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Jack the Ripper: The Facts
Using contemporary documents, police files, Home Office papers and newspaper reports, Jack the The Facts recreates the notorious crimes and police investigation of 1888 to provide the best available overview of the 'Great Victorian Mystery', the greatest unsolved, true crime story of all time. Written by one of the world's foremost authorities on the case, this is a completely rewritten and fully updated edition of Begg's classic title Jack the Ripper. It follows the crimes chronologically and records the most significant events, witness testimonies and aspects of the police investigation. As well as objectively examining the primary police suspects, Begg provides a fascinating and authoritative insight into related political issues and background events.
550 pages, Hardcover
First published May 20, 1998
53 people are currently reading
802 people want to read
About the author
Paul Begg
21 books27 followersPaul Begg is acknowledged worldwide as one of the leading authorities on the Jack the Ripper mystery. He has worked in newspapers, television and publishing. He has written extensively on Jack the Ripper, including Jack the Ripper: The Uncensored Facts, Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History and Jack the Ripper: The Facts. He is also the author of Into Thin Air, The Scotland Yard Files and Mary Celeste: The Greatest Mystery of the Sea. Paul was formerly the editor of the Ripperologist magazine and has appeared as an historical advisor on several television programmes.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
March 22, 2024
(A) 87% | Extraordinary
Notes: So extraordinarily meticulous and comprehensive that one can't help but feel it contains everything there is to know.
Notes: So extraordinarily meticulous and comprehensive that one can't help but feel it contains everything there is to know.
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July 26, 2011Unlike some volumes on this subject, this isn't an hysterical re-hashing of the familiar conspiracy theories and mistaken misreadings of the evidence that seem to be the usual fare when it comes to dealing with this, probably the most famous unsolved serial killer case of them all. Begg takes a measured and calm approach to the remaining evidence, and places the case beautifully within its historical context. Anyone interested in Victorian history, or the history of London (whether a Ripperologist or not) will find something worthwhile and new in this excellent volume.
March 22, 2011
Wow! ran through this book! a really comprehensive look at jack the ripper and all the evidence. the author does a really nice job of scrutinizing and getting to what was likely to happen rather than what people wanted to have happen. It really was a great overview of all the different theories. Nicely done.
August 28, 2022
This was everything I wanted in a book on the Ripper case: comprehensive, objective and sensible in its approach to the evidence. I'm sure everybody would love for there to be a neat little solution to this whodunnit (ideally, one in which the killer turned out to be somebody famous like a member of the royal family), but things rarely turn out that way in real life. If you are looking for a murder mystery novel, this is not it. Instead, Begg offers a richly researched and nuanced exploration of the context of these horrific crimes.
January 9, 2024
Although a great deal of the original contemporary documents & files have now been lost, those that remain are here examined to see what they tell us about the thoughts of those investigating the crimes at the time. It follows the murders chronologically with a great deal of cross-referencing to provide an objective look at the killings. This is not a seamless narrative of the crime that reads like a novel. This is a meticulous examination of the remaining physical evidence (letters, reports, interview transcripts etc) of the crimes of Jack the Ripper. The author also includes murders before & after the canonical five victims alongside examination of the evidence on well-known suspects: Kosminski, Montague J Pruitt, Walter Sickert, etc.
There's a lot of additional information about the people named & events that occurred on the periphery of the murders contained in the references & I spent a lot of time flipping back & forth between the main book & the reference section. One or two things stood out to me:
1) I would have thought that the killer had been seen at least once (even if the witness didn't realise it at the time) due to the sheer number of people who seemed to be wandering about the streets of the East End in the early hours.
2) I still can't believe that the police turned Catherine Eddowes out on her own at 1am in the middle of the murders. Although considering some recent occurrences involving the modern police forces maybe I can.
3) Something about the Mary Jane Kelly inquest doesn't sit right. From the witness who swears they saw (& spoke to) Kelly several hours after her death, to the inquest taking place in the wrong district, & it being abridged in what was considered. All very odd.
It's definitely given me a lot to think about. This is definitely more of an academic style read & can be a little tough-going at times, but I found it worth persevering.
There's a lot of additional information about the people named & events that occurred on the periphery of the murders contained in the references & I spent a lot of time flipping back & forth between the main book & the reference section. One or two things stood out to me:
1) I would have thought that the killer had been seen at least once (even if the witness didn't realise it at the time) due to the sheer number of people who seemed to be wandering about the streets of the East End in the early hours.
2) I still can't believe that the police turned Catherine Eddowes out on her own at 1am in the middle of the murders. Although considering some recent occurrences involving the modern police forces maybe I can.
