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The Worst Street in London
AMID the bustling streets of Spitalfields, East London, there is a piece of real estate with a bloody history. This was once Dorset Street: the haunt of thieves, murderers and prostitutes; the sanctuary of persecuted people; the last resort for those who couldn’t afford anything else – and the setting for Jack the Ripper’s murderous spree. So notorious was this street in the 1890s that policemen would only patrol this area in pairs for their own safety. This book chronicles the rise and fall of this remarkable street; from its promising beginnings at the centre of the seventeenth-century silk weaving industry, through its gradual descent into iniquity, vice and violence; and finally its demise at the hands of the demolition crew. Meet the colourful characters who called Dorset Street home.
240 pages, Paperback
First published July 17, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
February 25, 2017
This book is a biography with a difference – it looks at the rise and fall of Dorset Street in Spitalfields. Despite its mixed history, the location is actually excellent for business; being close to both the City and the docks. It began life as the Priory of Saint Mary Spital, a priory and hospital which was not spared the dissolution.
Like all of London, the area regularly absorbed large groups of refugees. These began with Huguenots – Protestants fleeing Catholic France in the 1600’s. Many were skilled silk weavers and brought jobs to the area. Later, Irish immigrants arrived, fleeing famine, then Jewish Russians escaping pogroms and revolution. Each wave of immigrants brought change and also caused the local population to become one of the most densely populated in London.
This then tells the tale of a place which changed from a prosperous part of London to a place of notoriety and poverty. In the early eighteenth century there was the notorious criminal Jack Sheppard, who was linked to the area. Later, of course, there was Jack the Ripper, who found his victims on the streets packed with common lodging houses and prostitution.
This is not only a book about crime though, it is about attempts by the government to improve the location, which often only made matters worse. For example, there was The Cross Act of 1875 (the Artisans and Labourers Dwellings Act) which attempted to demolish and replace unfit property. Although the intentions were good, the results were disastrous, with landlords the only people making money from the resulting evictions and homelessness.
Overall, this is an interesting read, if a little repetitive at times. I enjoyed reading the history of the area – from French silk weavers to the Kray twins. It is an area of London I know well, and has now been redeveloped, but is still a place where history feels all around you.
Like all of London, the area regularly absorbed large groups of refugees. These began with Huguenots – Protestants fleeing Catholic France in the 1600’s. Many were skilled silk weavers and brought jobs to the area. Later, Irish immigrants arrived, fleeing famine, then Jewish Russians escaping pogroms and revolution. Each wave of immigrants brought change and also caused the local population to become one of the most densely populated in London.
This then tells the tale of a place which changed from a prosperous part of London to a place of notoriety and poverty. In the early eighteenth century there was the notorious criminal Jack Sheppard, who was linked to the area. Later, of course, there was Jack the Ripper, who found his victims on the streets packed with common lodging houses and prostitution.
This is not only a book about crime though, it is about attempts by the government to improve the location, which often only made matters worse. For example, there was The Cross Act of 1875 (the Artisans and Labourers Dwellings Act) which attempted to demolish and replace unfit property. Although the intentions were good, the results were disastrous, with landlords the only people making money from the resulting evictions and homelessness.
Overall, this is an interesting read, if a little repetitive at times. I enjoyed reading the history of the area – from French silk weavers to the Kray twins. It is an area of London I know well, and has now been redeveloped, but is still a place where history feels all around you.
March 9, 2010
I was gripped by this book that gives such a wonderful view of small area of London and its changes through the centuries. From its fashionable beginnings to the weaving industry and then the slide in reputation and the notoriety brought about Jack the Ripper this area shows the effect the events of the world and how they shaped population.
Well written, it will have you wanting to know more about London's history and have a better understanding of it.
Well written, it will have you wanting to know more about London's history and have a better understanding of it.
