Portrait Of A Killer: Jack The Ripper -- Case Closed (Berkley True Crime)

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Now updated with new material that brings the killer's picture into clearer focus

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""No doubt there will always be skeptics, and critics tainted by self-interest who will refuse to accept that [Walter] Sickert was a serial killer, a damaged diabolical man driven by megalomania and hate. There will be those who will argue that it's all coincidence. As FBI profiler Ed Sulzbach says, 'There really aren't many coincidences in life. And to call coincidence after coincidence after coincidence a coincidence is just plain stupid.'" (Chap. 2 p.14 para. 4) -Patricia Cornwell, Portrait of a Killer In Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper, Case Closed, Cornwell combines the rigorous discipline of twenty-first century police investigation with forensic techniques undreamed of during the late Victorian era to solve one of the most infamous and difficult serial murder cases in history. medical procedures Sickert was forced to endure and reflects on the impact they might have had on the young boy. She also explores the ways in which women might have served as a dangerous reminder of his infuriating and humiliating abnormality. (Chap. 1 p.5 para. 3) ?

Customer Reviews:

Are we mad as Hell at Cornwell?!? Yep!.......2007-10-14

Why am I giving this book 5 stars? I suppose it's an "A" for effort. I have REALLY mixed feelings about this one, which is very unusual for me as I'm almost never a fence-sitter. In fact, I'm MUCH more renowned for being a grouchy old curmudgeon with unyielding views. But Cornwell, in solving this most famous of all serial murders, has actually CREATED a bit of a mess via her incongruous conveyance of the facts. This one recalls to mind Marcia Clark's mishandling of the O.J. Simpson case -- I BELIEVE Clark presented more than adequate evidence that old O.J. did it... but she just TICKED EVERYBODY OFF in the way that she did so!

I want to say up front that I'm a career, retired (after 25 years), well-trained, high-ranking, professional law enforcement officer and, having stated my qualifications for reviewing Cornwell's work, (and probably more importantly), I fully believe that Cornwell HAS indeed solved the huge mystery of Jack the Ripper. As to the "presentation" of her compelling evidence, I think that she effected this process poorly and a LOT of people aren't putting it together as a result, hence all the low ratings. Law enforcement officers are trained to discard any extraneous and distracting non-facts and seizing upon the actualities. But the average reader is more like a "juror," regular smart folks who find it difficult to cast off a lifetime of speculation found in all the books and movies about this particular crime, particularly in light of the fact that there were many suspects in this case who were viable on the face of it, as well as being inherently despicable characters.

Jack the Ripper plagued London's White Chapel district throughout the year 1888, (The same year as when the Hatfields killed several of the McCoys by burning them up in their mountaintop cabin!), and the list of suspect's since that heinous year of murder has been lengthy -- but DNA is pretty compelling stuff and that is the very pinnacle of Cornwell's evidence. Case Closed? I say, "Yes".

However, in solving this long-standing mystery, Cornwell seems to have really ticked people off -- I think people really DESIRED that these grisly serial murders remain an eternal mystery, much like the thoughts of those folks who cling to "The Grassy Knoll" theory of the Kennedy assasination. I wouldn't want to be the guy who dispells THAT one either!*.*

And, I have to agree with a lot of people here that Patricia Cornwell, somehow, comes off as "hubristic" and "arrogant" in this work. The Hell of it is, I can't exactly put my finger on HOW she's been a snoot.... but it's in there, I'm certain of it!

I just wish that Patricia Cornwell would have first read, for example, Waller's book on The Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping before she wrote this one. I think that if she were to do so now, she'd see how a compelling case is nicely brought to a conclusion and how she failed in this "diplomatic endeavor".

Getting directly to the purpose of my review of this book, DO I RECOMMEND IT? Definitely. BUT, are readers going to feel personally satiated for having read it??? I don't think so. I think most folks who read this book feel "talked down to," for lack of a more coherent phrase.

So, as I have said, I believe that she's clearly, (or, unclearly), done it. But, because of human nature, she is apparently not going to be thanked for it. Maybe just a tad of humility in the title would have helped. Or, maybe people just savour Sickert's paintings so well that they wanted someone else to have been Jack the Ripper! "Lazarus Breaks His Fast" is my favorite artwork of all time.... Oh, unjoyous revelation, Patricia!!! *.*

This is the nearest we will ever get to knowing the truth about the Ripper.......2007-09-25

JACK THE RIPPER

REVIEW BY SALLY RAMAGE

OF

"PORTRAIT OF A KILLER:JACK THE RIPPER CASE CLOSED"

by Patricia Cornwell, Sphere Books, Little, Brown Book Group, London, 2003. ISBN 978-0-7515-3359-0

Patricia Cornwell is the Director of Applied Science at the National Forensic Academy. Her book is so gripping that I read it from first page to last page without putting it down.

It is obvious that the writer is a criminologist. She wrote this structured book with a beginning, middle and an end.

She tells the reader at the beginning that she concludes that Jack the Ripper was no other than Walter Sickert the artist. She then takes the reader through all the evidence and there is little doubt that her findings are sound. Cornell's writing is objective, scientific, methodical, and intelligent.

She reminds the reader that the `Jack the Ripper' killings were British and I can see reflections of the Jack the Ripper scenarios in the `Yorkshire Ripper' murders. It is clear that Cornell had examined a vast amount of evidence, primary and secondary and these are listed in the back pages. She was assisted over many years of research by a whole team of forensic investigators and in the book, she acknowledged their contributions.