3) Something about the Mary Jane Kelly inquest doesn't sit right. From the witness who swears they saw (& spoke to) Kelly several hours after her death, to the inquest taking place in the wrong district, & it being abridged in what was considered. All very odd.
It's definitely given me a lot to think about. This is definitely more of an academic style read & can be a little tough-going at times, but I found it worth persevering.
Read
July 19, 2013When I got my hands on JR: The Facts I was absolutely ecstatic. At least a non fiction book on such an intriguing mystery. One that has bled to every entertainment, to all kinds of genre books (even one erotica by Angela Knight).
I was really keen to read it. In London it's pretty difficult not to come into contact with Ripperalia. There's a mention of his murders in every tour. And as a teen I, too, went to the London's Dungeon :)
So let's say I jumped happily on the bandwagon of Truth.
And less than halfway I wanted to jump off. I do read non fiction books. Actually until a few years ago, I was strongly in the NF read group. Most of those I read were such.
So, I do not expect it to be fictionalized. I do wonder what the author actually wanted to say.
From an essay writer, I expect a huge research (check). What I do not expect (nor necessarily want) is the full research quoted in the book.
This book lists endless data (and I'm talking of pages of full quotes of letters and documents, not snippets). Every single life in London (and not) that enters the scenes is followed (up to its bitter end).
We know and learn every detail of every man and woman met. Every letter, newspaper article from all over the world, every witness account is fully reported (or close to it).
We even get the full lists of items found on one of the victims. None of which is of importance to the story.
Yes, the title said the facts. I may have expected it to be a tad dry. I do not expect it to be next to unreadable.
There were moments I thought I needed my London A-Z map to follow the "action". Moments were the description of the area was so detailed to give the single tenants of each building.
Fascinating. Up to a point. After which I started wandering what was the meaning of all those factoids.
I loved the description of London and of British politics at the time. It was a much needed intro to such a story. What I disliked was the never ending quote on every single paper on this case, the marginal data on the political squabble (where's the importance of this to the readers?) There's a full chapter on the rewards for info.
What I needed and didn't get: an technical explanation on the butcher/surgeon dilemma. I needed facts on this. I'm different from a cow or a sheep. So, why a butcher?
The good: A complete account of events, with a fascinating view on life in 1888 Britannia.
The bad: Damn! There's really no solution.
The ugly: The reader literally drowns in factoids whose relevance to the mystery isn't always clear.
A must read for true-fiction aficionados and writers researching the matter.
I was really keen to read it. In London it's pretty difficult not to come into contact with Ripperalia. There's a mention of his murders in every tour. And as a teen I, too, went to the London's Dungeon :)
So let's say I jumped happily on the bandwagon of Truth.
And less than halfway I wanted to jump off. I do read non fiction books. Actually until a few years ago, I was strongly in the NF read group. Most of those I read were such.
So, I do not expect it to be fictionalized. I do wonder what the author actually wanted to say.
From an essay writer, I expect a huge research (check). What I do not expect (nor necessarily want) is the full research quoted in the book.
This book lists endless data (and I'm talking of pages of full quotes of letters and documents, not snippets). Every single life in London (and not) that enters the scenes is followed (up to its bitter end).
We know and learn every detail of every man and woman met. Every letter, newspaper article from all over the world, every witness account is fully reported (or close to it).
We even get the full lists of items found on one of the victims. None of which is of importance to the story.
Yes, the title said the facts. I may have expected it to be a tad dry. I do not expect it to be next to unreadable.
There were moments I thought I needed my London A-Z map to follow the "action". Moments were the description of the area was so detailed to give the single tenants of each building.
Fascinating. Up to a point. After which I started wandering what was the meaning of all those factoids.
I loved the description of London and of British politics at the time. It was a much needed intro to such a story. What I disliked was the never ending quote on every single paper on this case, the marginal data on the political squabble (where's the importance of this to the readers?) There's a full chapter on the rewards for info.
What I needed and didn't get: an technical explanation on the butcher/surgeon dilemma. I needed facts on this. I'm different from a cow or a sheep. So, why a butcher?
The good: A complete account of events, with a fascinating view on life in 1888 Britannia.
The bad: Damn! There's really no solution.
The ugly: The reader literally drowns in factoids whose relevance to the mystery isn't always clear.
A must read for true-fiction aficionados and writers researching the matter.
June 8, 2016
When the first Ripper book you've ever read is Patricia Cornwell's, *anything* is a step up!