June 17, 2013
This book takes us on a fascinating trip through the ages by Fiona Rule. We witness the birth, rise and ultimate fall of the Common Lodging Houses, where the honest poor mixed - sometimes through no choice of their own - with thieves, beggars, con-men, and violent murderers. The landlords made their money, and whilst they themselves lived relatively well, their lodgers endured terrible horrifying living conditions which lasted well into the 20th century. Others who had a bit more money to spare - often through prostitution - were able to rent of a room of their own, from which they often plied their trade. In time, violent gangs began to form, and we are introduced to assaults on people such as Emma Smith in the Whitechapel Road in 1888 and then, inevitably, to Jack The Ripper, when 2 murders were committed on Dorset Street’s doorstep.
After World War 1 had postponed matters the north side of the street was demolished and commercial offices were built on the site. The once squalid little courts and the foundations of dilapidated houses now lie under warehouses and metal shutters. In the 1960s, the south side of the street was also demolished and the White’s Row carpark was built in place of the remaining common lodging houses which had been a convenient hiding place for black market stock during World War Two by criminal boss Jimmy Smith and his gang. And so it is that the story goes full circle and all the way back to Selwyn Cooney, who was the last person to be killed in Dorset Street. Inevitably, in the last chapter of the book, we are introduced to a man named James Kray, grandfather to the infamous twins. Even in it’s last breath, this story gives us a fascinating insight into the criminal and shady inheritance of the Kray Twins.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Old London and Social History. This book is a great starting point from which one could read and/or research gangland crime, the Krays, urban history, social reforms, social action (such as The Great Dockers Strike which is also mentioned in the book), the common lodging houses and living conditions, and of course, Jack The Ripper. The book also offers a chapter about Music Halls, which is interesting and is also another great research point.
The only thing I could criticize in this book is that in some places, the author explains things in 3 or 4 pages when it could be done in 1 or 2. But it reads so easily and is so fascinating that one really hardly notices it. It is a well-written, well researched piece and well worth reading. I usually like to take my time over a book, but I liked this so much I couldn’t put it down, and read it in under 2 weeks! ;)
After World War 1 had postponed matters the north side of the street was demolished and commercial offices were built on the site. The once squalid little courts and the foundations of dilapidated houses now lie under warehouses and metal shutters. In the 1960s, the south side of the street was also demolished and the White’s Row carpark was built in place of the remaining common lodging houses which had been a convenient hiding place for black market stock during World War Two by criminal boss Jimmy Smith and his gang. And so it is that the story goes full circle and all the way back to Selwyn Cooney, who was the last person to be killed in Dorset Street. Inevitably, in the last chapter of the book, we are introduced to a man named James Kray, grandfather to the infamous twins. Even in it’s last breath, this story gives us a fascinating insight into the criminal and shady inheritance of the Kray Twins.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Old London and Social History. This book is a great starting point from which one could read and/or research gangland crime, the Krays, urban history, social reforms, social action (such as The Great Dockers Strike which is also mentioned in the book), the common lodging houses and living conditions, and of course, Jack The Ripper. The book also offers a chapter about Music Halls, which is interesting and is also another great research point.
The only thing I could criticize in this book is that in some places, the author explains things in 3 or 4 pages when it could be done in 1 or 2. But it reads so easily and is so fascinating that one really hardly notices it. It is a well-written, well researched piece and well worth reading. I usually like to take my time over a book, but I liked this so much I couldn’t put it down, and read it in under 2 weeks! ;)
December 3, 2011
Researching history is one skill, writing it up in readable form is quite another. Fiona Rule has certainly done the research, but there are problems with the book. Most importantly, there is not really enough material for a book, so it's padded out with pages on such topics as the penal system, the history of criminal transportation, the Irish potato famine and the history of music halls. She makes the most of the Ripper murders, and is very interesting and informative on common lodging houses. I wondered if she could have made more use of the censuses to tell us more about the street's residents.
That said, it's a worthwhile effort, and if I was anywhere near London I would love to do the walk she details at the end.