Her `terms of reference' were to consider the extent of Jack the Ripper's unlawful activities. She then considered the motives for these murders. Obviously, she could not interview the killer, so she relied mainly on primary and secondary evidence about Sickert the artist.

I can see her use of Karl Popper's scientific methods. Popper suggested that one should look for instances that confirm or verify one's theories and Patricia Cornwell demonstrated this. She explored unsuccessful avenues as well as those which uphold her theory. She writes (pg 133), "computerised image enhancement detects hundreds of grey shades that the human eye cannot see and makes it possible for a fuzzy photograph or erased writing to become visible or discernible. Whilst forensic image enhancement might work with bank security videos or bad photographs, it does not work on paintings. All our efforts accomplished with Ennui (one of Sickert's paintings) was to separate Sickert's brush strokes until we ended up with the reverse of what he was doing when he put the strokes together."

One is reminded repeatedly in this `Jack the Ripper' case, that forensic science does not and will not ever take the place of human detection, deduction, experience, common sense and very hard work.

Patricia Cornwell's book concentrated on the number of women who were murdered by `Jack the Ripper'. Cornwell also concentrated her book on the conduct of the police investigation, the conduct of the coroners and on the death certificates issued after eachprostitute was murdered. Cornwell concentrated on the fact that social explanations often pinpoint which social group is more vulnerable to a phenomenon than others while psychological explanations identify the social group more likely to be vulnerable than others.

There is much concern and theorising about serial killers nowadays (see Simpson (1980); Leyton (1986); Seltzer, (1998);Grover and Soothill (1999); Soothill ( 2001); Smith, (2002) and Peters (2005).

I could see leanings in the book to Leyton's central thesis of homicidal protest. Leyton's thesis is that that the criminal offence of murder is a form of homicidal protest. Leyton concludes that homicidal killings are committed by frustrated members of the middle classes usually. Leyton said that, occasionally , serial killings contain a metaphor from the earlier era and that serial killers interrupt the lives of prostitutes and runaways because, in the killer's distorted mind, he assumes that these women deserve to be killed as punishment.. Criminologists Kelly and Radford also hypothesised that violence against women is a reflection of a patriarchal society Criminologists Grover and Soothill theorised that when women such as prostitutes are murdered, it is because they are increasingly seen as a socio-economic burden on society. Grover and Soothill's theory concluded that British serial killings reveal that Britain is inadequate in its provision of social and economic protection of the poor and vulnerable. Serial killers prey on the vulnerable and in Britain, the vulnerable are those who cannot compete within the structural conditions of patriarchal capitalism- those who, for various reasons, are unable to retort against those whom this patriarchal capitalism adorn with power.

Finally Patricia Cornwell brings the reader to conclusion that the artist Sickert was the murderer `Jack the Ripper'.

She revealed that DNA results from an anonymous letter to the police from the killer compares well with a letter to someone from Sickert's mother. DNA testing has become an established part of criminal justice procedures, and the admissibility of DNA in court today is routine. This technology is highly sensitive and can generate a reliable DNA profile from a crime scene stain that is as small as the size of a pin head. Both Sickert's written letter, the anonymous letter to the police and Sickert's mother's written letter contain part of the same DNA sequence. DNA evidence is biological evidence. Biological is a type of physical evidence. Biological evidence is not always visible to the naked eye.

DNA analysis is similar to fingerprint analysis in how matches are determined. Evidence collected from a crime scene is compared to a known sample. If each feature is not identical, the DNA evidence is determined NOT to be a match and therefore did NOT come from the suspect. When a crime scene profile does not match any stored profiles, it is possible to undertake further testing to see if it partially matches that of a genetic relative. Familial searches in the UK today can only be conducted with the specific authority of the Custodian of the NDNAD(National DNA Database) and there are legal parameters for use of the NDNAD, these being the prevention and detection of crime; the investigation of an offence; the conduct of a prosecution or the identification of a deceased person. The aim of familial searching is to provide legitimately useful intelligence in solving crime and there are instances in which its use is able to be justified, such as tracing the relatives of an unidentified serial killer.

The weak point of Cornwell's argument of DNA match, though, is this - the chain of custody of evidence is a record of individuals who have had physical possession of the evidence. Documentation is critical to maintaining the integrity of the chain of custody. Maintaining the chain of custody is vital for any type of evidence. In addition, if laboratory analysis reveals that DNA evidence was contaminated, it may be necessary to identify persons who have handled that evidence.

In processing the evidence, the fewer people handling the evidence, the better. There is less chance of contamination and a shorter chain of custody for court admissibility hearings. The Jack the Ripper case is very old and who knows how many people have previously handled the evidence?

Because extremely small samples of DNA can be used as evidence, greater attention to contamination issues is necessary when identifying, collecting and preserving DNA evidence. DNA evidence can be contaminated when DNA from another source gets mixed with DNA relevant to the case. Saliva on the envelopes or the letters was probably tested. Saliva is the fluid that moistens the mouth. It is secreted from three sets of glands. Screening for saliva is based on detection of high levels of amylase in the sample. It is not a confirmatory test as amylase is found in other body fluids.

Saliva contains ABH substances, especially in secretors. Saliva samples (spit or buccal swabs) are often taken as reference materials for determination of secretor status.. Stains can be typed using absorption-elution or absorption-inhibition.

If Cornwell's team had confirmed the DNA match by testing for body fluids on both letters, they would know that DNA typing has become such an effective tool in forensic biology that almost all of the traditional techniques have fallen into disuse but they may have used some old techniques which are still used in the examination of body fluids. Cornwell may have used the technique of serology, the detection, identification, and typing of body tissues, either in native form or as stains or residues left at a crime scene. Most often, the tissue of interest is a body fluid such as blood or semen; however, other tissues such as hair or bone are encountered. The detection and identification process begins with a physical examination, followed by a screening test, and may include confirmatory identification and sample typing.

