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Robin Odell
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Ripperology: A Study of the World's First Serial Killer and a Literary Phenomenon (True Crime History) Hardcover – Illustrated, March 23, 2006

by Robin Odell (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 13 ratings
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An impressive contribution to true crime studies

Ripperology―a sometimes obsessive interest in studying the crimes of Jack the Ripper―is a subject of timeless interest that has suffered from confusion, exaggeration, and hyperbole for over a century. Jack the Ripper was probably the first serial killer to appear in a large metropolis at a time when the general populace was literate and the press was a force for social change. The press was also partly responsible for creating many myths surrounding the Ripper.

Robin Odell’s Ripperology is the first study to present a sequential history of literary investigations of Jack the Ripper’s crimes and to address the seven principal phases of Ripper speculations: the initial wave of journalism that followed the 1888 murders; the “revelations” of highers-up in Scotland Yard who pretended to know more than they actually did; the period between 1925 and 1949 when sensational and factually shaky book-length “solutions” were proposed, including the theories that Jack avenged his son’s syphilis or was a female midwife in disguise; the dawn of more responsible study, between 1950 and 1975, in which the author himself played an important role; better documented studies spurred by the opening of Scotland Yard files in 1976; the explosion of new Ripper hypotheses in the 1990s; and current theories, including Patricia Cornwell’s DNA-based accusation of artist Walter Sickert.

Ripperology does not attempt to give a detailed, encyclopedic account of the murders. Rather, its aim is to tell the story of the extraordinary literary efforts directed at solving the mystery. While there are no formal conclusions, and this book does not seek to saturate the reader with minutiae, exaggerated claims are debunked and misconceived ideas are dispelled. Author Odell, having studied these unsolved serial killings for four decades, guides the reader in his easy narrative rich with documentation. Ripperology will be welcomed by true crime aficionados.

Previous page
  1. Print length
    288 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    The Kent State University Press
  4. Publication date
    March 23, 2006
  5. Dimensions
    6.74 x 1.08 x 9.22 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0873388615
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0873388610
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When the unnamed killer who would become known as Jack the Ripper slit the throats of five prostitutes in London's East End in 1888, the first man to compile his observations and theories on the deaths was Sir Melville Macnaghten, the city's Assistant Chief Constable. This man's notes on the five crimes earned their victims the title of the "Macnaghten Five" and provided the first log of the patterns of a killer whose murders would grow into a legend, spawning so many books, articles and studies, "some to the point of farcical distraction," that Odell doubted anything new could be added to the canon of Jack. Nevertheless, Odell condenses the vast tracts of Ripper literature into a clean, readable survey that critically summarizes commentary from sources both respected and absurd. Odell does not gloss over the anti-Semitism that colored early investigations, nor does she ignore grisly moments of the investigations-such as the postal delivery of what was believed to be a victim's kidney along with the famous "from hell" note. She also provides a summary of rebuttals to crime novelist Patricia Cornwell's book that named painter Walter Sickert as the murderer. Odell's mastery of the competing paths of Ripperologists resists the sensationalism that runs rampant in crime writing, instead offering a level-headed reappraisal of explanations that Ripper fans and true-crime readers will enjoy.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Robin Odell has written or cowritten fifteen books in the fields of criminology and forensic science. He won the Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for The Murderers’ Who’s Who.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ The Kent State University Press; Illustrated edition (March 23, 2006)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0873388615
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0873388610
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.74 x 1.08 x 9.22 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 13 ratings

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Robin Odell

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
13 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Barbara McNeill
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2016
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Well written and riveting.
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Mr. Brian G. Mowat
3.0 out of 5 stars RIPPEROLOGY. PRESENTATION COULD BE BETTER.
Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2007
Robin Odell is an expert on his subject and the book contains much useful and interesting detailed information. However I did find the narrative difficult to follow and would have preferred the text to have been broken down into short sections each devoted, say, to one Ripper book and how it contributes to the body of literature.
7 people found this helpful
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C. J. Thompson
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent work
Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2010
I have a large and ever increasing library dealing with the Ripper and this is one of the gems.

As noted in the Product description, this book is not an in-depth review of the killings but rather a comprehensive examination of the huge body of literature which has since been generated by them. Odell begins with the first publications in the weeks after the Kelly murder and brings to the present day, discussing the major, and many of the minor works that have cumulatively become a literary phenomenon. He doesn't merely satisfy himself by cataloging the various works and adding a brief blurb about each, rather he details how various theories arise and then evolve, capturing interest for a while and then fading, or else persisting in some form or another to become part of the modern consciousness. We see, for example, how the earliest writings reflected the generally held notion was a madman, then a doctor, and then, synthesizing these two beliefs, an insane medical man. Odell details for us the rise of the conspiracy theories, and the whole body of works that lay the blame for the murders at the feet of the highest figures in the land. He also identifies the general period where 'Ripperology' evolved from being mostly wild speculation to objective analysis based on good research.

Odell only occasionally offers conclusions about various theories. He often will praise a book here and there but, although he discusses rebuttals to the theory of one author by other writers, he doesn't generally tear anybody apart, figuratively speaking. When he does take a position contrary to another author he does so respectfully and his conclusions are always quite reasonable. Indeed, I don't recall any instance where I thought his conclusions unwarranted or too speculative.

The only criticism I really had concerning this book is that the author occasionally repeats himself, particularly in some lengthy passages dealing with Bruce Paley. Still, that really didn't detract too much from my enjoyment of this well written book and it certainly came nowhere near to me giving only four rather than five stars.

By the way, I note that the Publisher's Weekly editorial review consistently refers to the author in feminine terms. Robin Odell is a man.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Chris
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 14, 2021
Verified Purchase
As factual as it can be, and brings the theories of many Ripperologists into question.
Excellent read, worth reading again
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Cogidubnus
4.0 out of 5 stars A very sound (if sideways) look at Ripperology down the ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 17, 2015
Verified Purchase
A very sound (if sideways) look at Ripperology down the years...interesting to look back at the books which attracted a cult following in the past and reflect on the transience of many of these beliefs...I think any ripperologist ought to read this book as a cautionary tale, if nothing else!
One person found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for the Ripper collector
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 12, 2017
Verified Purchase
Absolutely marvellous overview of most of the publications to date 2006.not a book nesscerilay for anyone new to the Ripper mystery.well written well researched and in the opinion of someone who has read well over 25 books on the subject a must have for the Ripper devotte.in short a must have publication.
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