That said, it's a worthwhile effort, and if I was anywhere near London I would love to do the walk she details at the end.
May 6, 2012
I really wanted to like this. A lot of it was interesting, and it was jam-packed with information. However, it was not really about the worst street. It's really about the neighborhood of Spitalfields and it's a thinly veiled attempt to write about Jack the Ripper, which was really the worst part in the history in the neighborhood. Rule spends the majority of the book giving history about everything but the neighborhood and street that is supposed to be the star. The organization of the book was distracting -- too many short, choppy chapters that could have been combined. Just a mess wrapped around a lot of fascinating information.
July 7, 2017
This is actually a partial re-read since I used this book for some research almost ten years ago... but I didn't read it cover to cover like I did this time.
This is a really fun book to read. I think some might be frustrated by the somewhat meandering, uneven approach, but I feel like the time she spent on certain sections corresponds with how much those events altered the history of Dorset/Duval Street. Plus, she has a really lively way of narrating and introducing varied histories that inject verve into what might have been an otherwise staid topic: the history of a single, very short street. heh
I look forward to one day taking the suggested walking tour at the back of the book!
This is a really fun book to read. I think some might be frustrated by the somewhat meandering, uneven approach, but I feel like the time she spent on certain sections corresponds with how much those events altered the history of Dorset/Duval Street. Plus, she has a really lively way of narrating and introducing varied histories that inject verve into what might have been an otherwise staid topic: the history of a single, very short street. heh
I look forward to one day taking the suggested walking tour at the back of the book!
September 29, 2021
I loved every second of reading the book. Fiona Rule captures the eerie atmosphere perfectly and the history of the East end and particularly Dorset Street keep on giving.
When you find yourself in London one day I highly recommend walking through the Eat End during the day and then gain later in the evening. The difference is shocking and sometimes you might think that around the corner jack the ripper awaits you.
When you find yourself in London one day I highly recommend walking through the Eat End during the day and then gain later in the evening. The difference is shocking and sometimes you might think that around the corner jack the ripper awaits you.
July 28, 2013
Easy, quick read - divided up into lots of chapters that sometimes feel like they are mini essays about different subjects. Quite a lot of repetition of the same facts scattered throughout the book too. Good for an introduction to the subject, but doesn't really go into anything in real depth.
January 20, 2021
Overall - 4.8/5
Accessibility - 5/5
Writing - 4.5/5
Insight - 5/5
Enjoyment - 5/5
Memorability - 4.5/5
Would read again? Yes
Ignore the 'click bait' cover and title, this is a fantastic read. An incredibly readable history of the legendary Dorset Street. From its formation and beginnings in the weaving industry, through its more well known history as being a slum area and the location of Jack the Ripper's final murder, to its final connections with the Kray Twins, I highly recommend it to those that enjoyed The Five by Hallie Rubenhold. Only problem I had with it was the slightly sensationalised language used to go along with the cover and title, but this was a minor quibble.
Accessibility - 5/5
Writing - 4.5/5
Insight - 5/5
Enjoyment - 5/5
Memorability - 4.5/5
Would read again? Yes
Ignore the 'click bait' cover and title, this is a fantastic read. An incredibly readable history of the legendary Dorset Street. From its formation and beginnings in the weaving industry, through its more well known history as being a slum area and the location of Jack the Ripper's final murder, to its final connections with the Kray Twins, I highly recommend it to those that enjoyed The Five by Hallie Rubenhold. Only problem I had with it was the slightly sensationalised language used to go along with the cover and title, but this was a minor quibble.
November 6, 2019
I had a lot of relatives and ancestors who lived around Spitafields within the last two hundred years, so this was a fascinating biography of the area for me. It is also very well written and researched and I would strongly recommend it to anyone with an interest in London or History.