All in all, Patricia Cornwell's book is a very convincing read. What is interesting is the renewed interest in the artist Walter Sickert. There is to be a London painting exhibition, on 25 October to 20 January, of Walter Sickert's paintings of the Camden Town Nudes. Against contemporary conventions of the idealised nude, Sickert depicted his naked models in the shabby interiors of Camden Town bedsits, investing the images with the disquieting themes of prostitution and poverty associated with this working class area of North London where he lived and worked.

The exhibition in London will bring together around fifteen of the principal canvases from private and public collections and will assemble Sickert's four so-called Camden Town Murder paintings.. Sickert's characteristic method of painting was in the reduced, almost grisaille quality of his tones. Many of his paintings depict the interiors of music- halls & theatres. Previous exhibitions of Sickert's paintings have been held at the Tate in the year 2006, and in the year 2000 at the Fine Arts Society, London. The exhibition in the year 2000 marked the publication of a book titled, Walter Sickert: Prints by Ruth Bromberg. The exhibition showed some of Sickert's finest paintings, drawings, prints & some letters & telegrams from Sickert. The fevered interest in Sickert and his paintings has even inspired an essay competition at the University of St Andrews, Scotland.

Patricia Cornwell, as well as her scientific and biological analysis, has, as a criminologist, read all the literature on Sickert, including these texts:

* Whistler, "Cross-examination in the Trial of Ruskin for libel-1878;

* Sickert, "Mr Whistler and His Art" The Artists and Journal of Home Culture, 1st Jan. 1884;

* Sickert "Is the Camera the Friend or the Foe of Art", Spectator Magazine, July 1893;

* Sickert, "All the greater draughtsmen tell a story- A critical calendar", English Review. March 1912

* W. Baron, W. and R. Shone, (ed)., Sickert Paintings, ( Yale University Press, Newhaven & London 1992);

* Q. Bell, "Some Memories of Sickert." Burlington Magazine. Vol. Cxxix, April 1987;

* R. Bromberg, Walter Sickert: Prints, A Catalogue Raisonn. (New Haven, London 2000);

* L. Browse, Sickert, ( Faber and Faber Ltd, London 1943);

* M. Connetti, Walter Sickert and the Camden Town Group,(David & Charles, Italy 1992);

* C.Connolly, "The Degas of Camden Town." Sunday Times. 29 May 1960;

* D. P. Corbett, Walter Sickert, ( Tate Gallery Publishing, London 2001);

* A. Dempsey, "Whistler and Sickert: A Friendship and its End", Apollo. No. 83, Jan. 1966;

* T. W. Earp, "The Work of Walter Richard Sickert" Apollo. No. 11, April 1930

* R. Emmons, The Life and Opinions of Walter Richard Sickert, ( Faber and Faber Ltd, London, 1942);

* M. Hollis, M. (ed.), Late Sickert - Paintings 1927 to 1942, ( Arts Council Publications, London 1981);

* M. Lilly, (ed.) Sickert - The Painter and his Circle, ( Elek, London 1971);

* R. Morphet, "The Modernity of Late Sickert", Studio International. Vol. 140, 1975;

* L. Morris, Walter Richard Sickert - Advice to Young Artists, (Norwich School of Art Gallery, Norwich 1986);

* P.Pelowski, Sickert & Thanet - Paintings and Drawings by W.R. Sickert, (Ramsgate Library Gallery, Ramsgate 1986);

* A. Powell, "The Servant of Abraham", Apollo, No. 95, March 1972;

* R. Pickvance, "The Magic of the Halls and Sickert", Apollo. No. 76, April 1962;

* A.G.Robins, "Degas and Sickert: notes on their friendship", Burlington Magazine. 1988;

* J.Rothenstein, . Sickert, ( Beaverbrook Newspapers Ltd., London 1961);

* F.Rutter, "Richard Sickert", Studio. No. 100, Nov. 1930;

* R.Seddon, "The Technical Methods of Walter Richard Sickert", Apollo. No. 38, Dec. 1943;

* R.Shone, Walter Sickert, ( Phaidon, Oxford 1988);

* O.Sitwell (Ed), "A Free House!" - The Writings of Walter Richard Sickert, (MacMillan & Co. Ltd., London 1947);

* A.Stephenson, "Buttressing bohemian mystiques and bandaging masculine Anxieties", Art History. 1994 vol. 17, no.2. June;

* D. Sutton, Walter Sickert, ( Michael Joseph, London 1976);

* L. Tickner, "Walter Sickert: The Camden Town Murder and Tabloid Crime" Modern Life and Modern Subjects - British Art in the Early Twentieth Yale University Press. London, 2000;

* S.Tillyard, "W.R. Sickert and the Defence of Illustrative Painting.", Brian Allen (ed.) Studies in British Art 1 - Towards a Modern Art World. (Yale University Press, London 1995);

* V. Woolf, Walter Sickert: A Conversation, ( Hogarth Press, London 1934);

and

* E.D.H. Johnson, Paintings of the British Social Scene from Hogarth to Sickert. (Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London 1986).

QED.

Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper--Case Closed.......2007-09-21

I am looking forward to reading this book. I have been looking for this book for quite a while and now I have a chance to read it. I am very interested in the Jack the Ripper case.