This was, however, more than simply a minor improvement. Begg focuses on the basics here - what happened, who gave evidence, when they gave it,how do the various accounts fit together (or not!) & so on - and he does it very well. The story is well-told, with a clear chronology and with some good probing of the witness stories, as well as providing a decent backdrop of the Police actions and the political backdrop to events.
When picking up a Ripper book, everyone wants to know who did it - spoiler alert: you won't find out from this book. Begg does provide a summary of key suspects, the case for & against each of them, as well as examining how each came to light. He does not offer any personal view as to who HE thinks did it - I get the feeling that he sees too many flaws with the principal suspects (Kosminski, Ostrog etc.), and so he suggests it's probably someone that the Police had no idea of at the time. It's not a particularly exciting idea, but has more of a ring of truth than James Maybrick or Walter Sickert.
I enjoyed this book a lot & it's kept me interested enough to delve into others - the photo plates were good too, though the book gets docked a mark, for having no maps or street plans at all; the locations were well enough described, but it would have helped to have had some illustrations to compare to.
Recommended.
This was, however, more than simply a minor improvement. Begg focuses on the basics here - what happened, who gave evidence, when they gave it,how do the various accounts fit together (or not!) & so on - and he does it very well. The story is well-told, with a clear chronology and with some good probing of the witness stories, as well as providing a decent backdrop of the Police actions and the political backdrop to events.
When picking up a Ripper book, everyone wants to know who did it - spoiler alert: you won't find out from this book. Begg does provide a summary of key suspects, the case for & against each of them, as well as examining how each came to light. He does not offer any personal view as to who HE thinks did it - I get the feeling that he sees too many flaws with the principal suspects (Kosminski, Ostrog etc.), and so he suggests it's probably someone that the Police had no idea of at the time. It's not a particularly exciting idea, but has more of a ring of truth than James Maybrick or Walter Sickert.
I enjoyed this book a lot & it's kept me interested enough to delve into others - the photo plates were good too, though the book gets docked a mark, for having no maps or street plans at all; the locations were well enough described, but it would have helped to have had some illustrations to compare to.
Recommended.
December 27, 2015
Committed to the mad Polish Jew theory. Not a bad book on Jack the Ripper, but Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History is better.
October 31, 2022
Mmmmmmm?
This is undoubtedly a thoroughly researched book with a great deal of facts , many of which are examples of meticulous work, but delivered in a dry and sometimes boring detail. As a scholarly work it's hard to fault, and I cannot see how anyone could improve upon it but it's also hard to read . I found it a hard slog mainly due to its minutia and detail , particularly in respect of victims of suspects family background. Being fairly new to the ripper crimes perhaps I'm not qualified or knowledgeable enough to critique this work. It is without a doubt a phenomenal piece of research and if anything helps discount many of the suspects. If you are a serious researcher then this is a brilliant aid but if like me you're just beginning I would try something else as your introduction.
This is undoubtedly a thoroughly researched book with a great deal of facts , many of which are examples of meticulous work, but delivered in a dry and sometimes boring detail. As a scholarly work it's hard to fault, and I cannot see how anyone could improve upon it but it's also hard to read . I found it a hard slog mainly due to its minutia and detail , particularly in respect of victims of suspects family background. Being fairly new to the ripper crimes perhaps I'm not qualified or knowledgeable enough to critique this work. It is without a doubt a phenomenal piece of research and if anything helps discount many of the suspects. If you are a serious researcher then this is a brilliant aid but if like me you're just beginning I would try something else as your introduction.
January 9, 2022
A pretty good book about one of the most talked about and researched murder sprees ever. It’s also one that almost everyone has at least heard about. There seems to have been a ton of research done for this book. It gets a bit dry and bogs down somewhat. But, if you’re interested in this type of thing, then it’s definitely recommended
July 3, 2024
Anyone interested in following the Jack the Ripper murders should read this book This is well researched and provides an intelligent explanation of the facts available The mystery is not solved but you will have solid information to continue studying this topic Well written and the narrative is page turning
July 11, 2024
I really appreciated how this book takes some time to delve into the society existing at the time of the murders - something I’ve always thought was an important factor in trying to understand this mystery - and also how it stuck to facts rather than being sensational. There’s really no need to be sensational anyway; the facts alone are disturbing enough.
January 2, 2024
This is an excellent book, very comprehensive at the time of print. It is an essential sourcebook for anyone having an interest the crimes of Jack The Ripper. It includes a concise index and extensive bibliography.
November 5, 2025
Really enjoyed this one. Well written and researched. I prefer JTR books that don't just focus on a suspect. I thought the telling of the story was Well done and several suspects were talked about at the end.
