, and at times were urged to employ but didn't, especially rubber shoes. Warren dropped the ball here, despite being a different time they should have adapted, because as a great man once said 'if everyone in the room is thinking the same then someone ain't thinking' (although many years later).
Overall id agree with the synopsis that this is probably the number one book you should read on the ripper and it is quite compelling, given all the coincidences and the fact that his partner was the last victim before the killer stopped, her face was heavily mutilated, the possible pregnancy, missing heart and the missing key, probably taken by Barnett to get back in.
I love the inclusion of the FBI profile for use as a comparison or starting point, and I think it could be enhanced using methods similar to those seen in 'Cutting Point', such as probability calculations that someone else may have committed the murders.
The Catherine Eddowes murder is particularly interesting given that she was known to Barnett and was the odd one out in not being a prostitute, however this randomness could just as much have been rage from the first kill not being completed, but definitely food for thought.
The escalation of murders, in an effort to keep Kelly at home fits very well with events, but noting that after the 4th murder Kelly mostly stayed at home and this lead to the longest duration between murders could just as easily be explained by an increased police (including plain clothes) and vigilante presence and an overall lack of people on the street at night. Correlation is not causation.
However the author needs to be very careful at some points not to undermine his own argument.
For example when discussing the Ripper letters, he says that 'all the evidence points to the conclusion that the original Jack the Ripper letters had indeed been written by the killer himself, while not a shred of hard evidence exists to support any claims to the contrary'.
That's not how burden of proof works sorry mate, all evidence in favour of the letters being genuine is circumstantial at best (i.e. mail wasn't collected on Sunday, so if posted Sunday it would be post stamped Monday, thus is must have been posted Sunday... but this could as easily be Monday) and evidence proving it is not genuine is not required as this is the base we are starting from (even then we have a confession from Journalists saying they were fake).
Sone closing points lead into this as well, where the author trips over himself to load up arguments that are not required i.e:
- Cleaning fish gives (Barnett) basic anotomical knowledge. In what world?
- Its suspected the killer posed as a client, but most of the victims were familiar with Barnett being in a relationship with Kelly. Would they take him as a client?
I think the sad part of this whole event is the methods the police could have, and at times were urged to employ but didn't, especially rubber shoes. Warren dropped the ball here, despite being a different time they should have adapted, because as a great man once said 'if everyone in the room is thinking the same then someone ain't thinking' (although many years later).
Overall id agree with the synopsis that this is probably the number one book you should read on the ripper and it is quite compelling, given all the coincidences and the fact that his partner was the last victim before the killer stopped, her face was heavily mutilated, the possible pregnancy, missing heart and the missing key, probably taken by Barnett to get back in.
September 2, 2023
Bruce Paley's main point of contention here is that Joseph Barnett was Jack the Ripper. Admittedly Barnett shared characteristics with the serial killer type. The writer points these out throughout the book, especially in the appendix. Indeed I find Joseph Barnett to be a more likely suspect than Montague J. Druitt, Francis Tumblety, Walter Sickert, Hyam Hyams etc... However in my opinion there are more reasons to believe that he was not the Ripper and the author here failed to convince me otherwise.
This said, I didn't pick this book to find out who Jack the Ripper was. I don't think his identity has yet been revealed in any book or documentary. I was rather interested to delve deeper into the investigation, the social conditions and the atmosphere of the streets. In this The Simple Truth doesn't disappoint. Bruce Paley's writing style is compelling and with the exception of those redundant bits about Joseph Barnett being the killer, it is a very pleasant read. The book describes vividly what it was like to be in Spitalfields and Whitechapel during the Autumn of Terror. Various excerpts from newspaper articles and relevant documents are disclosed and compared. Besides the identity of the killer I reckon that many of Bruce Paley's deductions are spot on. For example the identity of the man nicknamed Dan seen drinking with Mary Jane at the Horn of Plenty on the evening of November 8th, or the potential route taken by the killer after murdering Liz Stride. For some reason I had always pictured the fiend making his lucky escape via Commercial Road. After consideration the itinerary proposed by Bruce Paley seems more plausible.
Overall a great Ripper book which will remain on my bookshelf next to other Ripper classics, till the next read.
This said, I didn't pick this book to find out who Jack the Ripper was. I don't think his identity has yet been revealed in any book or documentary. I was rather interested to delve deeper into the investigation, the social conditions and the atmosphere of the streets. In this The Simple Truth doesn't disappoint. Bruce Paley's writing style is compelling and with the exception of those redundant bits about Joseph Barnett being the killer, it is a very pleasant read. The book describes vividly what it was like to be in Spitalfields and Whitechapel during the Autumn of Terror. Various excerpts from newspaper articles and relevant documents are disclosed and compared. Besides the identity of the killer I reckon that many of Bruce Paley's deductions are spot on. For example the identity of the man nicknamed Dan seen drinking with Mary Jane at the Horn of Plenty on the evening of November 8th, or the potential route taken by the killer after murdering Liz Stride. For some reason I had always pictured the fiend making his lucky escape via Commercial Road. After consideration the itinerary proposed by Bruce Paley seems more plausible.
Overall a great Ripper book which will remain on my bookshelf next to other Ripper classics, till the next read.
February 21, 2021
I've only read one Jack the Ripper book before this and it was only a short overview, i thought that was enough for me to know what happened. However, I was wrong.
This book is excellent! The first few chapters are only setting the scene and describing how utterly miserable life was in the Victorian East end however this was enough to draw me into the book and want to read more. Once you are trapped in this wretched hole of society the murders are introduced, along the way pointing out how one man seems to be linked to all of them, Joseph Barnett.
As we don't, or probably ever will, know 100% who Jack the Ripper was this book goes a very long way at presenting a potential candidate. It draws you into Victorian London and makes you feel like you are actually there, excellent writing. I also enjoyed how the links are credible, it isn't just a coincidence but more eventual. My only issue is that sometimes he is very quick to discredit other authors and their work, making it out the he is the only person who has gone as deep as he has.
This has pulled me into the subject and I'm excited to read more. Very good book, very well written and very interesting. Read it!
This book is excellent! The first few chapters are only setting the scene and describing how utterly miserable life was in the Victorian East end however this was enough to draw me into the book and want to read more. Once you are trapped in this wretched hole of society the murders are introduced, along the way pointing out how one man seems to be linked to all of them, Joseph Barnett.
As we don't, or probably ever will, know 100% who Jack the Ripper was this book goes a very long way at presenting a potential candidate. It draws you into Victorian London and makes you feel like you are actually there, excellent writing. I also enjoyed how the links are credible, it isn't just a coincidence but more eventual. My only issue is that sometimes he is very quick to discredit other authors and their work, making it out the he is the only person who has gone as deep as he has.
This has pulled me into the subject and I'm excited to read more. Very good book, very well written and very interesting. Read it!
May 11, 2019
Decent
This was touted as a compelling argument as to the identity of the Ripper. As with another book on the subject, I found the evidence merely circumstantial and truly grasping at straws. Reasoning and evidence to me is rather weak and relies solely on modern day profiling techniques, which at this juncture are merely guesses as to his suspects psyche. I have yet to read a book that is well argued to my satisfaction. However, his thorough discussion of socioeconomic state of London during that era was truly startling and well researched, leaving me with more than a little compassion for the residents of the East End at that time. It has great merit for this reason alone. The Ripper took a back seat to the squalid conditions that the author brilliantly describes.
This was touted as a compelling argument as to the identity of the Ripper. As with another book on the subject, I found the evidence merely circumstantial and truly grasping at straws. Reasoning and evidence to me is rather weak and relies solely on modern day profiling techniques, which at this juncture are merely guesses as to his suspects psyche. I have yet to read a book that is well argued to my satisfaction. However, his thorough discussion of socioeconomic state of London during that era was truly startling and well researched, leaving me with more than a little compassion for the residents of the East End at that time. It has great merit for this reason alone. The Ripper took a back seat to the squalid conditions that the author brilliantly describes.
August 18, 2021
As a historical novel, this one is pretty good. Mr. Paley paints a very vivid picture of what life was like in the 1800s in and around Whitechapel. That being said, his reasons for believing John Barnett was Jack the Ripper are pretty flimsy. I found Patricia Cornwell's theory of Walter Sickert as Jack the Ripper to be more believable, and even that was a stretch. Mr. Paley provides no real evidence to support his theory, other than that John Barnett lived in the area, hated prostitutes and was somewhat delusional where Mary Kelly was concerned. Honestly, I think John Barnett may have killed Mary Kelly, and made it look like Jack the Ripper did it, but I don't think for a minute that he killed all the other women.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 4, 2021
I really thought at one time that Patricia Cornwell Solved this
But…. Now after reading Colin Wilson and hearing this book recommended by a few different sources I believe this one relies way more on facts! Even to the point of describing what Whitechapel was like at the time of the murders. It’s makes good common sense to me, and lines up with research done on serial killers as well. I wonder if more cases are solvable.. it’s just that in the past we didn’t know what we know now. Plus if you read Colin Wilson (which I think anyone should) his history of Murder explains a lot!
But…. Now after reading Colin Wilson and hearing this book recommended by a few different sources I believe this one relies way more on facts! Even to the point of describing what Whitechapel was like at the time of the murders. It’s makes good common sense to me, and lines up with research done on serial killers as well. I wonder if more cases are solvable.. it’s just that in the past we didn’t know what we know now. Plus if you read Colin Wilson (which I think anyone should) his history of Murder explains a lot!
July 10, 2019
Not convinced.
I felt Paley made too-general connections between his proposed murderer and the infamous Ripper crimes. What I loved about the book was the incredible bringing to life of 18th century conditions in the East End of London: a brutal, crowded struggle for the barest survival for most stuck in its grasp. This, in my mind, makes it a worthwhile read. I would have liked to have come out of the book more absolutely convinced of the "simple truth" that Paley purports to tell.
I felt Paley made too-general connections between his proposed murderer and the infamous Ripper crimes. What I loved about the book was the incredible bringing to life of 18th century conditions in the East End of London: a brutal, crowded struggle for the barest survival for most stuck in its grasp. This, in my mind, makes it a worthwhile read. I would have liked to have come out of the book more absolutely convinced of the "simple truth" that Paley purports to tell.
August 20, 2017
MEH!
While I don't doubt that the author truly believes his own theory of Jack The Ripper's identity (which he backs up with addenda and footnotes that comprise more than 25% of the book ) I found it just not credible. The motive which the author ascribes to his candidate makes no sense at all and does not in the least account for the savagery of the Ripper's attacks. The book is, however, well-written and grammatical, a rare quality these days.
While I don't doubt that the author truly believes his own theory of Jack The Ripper's identity (which he backs up with addenda and footnotes that comprise more than 25% of the book ) I found it just not credible. The motive which the author ascribes to his candidate makes no sense at all and does not in the least account for the savagery of the Ripper's attacks. The book is, however, well-written and grammatical, a rare quality these days.
September 20, 2019
There were so many details in this book that didn't really have much to do with the actual murders, only explaining life of many different random people who lived in the same area. There was a lot of (I assume the authors?) speculation and speculation on what happened and how people felt. It was so hard to keep paying attention. The actual digital download ended at 70%, then turned into an appendix, for which I was grateful I could say I finished the book, and could stop reading.
June 1, 2023
This book is definitely worth the read and gives a stark reality to the conditions of the Whitechapel district of the East End. But as it seems with all JtR books that claim to be convinced that their one suspect is truly JtR, any and all evidence that might contradict their theory is not explored and swept under the proverbial rug. There are no perfect JtR suspects and to not even pursue any contrary evidence leaves a reader flummoxed.
August 5, 2017
Easy five stars
A very well written and in-depth informative book on Jack the Ripper. I have no doubt now thanks to Mr Paleys book that I can at last believe someone has got to grips with Jacks identity. I thoroughly recommend this book for anyone who like me has had a curious interest into who Jack the Ripper was, this book I think will leave you in no doubt.
A very well written and in-depth informative book on Jack the Ripper. I have no doubt now thanks to Mr Paleys book that I can at last believe someone has got to grips with Jacks identity. I thoroughly recommend this book for anyone who like me has had a curious interest into who Jack the Ripper was, this book I think will leave you in no doubt.