A speculative confection of a book that's taken too much abuse ...........2007-08-20

It seems that a lot of people hate either this book, Patricia Cornwall, or both. Fair enough. But some of the reviews I've just been perusing have seemed unjustifiably vicious. Since the late 19th century, people have been speculating--with a great deal of confidence--on the identity of Jack the Ripper. Patricia Cornwall has the professional resume to take her turn, and in her defence, I believe she makes a very strong case for her conclusions.

I cannot believe the nastiness of some of these other reviews--particularly the ones calling her names that have no business in a public forum. Really, it's probably the first time I've ever actually felt sorry for a wildly successful writer.

Cornwall's a novelist, and her writing of nonfiction is enlivened by the prose that's made her successful in her established medium. This is no dreary textbook; quite a lot of it is narrative, following her tracks as she researches the White Chapel murders. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Does this mean she knows better than Scotland Yard? Probably not--but, then again ...

(This review has been posted by Marcus Damanda, author of the vampire novel: "Teeth: A Horror Fantasy.)

IMPOTENT FURY! .......2007-07-22

"I knew the identity of a murderer and couldn't possibly avert my gaze" so states Cornwell. Give me a break. Enough people have spent their time defending Sickert now, so I won't take up the space. Though he could be a suspect... The Jack the Ripper cases will most likely never be solved. Some people kinda' want it that way.

This is a good book for its documentation of the killings. Its also good for its in depth, yet ungrounded Sickert accusations; such as him having had a fistula. Pure speculation. I don't know if that would really be enough to drive a man to mutilate... but it doubtlessly would drive a person mad with "impotent fury"! And other phrases that will leave you giggling.

Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper -- Case Closed

Average customer rating:

Oversells Her Case

Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper -- Case Closed

Manufacturer: Penguin Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0641568657

Product Description

"Between August and November 1888, at least seven women were murdered in London's Whitechapel area. The gruesome nature of their deaths caused panic and fear in the East End for months, and gave rise to the sobriquet that was to become shorthand for a serial killer - Jack the Ripper." "For over a hundred years the murders have remained among the world's greatest unsolved crimes, and a wealth of theories have been posited which have pointed the finger at royalty, a barber, a doctor, a woman and an artist. Using her formidable range of forensic and technical skills, Patricia Cornwell has applied the rigorous discipline of twenty-first-century police investigation to the extant material, and here presents the hard evidence that the perpetrator was the world-famous artist Walter Sickert." By using techniques unknown in the late Victorian age, Patricia Cornwell has exposed Sickert as the author of the infamous Ripper letters to the Metropolitan Police. Her detailed analysis of his paintings shows how his art continually depicted his horrific mutilation of his victims, and her examination of this man's birth defects, the consequent genital surgical interventions and their effects on his upbringing presents a casebook example of how a psychopathic killer is created.

Customer Reviews:

Oversells Her Case.......2007-08-29

Cornwell does a good job amassing what evidence there is linking London artist Walter Sickert to the Jack-the-Ripper murders. Especially intriguing are watermarks on three of the murderer's letters to the police that are ingrained on the same stationery used by Sickert, though this was a stationery commonly used by professionals at the time. Cornwell is very good at portraying Sickert as a misanthrope whose physical sexual problems may have given him a motive.

While it is convincing that Sickert was an ugly human being who was fascinated by the Jack the Ripper crimes, this is hardly proof positive that he was the murderer. There is, understandably, very little hard evidence to support guilt. As a consequence, Cornwell overargues her case, substituting hatred for Sickert and rhetoric for any real evidence.

One also gets the sense that Cornwell is a bit like the drunk looking for her keys by the lamp-post because that's where the light is. Because Sickert became a famous painter, we have a record of him and so Cornwell takes everything known about him and tries to make it fit a scenario of guilt. There may be many more likely suspects about whom far less a record survives. Thus Sickert emerges as if by default as the prime suspect.

The biggest problem for her thesis is why the murders stopped. Cornwell argues that they did not -- that Sickert kept killing, but that the police attempted to defuse the public furor by not attributing the killings to the Ripper. Even if we accept that, how is it that Sickert had the self control to change the way he did the murders and, at some point, to stop them altogether? On balance, I don't think Sickert was Jack the Ripper, so in that sense the book fails its stated purpose.

Cornwell does a good job of discussing the sociology of the characters on London's East End victimized by Jack the Ripper. She also argues, convincingly, that Jack the Ripper was a man before his time -- the prototype for the modern serial killer.

Read this book only if the subject matter really intrigues you. I admire Cornwell's effort, but in the end the book is disappointing.

PORTRAIT OF A KILLER: JACK THE RIPPER CASE CLOSED (LARGE PRINT)

Average customer rating:

Calumny, base and deplorable!
Literally The WORST book I've ever read: Case Closed.
Far from closed
Patricia Cornwell tries to close the case of Jack the Ripper

PORTRAIT OF A KILLER: JACK THE RIPPER CASE CLOSED (LARGE PRINT)
PATRICIA CORNWELL
Manufacturer: Putnam Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0739430068

Product Description

New York Times" bestselling novelist Cornwell is known the world over for her brilliant storytelling. In this headline-making new work of nonfiction, Cornwell turns her trademark skills on one of the most chilling cases of serial murder in the history of crime--the slayings of Jack the Ripper that terrorized 1880s London.

Customer Reviews:

Calumny, base and deplorable!.......2007-07-03

I am new to the subject, merely indulging a writerly fancy at this point, so I found the chronology of events to be fascinating. A more responsible account of the Ripper crimes would have sufficed. Sadly, this effort is disturbing not so much by the crimes it details ( which are horrific in themselves) but that it adds one more victim to the Ripper massacres some 120 years later-- that of the brilliantly complex Victorian painter Walter Sickert. The underlying nausea one feels in reading this polemic, is that one is complicit in the wholesale libel of an historical figure by an ambitious, naive and astonishingly self righteous amateur with no compunction or shame about her misdeeds. The underlying notion that such a hatchet job can done by anyone at anytime to anyone does not sit well in this writer's psyche. In the end one cannot feel but violated and deeply mortifed for the Sickert family legacy.

Literally The WORST book I've ever read: Case Closed........2007-04-18

I've had an interest in Jack the Ripper for the last couple of years, and when I found out that Ms. Cornwell was going to be investing such a massive amount of money and "scientific study" into determining who the killer was, I was ecstatic. What a great idea for a fiction writer to do right? Unfortunately, I was caught up in the tremendous amount of hype that surrounded this book and failed to see the glaringly obvious flaw: this was a FICTION writer. This fact becomes painfully clear on the first page of the book.

"Portrait of a Killer" would make for a somewhat decent work of fiction. It would make for a mediocre "historical" fiction novel based on a real event. As a "non-fiction novel, it is absolutely horrible, and definitely the worst non-fiction book I have ever read. I've never read a Cornwell novel before, but it seems that she is trying to use real people to create fictitious characters. Walter Sickert is the man she is convinced held the secret identity of Jack the Ripper. Cornwell's entire premise for this book is that she would be using the scientific method, and more interestingly, DNA analysis, something that has never been done on the Ripper case. When her DNA analysis and scientific studies fail, she STILL uses the unconvincing results to try to draw definitive conclusions that Sickert was the killer.

The DNA "evidence" that is Cornwell's main link to Sickert and the Ripper, is actually mitochondrial DNA, or mtDNA. This type of DNA is actually very common, and is shared by anywhere from 1-10% of the population. Furthermore, Cornwell cannot even state with certainty that the DNA she tested was even Sickert's. How does she explain away all of the eyewitness alibis Sickert had for 4 or the 5 murders, placing Sickert in Paris at the time? She doesn't, she simply ignores them. Her ENTIRE book is based on a wide amount of circumstantial evidence that doesn't even come close to being "scientific." Most of the letters she attributes to the Ripper have been widely recognized as hoaxes by the Ripper community.

From reading her book, one would think that Cornwell had some sort of personal vendetta against Sickert, as she attempts to portray him as an insane psychopath. What does she use to support this claim? Mainly Sickert's sickening tendencies to take walks at night or paint!

Cornwell failed miserable with "Portrait of a Killer." She attempted to spend 1 year stepping into a completely unknown field. A field that has been explored by people studying the Ripper and the evidence for decades. Her only advantage over other authors on Ripper books was her budget and access to Ripper documents and testing laboratories. However, when this fails to turn up a single bit of conclusive evidence that Sickert could even possibly be the killer, Cornwell loses her ground and proceeds to recede back to what she does best: writing fiction. Even if her evidence proved without a doubt that Sickert was the killer, the book is so horribly written and jumps around so much, there is no way I would ever recommend it to anyone else.

Far from closed.......2006-06-22

Cornwell's theories about Walter Sickert, where based on evidence, are reasonable and worth a look if you're a Ripperologist open to considering all theories. If your interest in Jack the Ripper is more passing, you'd do well to pass on this book. Cornwell undermines her case at the start, when she describes her feelings while walking on a city street at night. Her statements that she knew who Jack the Ripper was and that she wasn't wrong, especially as described in such an emotional context as urban fear, outweigh any sense of objectivity in the rest of the book.

In the end, Cornwell offers more insistence than evidence that her theory hits the mark, let alone that it closes the case.

Patricia Cornwell tries to close the case of Jack the Ripper.......2005-04-30

Ripperologists have a passion that rivals that of Talmudic scholars and an ability to savage any position that runs counter to their own. Therefore, it is not surprising that Patricia Cornwell's attempt to close the case of Jack the Ripper would be met with disdain, hostility, and outright invective.

Of course Cornwell claim that the artist William Sickert was Jack the Ripper is open to debate. We need to remember that EVERYTHING involving this case is open to debate. One of the initial decisions you have to make in trying to reason out the real identity of the Ripper is to determine who his victims were. Even the acceptance of the canonical five (Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddows, and Mary Kelly) is a basic assumption that is easily called into question. Stride and Eddows were both killed the same night; Strides body was not mutilated, the assumption being the killer was interrupted. The horrible mutilation to Eddows' face is assumed to be because the Ripper was enraged that he had been interrupted in his first killing. But what if Eddows had not been killed? Would we still assume Stride was a victim of the Ripper? If Eddows had been the sole victim that night what motivation would we have ascribed to her mutilation? Any and all assumptions made to deduce the Ripper's identity are debatable.

For most people familiar with this case the most astounding part of Cornwell's case against Sickert is the argument that he wrote MOST of the Ripper letters. The assumption has always been that only one or two of the letters might have been real, so Cornwell is making a radical argument in this regard. Ultimately this is the strongest part of Cornwell's case, especially given her repeated observation that these letters are confessions as far as the law is concerned. Given the prolific number of letters Sickert wrote to newspapers in his life, it would not be farfetched that he would do the same thing as the Ripper.

The other key part of Cornwell's argument is the psychological profile of Sickert. The problem is that this is more of a premise in the book than a cogently laid out argument, with bits and pieces scattered throughout the book. I think the problem is more organizational than argumentation and I would have appreciated a more clinical presentation of the profile.

The weakest part of Cornwell's case is also her strongest. Cornwell dredges up everything from Sickert's life and work that she can use to pin these crimes on the artist (e.g., suggesting an unopened letter by his first wife given to her sister contained suspicions Sickert was the Ripper) and there will be times when you think she is pushing it. But the sheer volume of accusations is such that you have to be open to the possibility that some of them are valid. From an argumentative standpoint, she does not have to be right on ALL of these accusations to prove her point; she only needs to be right on some of them.

One of the things that makes me think Cornwell might be right are the argument raised against her thesis. Cornwell repeatedly points out that she does not have "hard" proof of Sickert's guilt, so pointing out the inconclusiveness of her DNA matches is irrelevant. Yes, there is evidence that Sickert was in France during some of the killings, but Cornwell deals specifically with the problems of that evidence (Sickert claimed to be in France with friends who were no longer there, etc.). To be fair, it is hard to make substantial arguments against Cornwell's case in the context of a review limited to 1000 words, but you still have to deal with the specific points she raises. In the end Cornwell rests her case on an accumulation of coincidences sufficient enough to have Scotland Yard's Deputy Assistant Commissioner John Grieve and an expert on the Jack the Ripper crimes to endorse her conclusion by saying he would be happy to put the case before the crown prosecutor.

One of the other things that works against "Portrait of a Killer" is that Cornwell uses more of a disjointed narrative structure than an argumentative one. The six murders that Cornwell ascribes to Jack the Ripper serve as a basic chronology for the book, but interwoven are chapters devoted to various parts of Walter Sickert's life that are unstuck in time. At one point I was convinced that maybe an editor had decided to rearrange these chapters and that I might be able to put all of them in a more traditional chronological order. With each of the murders Cornwell provides the main details and then talks about the limitations of forensic medicine at that time in contrast to what could be done today. "Portrait of a Killer" would work better if it were divided into a section that looks at the murders and then another making the case against Sickert.

The book is illustrated with tinted autopsy pictures of the Ripper's five canonical victims, including one of the horrible human wreckage of Mary Kelly. Cornwell uses these images, not only as a way of remembering the victims, but usually with the additional goal of showing how they are reflected in Sickert's artwork. Certainly the book would have been enhanced by more reproductions of the various works by Sickert that Cornwell alludes to in making her case. As it is, the key examples here have to do with the Ripper letters, the Lizard House guest book, and sketches known to be by Sickert.

Despite the presentational problems, "Portrait of a Killer" is going to be required reading for Ripperologists, all of whom will make of it what they will. Just be sure to read it before you dismiss it (or diss it). This is not something akin to the creative fantasy of Alan Moore's "From Hell."

Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper -- Case Closed (SIGNED)

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Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper -- Case Closed (SIGNED)
Patricia Cornwell
Manufacturer: Putnam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GTRROW

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Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper: Case Closed
Patricia Cornwell
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download

Book Description

This book constitutes a short course on noise jamming, range, angle and velocity deception, and on-off keying. The book draws upon current computer simulation capabilities to determine quantitative values of the jammer-to-signal ratios that cause a specified jamming effect.

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Good, but ULTIMATE SACRIFICE the best book ever

I Couldn't put the book down!!!

Flight from Dallas

Flight From Dallas: New Evidence Of Cia Involvement In The Murder Of President John F. Kennedy
James P. Johnston , and Jon Roe
Manufacturer: Authorhouse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Conspiracy Theories | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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Similar Items:

The Man Who Knew Too Much: Hired to Kill Oswald and Prevent the Assassination of JFK

Ultimate Sacrifice: John and Robert Kennedy, the Plan for a Coup in Cuba, and the Murder of JFK

JFK: The Second Plot

In the Eye of History: Disclosures in the JFK Assassination Medical Evidence

Without Smoking Gun: Was the Death of Lt. Cmdr. William Pitzer Part of the JFK Assassination Cover-up Conspiracy?

ASIN: 1410755363

Customer Reviews:

Good, but ULTIMATE SACRIFICE the best book ever.......2005-12-09

Good, but ULTIMATE SACRIFICE the best book ever
While I thought this book was worthwhile in many respects, ULTIMATE SACRIFICE is simply the best book ever on the JFK assassination.Still, worth your time.

Vince Palamara-JFK/ Secret Service expert (History Channel, author of two books, in over 30 other author's books, etc.)
Pittsburgh, PA

I Couldn't put the book down!!!.......2005-02-12

I really enjoyed this book. It was easy to read and kept my interest from the first word to the last. It brought a whole new light on the mystery surrounding the murder of our beloved president, John F. Kennedy.

Flight from Dallas.......2005-01-08

This book has to be one of the most trivial books ever printed on the subject of the assassination of JFK. It is 107 pages long, with large print which is double spaced, and takes a casual reader less than three hours to finish. In the end, it proves absolutely nothing. In my opinion, this is one book that is truly not worth the time or the money.

Book Description

Now in paperback--an easy-to-read primer of environmental dangers and the best way to address them.

Customer Reviews:

Very good critique of "mainstream" environmentalism........2003-01-28

This book, out now for almost nine years, has never received the attention it deserves. Bast, Hill and Rue survey the major tendencies among radical environmentalists--"greens"--and have produced the most objective evaluation I've yet to run across that ought to be accessible to the nonspecialist. In fact, considering the scope and complexity of their subject matter, it is amazing that they have produced so brilliantly written and accessible an account of where the human race really stands vis a vis the natural environment.

Guess what? We're not killing the planet!

Bast, Hill and Rue survey air and water quality, forests, global warming, ozone depletion, solid wastes and acid rain among other environmental topics. Bast, Hill and Rue succeed in showing that few if any of the hysterics coming from environmentalist circles are really warranted. The best scientific evidence we have tells us, for example, that our air and water supplies are getting cleaner, not dirtier. Total air pollution emissions in the U.S. today are much lower than they were in 1940, and lower than they were in the 1960s and 1970s. Water quality has shown equivalent improvements. Likewise, there are more acres of forest in the U.S. today than anytime since the 1950s. Regarding global warming, the evidence of a phenomenon that can be traced to human industrial activity is nowhere near as decisive as both the "greens" and the major media would have us believe. Average temperatures fluctuate across the globe for a variety of reasons, some of them too complex to determine exact causes, and we simply have not been keeping records for long enough to map out a direct cause-and-effect connection between warming temperatures and human industrial action. Certainly the science is not decisive enough for the massive changes in the whole economic order being demanded by many "green" activists (many of whom--let's just say it--are socialists who want a "new world order" they can control).

The authors present similar evidence regarding other environmentalist "issues." Consider ozone-layer depletion. Bast et al draw our attention to the fact that global ozone levels have *increased*, not decreased, since 1986. The "hole in the ozone layer" about which "greens" have obsessed was observed back in 1956, long before the man-made chlorofluorocarbons blamed for the phenomenon could have had this kind of effect. Again, real science does not support extravagent "green" claims.

In short, there is no "environmental crisis" in any large-scale sense. The planet is not dying. Nor are we overpopulating ourselves toward extinction. If anything, we are getting healthier because of increased levels of prosperity over the past half-century. Prosperity--created by market-driven and not-command-driven economic systems--leads to a healthier environment because it leads people to adopt more environmentally sound patterns of action. Worries over the depletion of nonrenewable natural resources are exaggerated, because the available reserves dwarf actual consumption. There would be more reserves available, moreover (e.g., in northeastern Alaska), if only the "greens" would let us drill for them. We have the technology to do so in ways that accommodate legitimate calls for environmental protection.

These revelations, important as they are, are not the major strength of this book. Its major strength is to offer a set of principles for *sound reasoning* about environmental issues. These principles do not simply brush the subject off. Obviously we don't want to foul our own nest. There have been environmental problems in the past, but the point is, the situation is under control. Improved technology, the product of human ingenuity that can never be predicted in advance, has consistently provided *solutions* whereas radical environmentalists have provided only prophesies of doom. The real issue, therefore, is "green" hysterics--especially since these hysterics are so often repeated mechanically, like mantras, in the major media.

ECO-SANITY thus offers 36 "rules for eco-sanity" that ought to lead us to a more informed view of how to protect the environment in ways that do not undermine necessary economic liberty. Here is a sampling:

-Correlation is not causation. In eco-systems, cause-and-effect is very complex, and we should never jump to conclusions (e.g., "industrial pollution" is a direct cause of "global warming"), particularly if these conclusions could impact on public policies in ways that could prove to be economically disastrous over the long run.
-We can never avoid risk completely.
-Risks, however, can be measured and ranked.
-It is impossible to prove that something does not exist. (This is that old adage about the logical impossibility of proving a negative.)
-Science is not immune to politics. (Note that the views of climatologists who object to the above global warming thesis are never reported by the major media, much of which is sold on the "green" agenda.)
-Ownership leads to better stewardship. (If land is owned as property, in other words, and protected by private property rights, it is likely to be better taken care of.
-Some environmental groups profit from false alarms.
-Don't react out of fear.

This, as I observed, is only a sampling. For the rest, I recommend getting the book. The point is, we should stop reacting to hysterical claims about a global environmental crisis for which "American capitalism" is almost invariably blamed. And though Bast, Hill and Rue don't dwell on it as much as I would have, we need to question the motives of the "green" movement, especially since this movement now operates at an international level, very well organized, and bankrolled by people with very deep pockets (think of the Rockefellers, for example). There is pretty good evidence that this movement is motivated more by a desire for global power than a sincere belief in protecting the environment. Part of this effort consists of the above-mentioned media blackout on the views of scientists who question the global warming thesis, for example, as well as more recent efforts to destroy the reputations of dissident scientists such as Bjorn Lomborg (author of THE SKEPTICAL ENVIRONMENTALIST) who have presented direct scientific evidence of the flimsiness of the science behind the "green" movement. When efforts are made to ruin dissidents instead of answer them with responsible arguments, watch out! You're dealing with people more interested in an agenda than the truth.

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McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Environmental Science & Technology
McGraw-Hill
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Professional
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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Similar Items:

McGraw-Hill Concise Encyclopedia of Environmental Science

McGraw-Hill Concise Encyclopedia of Bioscience

McGraw-Hill Concise Encyclopedia of Earth Science

Dictionary of Engineering

ASIN: 0071421777

Book Description

Derived from the content of the respected McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th Edition, each title provides thousands of definitions of words and phrases encountered in a specific discipline.

Book Description

More than 8,000 terms are listed in this updated edition, covering topics that range from soil science, climatology, and agriculture (including genetically modified and organic foods) to non-governmental organizations, pollution, waste management, environmental protection, and endangered species. Includes a phonetic pronunciation guide and sample sentences to aid usage.

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An excellent book for environmentalist and for women causes.

Women Pioneers For The Environment
Mary Joy Breton
Manufacturer: Northeastern
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1555534260

Book Description

As the torchbearers of environmental activism, women from around the world have created profound changes that are helping to ensure a healthier planet for all living things. Whether it is Judi Bari, who was crippled by a car bomb because of her efforts to save California's ancient redwood forests; Dai Qing, who was imprisoned for her opposition to an environmentally destructive dam on China's Yangtze River; or Dr. Tatynana Artyomkina, who defied KGB threats and exposed health and environmental risks in the Soviet Union, women have put their lives on the line and persevered against daunting odds to restore and protect the environment.

Mary Joy Breton provides absorbing sketches of these and other women activists in the Americas, Eastern and Western Europe, Africa, and Asia. Breton interweaves her accounts with narrative on the ecological hazards that drove these women to spearhead various environmental campaigns, examining why and how they challenged, and often defeated, the power structures of government and industry.

Although these remarkable women come from various geographical regions and represent a wide range of economic, ethnic, and political backgrounds, they share insights, values, and a particular sensitivity to the Earth that led them to change the course of history. Their courageous efforts illuminate the crucial role of women in the environmental movement, and provide inspiration for a new generation of activists.

Customer Reviews:

An excellent book for environmentalist and for women causes........1998-10-03

I thought the book was an excellent review of some very powerful women who, in most cases had scant means, but who have risked much to keep our planet whole and protect it from being exploited for short term gains. I would recommend it strongly to anyone interested in preserving the environment and/or in realizing how much work has been done by some outstanding women to protect and restore our planet.

A Dictionary of Environmental Quotations

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Great Quotes!

A Dictionary of Environmental Quotations
Barbara K. Rodes , and Rice Odell
Manufacturer: The Johns Hopkins University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0801857384

Book Description

"Three months of camp life on Lake Tahoe would restore an Egyptian mummy to his pristine vigor, and give him an appetite like an alligator. I do not mean the oldest and driest mummies, of course, but the fresher ones. The air up there in the clouds is very pure and fine, bracing and delicious. And why shouldn't it be? -- it is the same the angels breathe." -- Mark Twain, Roughing It

Here are more than 3,700 quotations in 143 categories -- from Acid Rain to Zoos -- that provide a comprehensive collection of the wise and witty observations about our natural environment, The Dictionary of Environmental Quotations will delight, provoke, and inform readers. It is at once stimulating, entertaining, and enlightening, with quotations that provide a complete range of human thought about nature and the environment. Quotations have been drawn from a variety of documented sources, including poems, proverbs, slogans, radio, and television, congressional hearings, magazines, and newspapers. The authors of the quotes range from a philosopher in pre-Christian times to a contemporary economist, from a poet who speaks of forests to an engineer concerned with air pollutants.

Organized into 143 topic areas such as Air, Conservation, Forests, Greenhouse Effect, History, Nuclear Energy, Water, Wildlife, and other subjects. The Dictionary of Environmental Quotations presents a sweeping look at the history of environmentalism as well as the issues and topics that are debated today. It includes two indexes, one by subject and one by author.

Customer Reviews:

Great Quotes!.......1998-12-24

The perfect addition to my boyfriends library - Although he probably knows all the quotes anyway!

Mineral Resources A-Z (Environment Reference Series)

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Mineral Resources A-Z (Environment Reference Series)
Robert L. Bates
Manufacturer: Enslow Pub Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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ASIN: 089490244X

Human Environments: A Cross-Cultural Encyclopedia (Encyclopedias of the Human Experience)

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Human Environments: A Cross-Cultural Encyclopedia (Encyclopedias of the Human Experience)
David Levinson
Manufacturer: ABC-Clio Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0874367840

Green Essentials: What You Need to Know About the Environment

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Subtitle says it all
Good Reference for someone who wants to DO SOMETHING

Green Essentials: What You Need to Know About the Environment
Geoffrey C. Saign
Manufacturer: Mercury House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1562790617

Amazon.com

Do you want to save the earth? If so, writes environmental activist Geoffrey Saign, you'll need to change a few habits. You'll need, for one thing, to stop buying PVC or vinyl products, which contain unhealthful levels of chlorine; you'll need, for another thing, to stop using chemical fertilizers on your lawn. In this alphabetical directory of topics ranging from acid rain to wind energy, Saign examines the positive and negative effects of human activities on the environment, and recommends steps for undoing harm, ranging from individual efforts to international accords. His book makes for a fine reference for like-minded activists. --Gregory McNamee

Customer Reviews:

Subtitle says it all.......2000-04-19

"Green Essentials: What you need to know about the environment" is a great handbook for the activist but its should be required reading for every American. The book takes a dictionary approach (A-Z) to dissect every trend and environmental issue possible. It then provides a concise definition as well as sections dealing with what is currently occuring in the area as well as what is to be done. Further, it is merciless in showing how human activity is relentlessly encroaching on habits, destroying resources and in general degrading the planet.

As a research tool, the book includes an annotated bibliography which is excellent in culling sources for nay research project.

Finally, the book contains a exhaustive glossary that explains each term used in the book. All in all an excellent source for anyone concerned about the viability of the human race in the future.

Good Reference for someone who wants to DO SOMETHING.......1998-07-30

This is an encyclopedic overview of all environmental issues, giving background, the effects, what's being done, and what still needs to be done, so you can get busy! Surely you will find an issue in here that you can get behind, and some task you can do to help out.

Advanced Dictionary of Ecology and Environment

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Advanced Dictionary of Ecology and Environment
David Khemchand
Manufacturer: Dominant Publishers & Distributors
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 8187336463

Dictionary of Dangerous Pollutants, Ecology, and Environment

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Dictionary of Dangerous Pollutants, Ecology, and Environment
David F. Tver
Manufacturer: Industrial Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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