Ripper Diary: The Inside Story

by Caroline Morris, Seth Linder, George Albert Brown

Book Overview

Every bit as mysterious as the Whitechapel murders themselves, the "Ripper Diaries" have intrigued and infuriated both historical researchers and the "Ripperologists" since they first came to light in... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0750929545
• ISBN13: 9780750929547
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: History Press
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.4" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

A study of an enigma

In 1993 there seemed, at least for a brief time, that a solution to the question of "Who was Jack the Ripper?" had been found. A diary supposedly written by James Maybrick of Liverpool, recording his activities as the famous murderer, was released. Immediately a firestorm of controversy exploded, if for no other reason than the whole scenario seemed unbelievable -- Maybrick was a well-known figure in his own right, being the victim of a famous murder in 1889. Was the diary genuine? Experts weighed in on both sides of the question. Test results were ambiguous -- was the diary a recent forgery or was it decades old (and if decades old, was it a decades-old forgery)? The handwriting did not resemble that of Maybrick's will, but claims were made that the will itself was a forgery. The man credited with bringing the diary forth claimed in an alcoholic haze that he had forged the diary, then rescinded his claim (and, admittedly, forging the diary seems a bit beyond his capabilities). An old watch inscribed with the name of James Maybrick and with the initials of the Jack the Ripper victims was discovered, supporting the diary's authenticity, and a number of experts who examined the watch believed that the inscriptions had been made many years ago. To this day, no-one knows for sure about the Maybrick diary, although I think it fair to say that the majority of Ripperologists do not accept it. "Ripper Diary" is the story of that controversy, not seeking either to authenticate or refute the Maybrick diary, but presenting a detailed account of the people involved and what happened to them. There are no final answers here, but I think that anyone seriously interested in Jack the Ripper (and the phenomenon of fascination with Jack the Ripper) would be rewarded by reading this book -- if not to change or make up their minds about the Maybrick diary, then at least to better understand the sequence of events and the nature of the controversy.

Further Proof of Authenticity

This is a balanced, readable, well-written account of the furious debate surrounding Jack the Ripper's Diary. After reading this, the only possible conclusion is that the Diary is authentic. Skinner's team explains all the questions, and logically concludes that it couldn't have been forged. The look at the behind the scenes work is wonderful, and the photos are excellent. This book is a great companion to the books by Shirley Harrison, Paul Feldman, and Anne Graham. My only quibble: the authors repeat themselves at times.