December 29, 2018
Gives a new perspective on who done it
Not bad the case seems pretty good for who it was although another Ripper book also made a good case for someone else. I have also heard that a female may have assisted the killer although unknowingly
Has any one had this guys DNA tested it might give us more leads
Not bad the case seems pretty good for who it was although another Ripper book also made a good case for someone else. I have also heard that a female may have assisted the killer although unknowingly
Has any one had this guys DNA tested it might give us more leads
August 6, 2020
This is very well written which made it very easy to read. I liked how this showed life in the East End and made me understand the problems that people in 1888 had with the poverty and the prostitution. However, focusing on the Ripper being Joseph Barnett I didn't feel it was compelling enough to make me think it was him however I do understand why the author has this theory.
October 14, 2017
A must read.
S must read very informative and to the point this could be a definitive work, it brings London of 1888 to life, the alumna the people the way that the poor made a living.
S must read very informative and to the point this could be a definitive work, it brings London of 1888 to life, the alumna the people the way that the poor made a living.
June 12, 2020
Trite and Unimaginative
Although the author cited a multitude of classic sources his ultimate conclusion is built on faulty logic and the discredited pseudo science of criminal profiling.
In its favor, it's not as ridiculous as the Walter Sickert theory.
Although the author cited a multitude of classic sources his ultimate conclusion is built on faulty logic and the discredited pseudo science of criminal profiling.
In its favor, it's not as ridiculous as the Walter Sickert theory.
August 23, 2018
Amazing book.
This book is well written. Easy to read. Points clearly made with great evidence. Possibly the best "Jack the Ripper book".
This book is well written. Easy to read. Points clearly made with great evidence. Possibly the best "Jack the Ripper book".
April 4, 2019
One of my favourites. I don't agree with Paley's conclusions but it's very well written and doesn't feel like a simple retelling plus finger pointing, unlike so many suspect books.
April 8, 2020
Dark. But really interesting.
July 26, 2011
I'm not a big true crime reader but every now and then I become obsessed with criminal cases... I blame my father who was a big fan of Lizzie Borden and heartily believed she didn't do it! Anyway, I've been super into Jack the Ripper lately and so I did some digging and found this this book is one of the most highly acclaimed Ripper novels. It wasn't the best book I've ever read, I wasn't entirely blown away but I think this has to do more with my inexperience in the genre. I think once I get into other Ripper novels, I will be able to say I appreciate this one more.
That being said, I agree that it is well-written, and the author's theory is extraordinarily sound. I'm a true believe of Joseph Barnett being the Ripper but, then again, I haven't read any other full-length books that argue otherwise.
This book is the perfect length and contains a helpful appendix. I also love that the author has a few chapters dedicated solely to setting the scene. He does a socioeconomic analysis of the East End and reveals the daily life of East Enders. He also describes well the fantastical events that the Ripper inspired and the environment that the murders created.
I recommend this book to Ripper fans and lovers of true crime. It's also appropriate for anyone looking for a meaty but quick read.
That being said, I agree that it is well-written, and the author's theory is extraordinarily sound. I'm a true believe of Joseph Barnett being the Ripper but, then again, I haven't read any other full-length books that argue otherwise.
This book is the perfect length and contains a helpful appendix. I also love that the author has a few chapters dedicated solely to setting the scene. He does a socioeconomic analysis of the East End and reveals the daily life of East Enders. He also describes well the fantastical events that the Ripper inspired and the environment that the murders created.
I recommend this book to Ripper fans and lovers of true crime. It's also appropriate for anyone looking for a meaty but quick read.
March 11, 2015
I don't remember how I stumbled across this one. It may have been a Kindle recommendation. Regardless, I was intrigued by the recommendations from "Ripperologists" about the detail and detection work, so I picked it up.
Author Bruce Paley offers his solution at the beginning, that the Ripper was Joseph Barnett, the estranged common-law husband of the Ripper's final victim, Mary Jane Kelly.
He builds a good case, using relevant facts. Paley has dug into some detail about Barnett's life and the investigation into the Whitechapel murders. Even so, I found myself channeling my inner lawyer as I read. "Assumes facts not in evidence!"
Paley is usually clear when he has no proof of his claims, and uses lots of qualifying words like "must have been," "should have" and "probably." That doesn't make his assumptions facts.
I'm no expert in the crimes by any means. I came away from the book with a suspect I hadn't considered before (not that I spend a lot of time considering suspects in this case). But I'm not convinced.
By the way, I read the Kindle version. It looked like it was badly scraped from a pdf file. Simply awful errors and erroneous text.
Author Bruce Paley offers his solution at the beginning, that the Ripper was Joseph Barnett, the estranged common-law husband of the Ripper's final victim, Mary Jane Kelly.
He builds a good case, using relevant facts. Paley has dug into some detail about Barnett's life and the investigation into the Whitechapel murders. Even so, I found myself channeling my inner lawyer as I read. "Assumes facts not in evidence!"
Paley is usually clear when he has no proof of his claims, and uses lots of qualifying words like "must have been," "should have" and "probably." That doesn't make his assumptions facts.
I'm no expert in the crimes by any means. I came away from the book with a suspect I hadn't considered before (not that I spend a lot of time considering suspects in this case). But I'm not convinced.
By the way, I read the Kindle version. It looked like it was badly scraped from a pdf file. Simply awful errors and erroneous text.
March 4, 2012
Bruce Paley has written a great piece of Ripper literature. "Jack the Ripper: The Simple Truth" is meticulously researched, well written, and quite entertaining. It paints a picture of Whitechapel and East London that made it quite real to me. He lays out a convincing case against Joe Barnett. Paley's thesis was quite original when he first introduced it. There is very little actual evidence against Barnett, but Paley uses modern methodology to point right at the person who would be one of the first suspects today. The boyfriend of one of the victims.
The Kindle version does have some formatting problems, but I didn't find any that interfered with the flow of the book. I'm reviewing the book, and I found it very well done. It's well worth a read to anyone interested in Ripperology, Victorian London, true crime, or serial killers. I liked this book very much and could barely put it down. I can't say if this is the best Ripper book out there, but I can say that I enjoyed it a lot.
I also found the meticulous endnotes and research very useful for further study.
The Kindle version does have some formatting problems, but I didn't find any that interfered with the flow of the book. I'm reviewing the book, and I found it very well done. It's well worth a read to anyone interested in Ripperology, Victorian London, true crime, or serial killers. I liked this book very much and could barely put it down. I can't say if this is the best Ripper book out there, but I can say that I enjoyed it a lot.
I also found the meticulous endnotes and research very useful for further study.
May 11, 2015
I have not read a lot of literature on Jack the Ripper, but Paley does make a compelling case as to the potential identity of Jack the Ripper. It is well researched and raises some very valid points, however at time Paley might be accused of trying too hard to make the puzzle pieces fit together. My one other criticism would be that he later speaks with such certainty as though it is a fact that Joseph Barnett was the killer, when in reality this has not been proven. It is still a great read though, and aside from the compelling case against Joseph Barnett as the infamous Jack the Ripper, Paley does a tremendous job of painting a vivid picture of the White Chapel area in late nineteenth century London.
October 3, 2015
Boy oh boy, does somebody need to run this one past a decent proofreader! In my opinion this book stands roughly halfway between the lunacy of Knight and Cornwell on the one hand and the workmanlike thoroughness of Rumbelow and Sugden on the other. In other words, Mr. Paley has a theory and he intends to bend some of the evidence to make his case when he feels it necessary.
To be completely fair, Paley's suspicions do appear to have some basis in reality, but I nearly gave up with this one halfway through because of the appalling layout. Words run into each other, "I" is frequently substituted by "1" and, occasionally, sentences were left dangling.
This manuscript needs a damn good spring clean, because its sloppiness lets its author down badly.
To be completely fair, Paley's suspicions do appear to have some basis in reality, but I nearly gave up with this one halfway through because of the appalling layout. Words run into each other, "I" is frequently substituted by "1" and, occasionally, sentences were left dangling.
This manuscript needs a damn good spring clean, because its sloppiness lets its author down badly.
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