August 16, 2018
Want to read
July 10, 2023
Comprehensive read. Lobd how the victims were brought to life. Mr Begg makes you see the woman behind the victim and makes the reader see the human..May every Ripper victim be resting in peace.
March 14, 2016
I read this book looking for unbiased information about the case, and I got it. A lot of other books are geared towards a specific theory and omit evidence that contradicts that theory. Because of this, it is generally hard to rely on 'facts' because they are filtered. This book is not like that. It just tells it how it is. The thing I liked best about this book is that it brought the world around the East-End to life. There were real people living real lives and reacting to the crimes as people would today. It doesn't fantasise the grim crimes, but instead allows you to feel how real they were, bringing a personality to those involved. It is also a great book if you want to see what Victorian life was like. The only thing that put me off giving 5 stars was that it was so thick with facts that it can be a heavy read. However, I must admit that everything needs to be included to offer up the true story. Overall, this is a book that is a good read and should definitely be considered reading if you are interested in the Ripper.
June 20, 2015
Paul Begg's book about Jack the Ripper is very complete and detailed. Approximately 500 pages, and despite the last 100 pages are Notes and References it is still a thick one. But for the really much interested people about the whole story, like me :) it is THE book. Begg goes into police investigations, reconstructs the murders, brings to life once more what is known of the lives of the victims ( and here he is also very detailed, he starts from the beginning , describes almost every known detail of the victims, so it is definitely only for the devoted readers of this subject,otherwise I could imagine that it could be a little bit too much outstretched and thus perceived as boring for all the others ) , examines the social background, the pressure and investigations of the police and taking an objective ( in my opinion) look at the leading police suspects.
I found it most insighful and complete, very well written. I only can recommened it.
I found it most insighful and complete, very well written. I only can recommened it.
July 3, 2013
I have always been fascinated by the history surrounding Jack the Ripper, I remember in high school we were given a project to do – we had to research and talk about someone from history that we were interested in etc. Much to my teachers surprise, I chose Jack the Ripper… not because I am a fan of his work (no no no) but because he never got caught.
This book is a fantastic collection of the facts, it is not overly focused on the many suspects but on the ones that Scotland Yard viewed as suspects. It is very well written & well researched.
I give this book an “outstanding” on the review front!
This book is a fantastic collection of the facts, it is not overly focused on the many suspects but on the ones that Scotland Yard viewed as suspects. It is very well written & well researched.
I give this book an “outstanding” on the review front!
October 2, 2013
Anytime I can get my hands on true crime is yay! I recieved a digital copy of this book from netgalley and immediately started it. This is a good mix of Jack the Rippers story and historical London.
By using historical documents, newspaper reports, and police reports from the time period. You get a good and clear overview of the case. He follows the crimes in the order that they happened documenting important events such as witness statements and the police investigation at the time. If you are looking for more than the basic facts and a unbiased look into who the killer may or may have not been get this book.
By using historical documents, newspaper reports, and police reports from the time period. You get a good and clear overview of the case. He follows the crimes in the order that they happened documenting important events such as witness statements and the police investigation at the time. If you are looking for more than the basic facts and a unbiased look into who the killer may or may have not been get this book.
November 5, 2015
I found this book fascinating. I should probably admit that while I think Jack the Ripper is a really interesting topic, I have never read a book about him. So, I can't give a very good idea of how this book compares to other Jack books but I can say that this one worked for me. Begg starts his story well before Jack ever hits the scene in London. He gives a very detailed account of the world that led up to the terror of the Ripper and goes through each murder as they happened, even ones that are not always attributed to the Ripper. Very informative 4/5 stars
November 8, 2013
I really didn't like this book. This was a retelling of the facts, nothing more. It was as dry as a court document and lacked good organization. It wasn't presented chronologically but loosely by topic. This was one of those that the author did exquisite research, but couldn't decide what to include and what to edit out, so he included every shred of information.
August 15, 2018
This book is great if you want to know the facts of the case and not be bombarded with suspects. Only one chapter is devoted to suspects and only the ones that Scotland Yard were after. Very good book.
April 30, 2009
This is a great book to read, as you get an indepth understanding not just of the crimes but the events and the people surrounding them.
June 11, 2011
Some heavy reading but the details in this book are great. I'd recommend this to any JTR fan.
May 7, 2013
Interesting; presents a detailed account of the victims, the police investigation, and looks at potential suspects and the probability that they were or were not the murderer.
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November 15, 2013i thought it was really bad because i didnt like it at all i didnt like it because i didnt like the main charecter because he killed prostitutes.
March 30, 2016
Quite simply the best book on the subject.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews