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Helena Wojtczak
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Jack the Ripper at Last? The Mysterious Murders of George Chapman Paperback – March 18, 2014

by Helena Wojtczak (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 26 ratings
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‘You’ve got Jack the Ripper at last!’ The words with which Abberline congratulated Godley. The two detectives had hunted the fiend of Whitechapel fourteen years previously, but failed to catch him. George Chapman, a man facing the death penalty for poisoning his girlfriend, had a secret past. Born Seweryn Klosowski in Poland, he’d lived in London’s East End during the Ripper’s killing spree in 1888.

Former Chief Inspector Abberline had ‘a score of reasons’ for naming Chapman as the Ripper. And Arthur Neil, former Superintendent of Scotland Yard, agreed with him.

Chapman had committed ‘a series of murders which for sheer heartlessness are almost unprecedented in the annals of crime’. He was described as ‘one of the most loathsome murderers in criminal history, and the director of public prosecutions stated that his ‘cruelty, hypocrisy and daring’ had rarely, if ever, been equalled.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    272 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Hastings Press
  4. Publication date
    March 18, 2014
  5. Dimensions
    6.14 x 6.89 x 9.21 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1904109225
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1904109228
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Hastings Press (March 18, 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1904109225
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1904109228
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.14 x 6.89 x 9.21 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 26 ratings

About the author

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Helena Wojtczak

Helena Wojtczak

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
26 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Found out he was a relative!
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2019
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Very well written! I feel like it could be a movie!
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Tiffany D
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this book!
Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2014
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Could not put this book down! Anybody with an interest in the Jack the Ripper case should check this one out.
One person found this helpful
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Douglas B Barr
5.0 out of 5 stars Major work
Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2019
If you believe (as I did prior to reading this amazing book) that the reason people self-publish their own works is only because they cannot persuade one of the major publishing firms to publish it, then you should read this book, particularly if you have any interest in the Whitechapel murders of the late 19th century. The reason Ms  Wojtczak  self-publishes her book, it seems, is because she does not wish to make concessions to anyone, or allow anybody else the ability to alter her writing in any way whatsoever. And we are lucky that she chose this course in publishing her book!
This book is a virtual treasure trove of old newspaper articles, pictures, and quotes from every source George Chapman had ever been referenced in during the time he initially became infamous. Her research has been meticulous. She is careful not to allow her personal belief about whether or not he was really Jack-the-Ripper influence her book, because she does not wish to have it tainted by speculation, as just about every book on the Ripper that has come out in the past 30 years has been. Take it from me though, this book is worth every penny. I really did not expect it to be the major work on this frightening character that it is. I never would have even believed that there was so much information about him available, I had not known his case had been covered back at that time to the extent that this book shows that it had been. I am only sorry that it took me so long to discover the book in the first place.
I also feel that the book is probably relatively rare, due to the fact that not as many copies exist of self-published works (I would guess) and therefore if you do not wish to end up paying a lot more for it, you should get a copy as soon as possible. Just look at some of the prices of certain other 'Ripper' books that have now become scarce, books that are nowhere near as interesting as this one is. And if, as I believe will be the case, Klosowski soon becomes accepted by most people as having been the Ripper, this book will be a collectors item for that reason alone.
Well done Ms. Wojtczak!
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Meaghan
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best true crime books I've ever read, and I've read a lot
Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2015
I can honestly say that this is one of the best true crime books I've ever read -- top 5, at least -- and at last count I've read 400 of them.

The author's meticulously footnoted research has demolished dozens of myths about Chapman, many of them a century old. (Even my beloved Philip Sugden made mistakes when talking about the case in his book "The Complete History of Jack the Ripper." It's okay, Mr. Sugden. I forgive you.) Her arguments have convinced me once and for all of the answer to the "Was he Jack the Ripper?" question.

More to the point, Wojtczak convinces me that Chapman poisonings were a fascinating case of serial murder in their own right. And she supplies a convincing motive, something I'd never been able to make my mind up on until now.

I am totally floored by this book, both as true crime and as history. If you are a Jack the Ripper hobbyist, this ought to be required reading. If you just like true crime, especially historical crime, I strongly recommend this book as well.
One person found this helpful
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SJV
5.0 out of 5 stars Impressive
Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2014
Hands down the best book written to date on the subject.
Not a Ripper suspect book as such, the author, instead, looks at the life and murderous career of Severin Klosowski, known as George Chapman, who was suspected by newspapers and the retired Scotland Yard Inspector Frederick George Abberline of being the Ripper after his arrest as the Borough Poisoner in 1903. Klosowski/Chapman has been considered one of the top Ripper suspects ever since, with even Phillip Sugden coming out for him. Wojtczak takes a fresh look at the case backed by impressive and meticulous research, showing, once again, that the use of primary sources is the way to go to get at the truth. And the author gets closer to the truth than anyone has before her.
Myths and incorrect assumptions, formed from over one hundred years of misreporting, are here dispelled. Errors, which have been allowed to colour the facts, are identified and corrected. What we are left with is the story of a cold hearted killer; but one who was not the elusive Ripper. The actual hard facts just don’t support this conclusion. This is the type of book which all true crime, let alone Jack the Ripper, authors should aspire to. An impressive achievement and well recommended.
6 people found this helpful
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dusty miller
5.0 out of 5 stars A "must have" for those fancinated by Victorian crime history
Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2014
Pay attention to the question mark in the title. This isn't specifically about Jack the Ripper, although no serious Ripperologist should be without this book.
Helena Wojtczacks extraordinarily detailed research makes this a fascinating read about one of the most infamous
Victorian murderers. Klosowski aka George Chapman, despite being caught,tried and hanged was a mystery that still remains tantalizingly unanswered today. Wojtczack does a great job dispelling some of the myths that previous authors have created, but the core mystery remains ... why did he do it?

Because this is published by a small publisher, this book will probably become hard to find, the type of book people in the future will scour the internet to find. As a researcher, I for one am very pleased I got a copy now.

Essential for researchers, recommended for true life mystery lovers and just a damn good read.

dusty miller
7 people found this helpful
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simone watson
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent research/excellent writing
Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2014
I am not a reader of crime in general, but was initially impressed by the dedication to research, the accessibility of writing and the respect given to victims. This is a book worth reading for it's adherence to fact rather than prurience. Frankly, the research is stunning. To find such a gripping read with such impeccable research and analysis is refreshing.
This book is worth reading whether one is a true crime reader or not. It contains incisive understanding of the era it speaks to; giving a picture of the times and the lives of people in it. This book does not only offer the possible identity to the Ripper, it gives us knowledge about those who got away with murder and how!
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Shirley M.
5.0 out of 5 stars Good coverage of the life of George Chapman
Reviewed in Canada on September 9, 2017
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Good coverage of the life of George Chapman. The wife whom he had a daughter with is a distant relative. Other members of her family eventually came to Canada.
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Barbara Schlosser
3.0 out of 5 stars Ärgerlich
Reviewed in Germany on July 3, 2014
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Das Buch selbst ist gut recherchiert, was mir klar war, da ich die Bemühungen der Autorin monatelang auf [...] mitverfolgte.

Was aber mehr als ärgerlich ist, ist, dass man mit der Kindle-Version nur Text, keine Fotos oder Grafiken erhält!!!! Das wird einem aber vor dem Kauf nirgends mitgeteilt!!!
Zwar kann man sich das Geld für den Kindle Kauf rückvergüten lassen, falls man doch einmal das Buch selbst zu kaufen gedenkt, nur geht diese Vorgehensweise halt meilenweit an der Idee eines ebooks vorbei, gelle?
Ich kaufe mir ja ein ebook, weil ich nicht vor habe, mir ein papiernes zuzulegen, möchte aber dennoch ein vollwertiges Werk lesen. Zahle auch gerne etwas mehr (was ich, soweit ich mich erinnere, ja auch tat, da ich die uprünglich teuere englische Ausgabe erwarb).

Fazit: wer auch Fotos und Grafiken, die ja das eigentlich Interessante an dem Buch sind, sein eigen nennen möchte, muss leider auf die Kindle Ausgabe dieses Werkes verzichten.
2 people found this helpful
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ALLOYD
5.0 out of 5 stars Book of The Year
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 3, 2014
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I was aware of this book quite a while before it was published, having come across its page on Amazon.
George Chapman has always fascinated me ever since I discovered that my grandmother was cousin to one of Chapman's victims, Maud Marsh.
Everything I read about Chapman was always in relation to Jack the Ripper and his candidacy of being the fiend that terrorised Whitechapel in the autumn of 1888, so I was really looking forward to this book, hoping for more detail into the case.
I was not disappointed. The readable but thorough research into the life and crimes of Chapman dispel the myths and many inaccuracies that have been previously written by others and tells the story of one man's descent into crime and eventual murder of three innocent women. The short biographies of all the people involved are a lovely touch and the authors own intelligent conclusions make it a fascinating read from beginning to end.
The book, itself, is beautifully presented. Pages filled with illustrations and photos, some never having been published before, the design of the cover, to the thoughtful ribbon bookmark make this a book to treasure forever. In fact, I downloaded the Kindle version so as not to ruin it when I read in bed!
A must read for all those interested in historical crime and, indeed, Jack the Ripper. For me, it's one of the best and most thorough books I have ever read about true crime.
6 people found this helpful
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Kev
5.0 out of 5 stars A well researched case for a JTR suspect
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 20, 2021
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A well researched and insightful read. I find the cases built up against JTR suspects fascinating and recommend this read.
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ABmonkey
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and well researched
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 2, 2015
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Interesting and well researched this book provides an insight into George Chapman, one of the most callous murderers of the 19th Century. He is often put forward as one of the suspects considered to be Jack the Ripper - and this book covers the evidence and the pros and cons of the many theories.
Does it provide an answer to this more-than-a-century old dilemma? Well read it and see....

The author cites her sources, justifies her reasoning and presents a well rounded account of this man, his crimes and trial and the aftermath. There is not the sensationalism found in some other Ripper books. As most of the book covers the poisoning crimes of Koslowski/Chapman this is a good source for those interested in true crimes, trials, and the 19th Century.

In a couple of places I found the descriptions and evidence a little too much, and a little too detailed but over all a fascinating read.

Recommended.
3 people found this helpful
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