April 12, 2011
I really enjoyed this book, and even though the subject is grim, depressing and deals with some of the worst parts of London's history, it didn't leave me feeling horrified or wishing I hadn't started it, but rather enlightened with a better understanding of London. It's well-written in a factual, but fluid style, and, although it doesn't gush, it deals sympathetically with the horrific lives and deaths of the inhabitants of Spitalfields.
When I lived in London some years ago, the area around the City always used to intrigue me, although I can't explain exactly why, and this book deals with an area not far from there. The City was always bustling with purposeful activity during the week, but at weekends it became deathly quiet. The streets were incredibly old, even though the offices were new, and I always wandered what life was like in past centuries for those who spent time their, either living or working. Well, this book takes a snapshot of one small, albeit infamous street, and really delves into its past.
It does have some very small gory parts, primarily related to the Whitechapel murders, but on the whole I found it simply fascinating. The people who had to live on this street were the very poorest of the poor, essentially forgotten and destitute, doing whatever they had to to pay for the next drink of gin.
The book explains parts of social history where relevant (Gin Palaces and the development of pubs, for example), and ends off beautifully with a quick page on what the area is like now. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and can't help but wander how the descendents of those who lived on this street have done for themselves. I'm sure some of them have made successful lives, which their predecessors couldn't even imagine.
My own family many generations ago, were Hugenot refuges from France, who settled in London near the City. Perhaps I am descended from people who had to live on the Worst Street in London?.. I'd love to know.
4 stars. Fabulous read.
When I lived in London some years ago, the area around the City always used to intrigue me, although I can't explain exactly why, and this book deals with an area not far from there. The City was always bustling with purposeful activity during the week, but at weekends it became deathly quiet. The streets were incredibly old, even though the offices were new, and I always wandered what life was like in past centuries for those who spent time their, either living or working. Well, this book takes a snapshot of one small, albeit infamous street, and really delves into its past.
It does have some very small gory parts, primarily related to the Whitechapel murders, but on the whole I found it simply fascinating. The people who had to live on this street were the very poorest of the poor, essentially forgotten and destitute, doing whatever they had to to pay for the next drink of gin.
The book explains parts of social history where relevant (Gin Palaces and the development of pubs, for example), and ends off beautifully with a quick page on what the area is like now. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and can't help but wander how the descendents of those who lived on this street have done for themselves. I'm sure some of them have made successful lives, which their predecessors couldn't even imagine.
My own family many generations ago, were Hugenot refuges from France, who settled in London near the City. Perhaps I am descended from people who had to live on the Worst Street in London?.. I'd love to know.
4 stars. Fabulous read.
March 28, 2017
The author has written a history of the Spitalfields area from the founding of a priory and hospital on the site in 1197 up to the present day. Some parts of this history are very brief, while others are given much more detail. The longest chapter covers the Whitechapel murders, but in comparison with the sensationalism and inaccuracy of much of the coverage which has dogged these events since they happened, her treatment sticks to the few known facts. The only jarring note is her tendency towards nostalgia for the area's colourful past, after describing how grim the conditions there were for the previous two hundred pages or so.
August 16, 2011
This is an absolutely fascinating read, detailing the history of Dorset Street, and the surrounding Spitalfields area. It would be easy for such a history to become bogged down by the sensationalism surrounding Jack the Ripper, and while Rule devotes a sizeable section to the 1888 murders, she manages to approach them with a rational head, and from the point of view of the community, as opposed to the rabid press or frustrated police. It follows a highly readable narrative, and really brings the area alive for casual readers and amateur historians alike.
May 9, 2015
An informative look at the notorious Dorset Street in London's East End, with plenty of background history to explain why, for instance, the various groups of immigrants left their home countries and settled in the area. As a general release it is unsurprising that some of the detail is glossed over, but I would have liked to see more - and more in depth - case studies of those who made Dorset Street their home.
February 28, 2018
Two and a half stars
This was recommended to me by a friend so I booked it out of my local library (use them or lose them.)
More a history of the Spatalfields area than one particular street. I suspect the title was to draw in Ripperologists. I found parts of the book interesting, especially about the lodging houses, but a lot of it was repetitive. I would like to have seen sources too for the stories of some of the people mentioned.
This was recommended to me by a friend so I booked it out of my local library (use them or lose them.)
More a history of the Spatalfields area than one particular street. I suspect the title was to draw in Ripperologists. I found parts of the book interesting, especially about the lodging houses, but a lot of it was repetitive. I would like to have seen sources too for the stories of some of the people mentioned.
September 25, 2012
An excellent book with some fascinating history in it. Who would have thought such a small area of London could have such a lurid history yet have started out so nice, almost idyllic. I bet those poor silk weavers are spinning in their graves.
If you live in London and have any interest in the place, consider reading this book.
If you live in London and have any interest in the place, consider reading this book.
September 24, 2013
CleggCam should read a book like this, about the bad old days before continuing to make cuts to social welfare systems in Britain.
July 24, 2013
On the brief side but a decent introductory history.
August 3, 2020
The Worst Street in London promises to delve into the history of Dorset Street, once a street full of fairly well-to-do weavers making the most of their flourishing trade, that sank into disrepute as the work dried up and the weavers moved away. Apparently becoming the most notorious street in the whole of the city and one haunted by thieves, pimps, prostitutes and murderers, on reading this it turned out it was mostly populated by the desperately poor who were busy being fleeced by unscrupulous landlords who were bigger thieves and far more exploitative than any amount of the supposed criminals the street could offer up.
Rule does manage to include a bit on Jack the Ripper to lure in readers by widening her area past Dorset Street, but the most interesting part here is yet again on how the landlords of the rooms where his victims were found murdered didn’t even bother to clean any of the women’s blood up before moving more tenants in.
In all, I thought there was potentially a more interesting in-depth book here that focussed on how the greed and complete lack of scruples on the part of the landlords essentially created a cesspit of human misery that led to the crime decried on the book’s cover (being as they were mostly crimes driven by poverty) but overall I found this book completely underwhelming. I bought it for pennies after a kindle store recommendation, and must admit that if I’d paid any more than that for it, I’d have been severely disappointed.
**Also posted at Cannonball Read**
Rule does manage to include a bit on Jack the Ripper to lure in readers by widening her area past Dorset Street, but the most interesting part here is yet again on how the landlords of the rooms where his victims were found murdered didn’t even bother to clean any of the women’s blood up before moving more tenants in.
In all, I thought there was potentially a more interesting in-depth book here that focussed on how the greed and complete lack of scruples on the part of the landlords essentially created a cesspit of human misery that led to the crime decried on the book’s cover (being as they were mostly crimes driven by poverty) but overall I found this book completely underwhelming. I bought it for pennies after a kindle store recommendation, and must admit that if I’d paid any more than that for it, I’d have been severely disappointed.
**Also posted at Cannonball Read**
October 10, 2024
'Due to their unsavoury profession and dishonest ways, the Spitalfields prostitutes seemed fair game for the gangs of young men.'
'...Emma Smith, who was, after all only a common prostitute...'
'Like so many of her kind, Polly then found herself in the rookeries of Spitalfields.'
I was disappointed that Rule chose not to reflect on what brought each of Jack the Ripper's victims to Whitechapel - their circumstances, the twists and turns of their lives - in the context of late 19th century British society which did not treat women as equal citizens to men. As these quotes demonstrate, she aligns herself with the false, misogynistic view that 'the victims were prostitutes'.
Although there were strengths of her work - the details of the Dorset Street characters she describes, for instance - these are provided in a setting that lacks a critical eye.
She also chooses to go into a great deal of detail when it comes to the specifics of the mutilations of the women's bodies. I see this as pure sensationalism.
Instead, I would recommend Hallie Rubenhold's 'The Five: the untold lives of the women killed by jack the Ripper' which is a scholarly yet wholly accessible piece of work.
I did pick up some gems - I loved that Spitalfields came from 'Hospital Fields' - for example.
If the history of the East End is your thing - there is stronger work out there.
'...Emma Smith, who was, after all only a common prostitute...'
'Like so many of her kind, Polly then found herself in the rookeries of Spitalfields.'
I was disappointed that Rule chose not to reflect on what brought each of Jack the Ripper's victims to Whitechapel - their circumstances, the twists and turns of their lives - in the context of late 19th century British society which did not treat women as equal citizens to men. As these quotes demonstrate, she aligns herself with the false, misogynistic view that 'the victims were prostitutes'.
Although there were strengths of her work - the details of the Dorset Street characters she describes, for instance - these are provided in a setting that lacks a critical eye.
She also chooses to go into a great deal of detail when it comes to the specifics of the mutilations of the women's bodies. I see this as pure sensationalism.
Instead, I would recommend Hallie Rubenhold's 'The Five: the untold lives of the women killed by jack the Ripper' which is a scholarly yet wholly accessible piece of work.
I did pick up some gems - I loved that Spitalfields came from 'Hospital Fields' - for example.
If the history of the East End is your thing - there is stronger work out there.
December 4, 2023
Until very recently, my day job has had me based in East London. More specifically, offices in Brick Lane and Commercial Street and I'll level with you - I don't like it. Never have. But there is no denying that this area of the city has a lot of character and more specifically, history.
The Worst Street in London (2023) by Fiona Rule is a detailed chronicle of a small thoroughfare called Dorset Street, formally next to Spitalfields Market and now scrubbed off the map entirely. Rule spans the centuries charting it's village origins, its rise in the silk trade and its descent into a world of thieves, slumlords, pimps, prostitutes and murderers and most notably Jack the Ripper.
In spite of some of the horrifying stories Rule shares, there is a large degree of affection in her writing about an area that was so shamelessly left to fend for itself by our government. This book is well written, not academic or overly dry and a reminder that blood and menace on this city's streets is no new thing. A fascinating read for Londoners and non-Londoners alike.
The Worst Street in London (2023) by Fiona Rule is a detailed chronicle of a small thoroughfare called Dorset Street, formally next to Spitalfields Market and now scrubbed off the map entirely. Rule spans the centuries charting it's village origins, its rise in the silk trade and its descent into a world of thieves, slumlords, pimps, prostitutes and murderers and most notably Jack the Ripper.
In spite of some of the horrifying stories Rule shares, there is a large degree of affection in her writing about an area that was so shamelessly left to fend for itself by our government. This book is well written, not academic or overly dry and a reminder that blood and menace on this city's streets is no new thing. A fascinating read for Londoners and non-Londoners alike.
May 9, 2024
[2019] An extremely well researched and overall well written account of a small part of the East-End of London. A book about place over time; drawing on local people and stories and setting them in a national context. It does give you a sense of the place and you are left with evocative thoughts and memories created for you by Fiona Rule. Two minor points - she does seem to take time to develop her style. The beginning of the book has short chapters composed of short sentences - which makes the text quite jerky to read. Then there are the occasional clunky assertions - the worst was 'that for poor people their menfolk returning injured from the Great war was worse than them being killed' (p195). She also says 'the arrival of the eastern european jews had made an already bad situation worse as non-jews created their own ghetto...' (p166). These sentences, I suspect, do not convey the intended message.
On the other hand - she provides a concise and compelling description of the Jack the Ripper incidents - the best I've ever read. To take, what appears to be a fairly uninspiring area of London and one sentence ' the worst street in London' and to diligently and creatively research it and from that to create an attention grabbing, absorbing 217 page book is remarkable. An excellent book.
On the other hand - she provides a concise and compelling description of the Jack the Ripper incidents - the best I've ever read. To take, what appears to be a fairly uninspiring area of London and one sentence ' the worst street in London' and to diligently and creatively research it and from that to create an attention grabbing, absorbing 217 page book is remarkable. An excellent book.
