Two days before the outbreak of the Second World War, the British government imposed blackout regulations across the nation as it was believed that in the event of war, Germany would very quickly begin conducting air raids on British towns and cities. The measures included covering windows in a dark, thick material at night to ensure no light could be seen from the outside. The use of vehicle headlamps was also prohibited, which resulted in a number of accidents and pedestrians being killed. These restrictions, enforced by Air Raid Precaution wardens and the police, were for the benefit and safety of the British public, but it also unintentionally made life a lot less dangerous for members of the criminal fraternity, allowing them to go about their regular night time activities with less chance of being caught by the police. As a result, during one week in February 1942, Gordon Cummins, RAF, was able to move around freely to carry out his attacks and make it back to his billet without being caught, or even stopped, by the police. The very restrictions put in place to protect the British public from German bombers actually placed women in danger from men such as Cummins: three of his victims were known prostitutes, as was at least one of the two women he is known to have attacked, but who survived. All of Cummins victims were attacked during the hours of darkness while the ‘blackout was in place, leading to him becoming known as the Blackout Ripper.

He was the most notorious killer of all time. Now, after being given unprecedented access to Scotland Yard's most confidential files, the world's foremost authority on Jack the Ripper, Donald Rumbelow, presents shocking new evidence--including postmortem photos of the Ripper's victims, illustrations, letters to the police, and newspaper dramatizations.

Those who long for more details of the murders of Jack the Ripper will welcome this new addition to the literature. This volume presents all the articles on the murders that were published in The Daily Telegraph, which reported on the victims and the crimes in lengthy articles full of details of life among London's poor in the late 19th century. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

This is an anthology of articles analyzing femicide - the misogynist killing of women by men - in the U.S., U.K., and India. The articles in Part 1 explore the history of femicide, demonstrating that it is as old as patriarchy itself. Part 2 explodes the myth that the home provides a safe haven for women. In Part 3 the complex interactions of racism and femicide are explored, showing that femicide is no respecter of race, class or culture. Part 4 concentrates on media representations of femicide, showing that media generally fail to identify the sexual politics of femicide, and often sympathize with the male murderer at the expense of the female victim. Part 5 looks at the response of the criminal justice system to femicide, while Part 6 discusses the ways in which women have begun to fight back.

The pleasures of mystery novels and historical fiction double when the two genres meet in a single book. This detailed guide is the first to document and describe the diverse writings in the growing body of historical mystery literature. Organized alphabetically by author name and series title, the guide covers the works of approximately 70 authors, and contains descriptions of more than 700 works with crime themes (whether strictly in the mystery genre or a mainstream literary novel). For those who want to read historical mysteries in sequence, this is an essential guide; and for those seeking background information on historical mysteries to guide their reading or collection development choices, this book offers a level of detail that facilitates selection. The pleasures of mystery novels and historical fiction double when the two genres meet in a single book. This detailed guide is the first to document and describe the diverse writings in the growing body of historical mystery literature. Its focus is on the best, most representative, most current and easily accessible publications, with an emphasis on series novels. Most have been released in the past decade, with select classic historical mysteries (e.g., Christie's Death Comes as the End, 1945) also cited. Organized alphabetically by author name and series title, the guide covers the works of approximately 70 authors, and contains descriptions of more than 700 works with crime themes (whether strictly in the mystery genre or a mainstream literary novel). For those who want to read historical mysteries in sequence, this is an essential guide; and for those seeking background information on historical mysteries to guide their reading or collection development choices, this book offers a level of detail that facilitates selection. Each series entry names the scene of the crime; identifies the detective and his or her chief associates; notes the series premise; comments on characteristics, features, and overall series quality; and discusses the critical response. Individual series titles (The Cases) are then listed and described in series (or chronological) order. Additional access to titles is provided through detailed indexes: author, title (series and individual), characters, and settings (time and place). Academic, public, and high school librarians will welcome this guide as a valuable reference, readers' advisory, and collection development tool.

Takes the reader on an exploration of this genre, from the mid-nineteenth century through 1993.

When the news business was literally a matter of life and death... A real-life Barbary Coast, War of Words details the bloody birth of the San Francisco Chronicle, when verbal blows traded between two of the town’s most powerful men escalated into violence on the streets of 1880s San Francisco. Gun-toting newspaper publisher Charles de Young won circulation wars by spilling ink that destroyed political candidates he didn’t like--and Isaac Kalloch, a hellfire preacher whose lust for the ladies equaled his craving to be mayor, was an obvious target. First angry words flew, then bullets, when de Young ambushed Kalloch and shot him. Miraculously, Kalloch survived and won the election, only to see his son enact revenge on his behalf five months later by walking into the newsroom and fatally shooting de Young. The trial lasted 28 days, featured over 200 witnesses and made headlines coast to coast. The verdict? Not guilty, by reason of "justifiable homicide.” This sensational tale of sex, murder, and muckraking enthralled San Franciscans and is sure to captivate modern readers as well.

Published to coincide with the 50th anniversary of 'The Outsider', this comprehensive, annotated bibliography of primary and secondary sources has been fully revised and updated, incorporating an author chronology and an exhaustive index. Aimed at scholars, collectors and fans worldwide it also includes details of non-English translations of Wilson's work.