May 17, 2025
The Worst Street in London is well written and well researched. This is a biography of a place rather than a person. Spitalfields in East London contains what was called the Worst Street in London, Dorset Street. This book goes through the rise and fall of the area, from affluent silk weaving to the slums that filled the area to overcrowding at the time of Jack the Ripper, whose last victim Mary Kelly lived in 13 Millers Court just off of Dorset Street, and on through the wars until it was finally redeveloped in the latter half of the 20th Century where there is an association with the Kray family in the 60's.
This is a fascinating look at the social changes in London and of the characters that made this place their home.
Well worth a read.
This is a fascinating look at the social changes in London and of the characters that made this place their home.
Well worth a read.
August 10, 2021
An alright read about the neighbourhood of Spitalfields. The author obviously wanted to write a book about Jack the Ripper but for some reason couldn't, so this got written instead. Yes, Dorset St cops a mention here and there, but this book isn't really about it; rather, it's about the area it's in from the 1700s through to present.
The tone of the writing when talking about the Irish famine, or Wilson's role in Europe post-WW1 could do with some work if she ever finds herself writing about them again.
The tone of the writing when talking about the Irish famine, or Wilson's role in Europe post-WW1 could do with some work if she ever finds herself writing about them again.
August 16, 2017
It's an interesting reading, though sometimes it's a bit repetitive. If you want to know how Dorset Street has changed from French silk weavers to Kray twins, this is the reading for you. A definitely interesting source for those who study and research the Whitechapel crimes of Jack the Ripper and that, coupled with other similar texts, provides a study on the subject crime and poverty of the East End of London.
July 31, 2020
Fascinerende fortælling om en af de mørkeste kapitler i Londons historie.
Fiona Rule give en detaljeret gennemgang af Dorset Street og Spitalfields historie.
Et stort plus for mig som interessede i det østlige Londons historie, er specielt hendes måde at beskrive enkelte karakterer og deres liv i henhold til Dorset Street og the East End.
Er man Jack the Ripper buff, tilbyder denne bog masser af ny information om sagen og er et must have for alle Ripperloger.
Fiona Rule give en detaljeret gennemgang af Dorset Street og Spitalfields historie.
Et stort plus for mig som interessede i det østlige Londons historie, er specielt hendes måde at beskrive enkelte karakterer og deres liv i henhold til Dorset Street og the East End.
Er man Jack the Ripper buff, tilbyder denne bog masser af ny information om sagen og er et must have for alle Ripperloger.
May 7, 2023
This was OK, at parts interesting but at parts oversensationalized and distracted. I would have liked a sharper focus on the actual history of Spitalfields/Dorset Street, and could have done without the sidetracks on the Iris Potato Famine or Victorian music halls. And I DEFINITELY could have done without the vivid descriptions of the Ripper murders, which. Come on. Aren't we all a little over that way of writing about them now?
November 17, 2023
A really interesting and informative book about a very short street in London. For most if its history, Dorset Street has been home to the poorest of the poor and happened to be the site of several Jack the Ripper murders. Extreme poverty, illegal gambling, prostitution, and very wide spread alcohol abuse were day to day activities for many of the inhabitants. The landlords got rich and the people stayed poor.
November 27, 2023
A really interesting view of not just Dorset Street (the worst street in London), but the area of Spitalfields and wider London. Quite horrific reading the conditions that people were forced to live in, often through no fault of their own, but amazing how some pulled themselves out and made something for themselves and their families.
March 4, 2024
Excellent compulsive reading
It is a fascinating book on social history of the original Dorset street, London. A compelling and interesting read. Couldn't put it down. Highly recommended . It covers so much of history around one area. Incredible.
It is a fascinating book on social history of the original Dorset street, London. A compelling and interesting read. Couldn't put it down. Highly recommended . It covers so much of history around one area. Incredible.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews