Non-Fiction Books
The county of Essex has rolling arable farmland, Epping Forest, sleepy villages, busy market towns and secluded backwaters - a wide variety of settings for murder. This selection of crimes uncovers not only famous cases, but also previously unpublished dramatic and tragic tales. The accounts included here come from a time when murder was a capital offence, carrying the ultimate penalty for the perpetrator, and when the difference between a verdict of innocence or guilt rested on a single piece of evidence, or the skill of the barrister in defence. Linda Stratmann has used original trial transcripts, material from local and national archives, contemporary accounts and the memoirs of pathologists, police and those in the legal profession in the course of her extensive research into crimes that have shocked the county. The killings explored date from as far back as the eighteenth century when the smuggler 'Colchester Jack' shot a confederate in the stomach in a row over stolen goods. They also include the case of a nineteenth-century female poisoner from Clavering and the brutal murder of a taxi driver in 1943 by two US servicemen at Birch. Supported by contemporary illustrations, "Essex Murders" reveals that behind the county's peaceful facade lies a murky criminal heritage.
Whiteleys was the Harrods of the 19th century. Its clients included English and overseas royalty and it offered - and delivered - "Everything from a pin to an Elephant". Created by William Whiteley, a draper's assistant from Yorkshire, who come to London with just a few pounds in his pocket, it was a remarkable achievement by a remarkable man.
Right up until the 19th century, physicians and philosophers regarded sleep as a state of near-oblivion in which there was no mental activity, a kind of halfway stage between wakefulness and death. For the Victorians, therefore, when anaesthesia was first practised, it was commonly seen as traumatic—for doctors were being asked to induce a condition looked upon as partial death. Viewed with suspicion, many feared that they would never wake again, or that they would lose their faculties on a permanent basis, even become insane. Yet, especially after Queen Victoria allowed its administration to her during childbirth, its use to block out pain became widespread. This engaging and entertaining book traces the social, medical and criminal history of chloroform, from early medical practices to create oblivion through the discovery of chloroform and its discovery, its use and misuse in the 19th century, to the present. Today chloroform is no longer used as an anaesthetic, but has a multitude of uses in industry and medical research, including a role in DNA profiling. A by-product of the chlorination of water, we inhale infinitesimal amounts of chloroform every time we have a shower.
Contained within the pages of Gloucestershire Murders are the stories behind some of the most notorious murders in the county's history. The cases covered include the most fascinating but least known crimes, as well as famous murders that gripped not just Gloucestershire but the whole nation.
Since the First Gulf War in 1990, names like Basra, Tikrit and Baghdad have been the staple of news bulletins, and it seems likely that there will be a substantial British presence in Iraq for years to come. What is not generally known, however, that British, Dominion and Empire troops also fought and died in this region during the First World War. In this hauntingly topical book, First World War historians Alan Wakefield and Simon Moody describe the progress of the first British campaign in Iraq. They draw on a wealth of primary source material including rare archive photographs, much of it unpublished, to reconstruct the ordinary soldier’s experience of campaign life in this extraordinary environment.
"The most notorious blasted rascal in the world." —Lord Chesterfield The venal and depraved reputation of Colonel Francis Charteris (1672–1732), and the story of his celebrated trial for the rape of his servant girl, one of the most infamous cases of the 18th century, became legendary and long survived his death. This book, for the first time, tells the remarkable story of Charteris—portrayed by Hogarth as the rake in The Harlot’s Progress— and how his servant girl successfully prosecuted the notorious aristocratic rake for rape. His reputation was such that he was obliged to use a false name in order to get female servants to agree to work for him. Ann Bond was engaged through an intermediary, but when her employer began to make regular advances towards her she realized his true identity. She demanded to be allowed to leave, but Charteris raped her and she was whipped and thrown out without her belongings. Most victims would have considered Charteris too powerful to bring to justice, but Ann filed a complaint, and he found himself facing a charge of rape, then a capital crime.
Examining the stories behind some of the most notorious murders in Kent’s history, Linda Stratmann re-examines some of the historic crimes that shocked not only the county but Britain as a whole. Among the gruesome cases featured here are the doctor who was poisoned with morphine in Faversham; the couple who were brutally battered to death in their beds in Chislehurst; and the strange death of a young German man whose body was discovered with one hand missing on Ramsgate beach. All manner of murder and mystery are included here, making Kent Murders a must-read for true crime enthusiasts everywhere.
Linda Stratmann's carefully researched and enthralling text includes much previously unpublished information and will appeal to everyone interested in the shady side of Middlesex's history.
This compendium brings together thirty-three murderous tales - one from each of the capital's boroughs - that not only shocked the City but made headline news across the country. Throughout its history the great urban sprawl of Greater London has been home to some of the most shocking murders in England, many of which have made legal history. Contained within the pages of this book are the stories behind these heinous crimes. They include George Chapman, who was hanged in 1903 for poisoning three women, and who is widely suspected of having been the notorious serial killer Jack the Ripper; lovers Edith Thompson and Frederick Bywaters, executed for stabbing to death Thompson's husband Percy in 1922; and Donald Hume, who was found not guilty of the murder of wealthy businessman Stanley Setty in 1949, but later confessed to killing him, chopping up his body and disposing of it by aeroplane. Linda Stratmann also reveals previously unpublished information that sheds a whole new light on the infamous Craig and Bentley cases. This carefully researched, well-illustrated and enthralling text will appeal to those interested in the history of Greater London's history and true-crime fans alike.
“Jack the Ripper Arrested with Victim Alice MacKenzie in Whitechapel.” “Boys Murder Their Mother. Revolting Crime at Plaistow—Shocking Details.” “Horrible Discovery of Human Remains at Rainham.” These are just some of the captions for the true crimes depicted in the Illustrated Police News. Best known for its meticulous coverage of the murders of Jack the Ripper, the weekly newspaper, published from 1864 until 1938, reported murders, hangings, and other dramatic crimes of the time alongside images packed with gruesome detail. Unapologetic about its sensationalism, the Illustrated Police News has been often dismissed as of little value, merely a crude publication that aimed to thrill the undiscerning reader with prurient pictures. But in Cruel Deeds and Dreadful Calamities, Linda Stratmann sets the record straight, arguing that it was actually a promoter of social change. Stratmann examines its social and political agenda and reveals the power and compassion in its images. She argues that the publication campaigned against the evils of cruelty, poverty, drink, and crime. As well, it anticipated by many years the features of today’s journalism, in the rapidity with which it provided pictures of current news events, its appeal to the emotions, and the way it involved its readers in the reporting process. A highly illustrated and comprehensive look at the Illustrated Police News , this book offers substantial new research into how the paper was produced, the men who made it a success, and the stories behind the pictures. This look into the dark underbelly of Victorian culture will appeal to both crime and history readers alike.
CHILD CARRIED OFF BY EAGLE! LION'S ADVENTURES IN A PLAYGROUND! MAN KILLED BY A COFFIN! The Illustrated Police News cost just a penny, providing an affordable illustrated roundup of "all the startling events of the week" from its first issue published on February 20, 1864. Promising to educate the people with fantastic features such as "BURGLARIES OF THE WEEK" and its bountiful, often outlandish, illustrations, the paper was also a perhaps unexpected champion of social change. With crime historian Linda Stratmann as guide, the articles and special reports of the newspaper provide a fascinating view into the reading tastes and daily lives of its readership throughout the decades. Led by the newspaper's bombastic imagery sourced from the Library's extensive archive, this new book revels in the infamy and social significance behind the exuberant headlines of this extraordinary periodical.
From the pretty villages, rural byways and bustling market towns of Essex come ten of the most dramatic and tragic murder cases in British history. Brutality, passion, jealousy, greed and moments of inexplicable rage have led to violent and horrifying deaths and, sometimes, the killers expiation of the crime on the scaffold.This chilling follow-up to Essex Murders brings together more true cases, dating between 1823 and 1960, that shocked not only the county but also made headline news across the nation. They include the extraordinary events resulting from the obsession of a young farmers daughter with a married man twice her age, the bloody killing of a police sergeant, a murder carried out in the depths of Epping Forest, the Dutch au pair found dead in a ditch, and a case that made criminal history in which the accused said he had strangled the victim while he was asleep. Linda Stratmanns well-illustrated and enthralling text will appeal to everyone interested in true crime and the shadier side of Essexs past.
In 1817 a young woman of exotic appearance was found wandering near Bristol. She spoke in a language that no one could understand except, seemingly a Portuguese sailor. He claimed that she was a Sumatran princess from the island of Javasu. Princess Caraboo, as she was known, became a national celebrity and lived in a grand style, entertaining many distinguished visitors. A few weeks later, however, she was exposed as Mary Baker, the daughter of a cobbler from Devonshire. Mary's deception is one of several intriguing stories of nineteenth-century fraudsters brought to light in Linda Stratmann's entertaining look at some of history's greatest rogues. From bankers who forged share certificates, ruining hundreds of small investors, to 'Louis de Rougemont' whose tales of high adventure branded him The Greatest Liar on Earth', these riveting tales of true crime expose the seedy side of life in which corruption, avarice and scandal hold sway.
The Marquess of Queensberry is as famous for his role in the downfall of one of our greatest literary geniuses as he was for helping establish the rules for modern-day boxing. The trial and two-year imprisonment of Oscar Wilde, lover of Queensberry’s son, Lord Alfred Douglas, remains one of literary history’s great tragedies. However, Linda Stratmann's riveting biography of the Marquess paints a far more complex picture by drawing on new sources and unpublished letters. Throughout his life, Queensberry was emotionally damaged by a series of tragedies, and the events of the Wilde affair—told for the first time from the Marquess’s perspective—were directly linked to Queensberry’s personal crises. Through the retelling of pivotal events from Queensberry’s life—the death of his brother on the Matterhorn and his fruitless search for the body; the suicides of his father, brother, and eldest son—the book reveals a well-meaning man often stricken with a grief he found hard to express, who deserves our compassion.
The outrageously debauched life of Colonel Francis Charteris (1675-1732), as immortalized in Hogarth’s Harlot’s Progress, and his spectacular fall from grace at the hands of a humble servant. This vivid account chronicles Colonel Francis Charteris’s privileged life of cruelty, criminality, and excess which led him to become one of the most hated men of his time. This is the ideal book for readers of Erin Mackie, Matthew J. Kinservik, Lucy Moore, and Jerry White. Despite being descended from an ancient Scottish line leading back to Norman France, Charteris was not born to great wealth. Instead, he made it his life’s work to acquire it — not by any honest means and hard toil, but as a ruthless gambler, cheat, blackmailer, fraudster and extortionate money lender. He was also a penny-pinching miser. Not wishing to waste his money on common prostitutes as did most wealthy men of his time, and also to protect himself from disease, he believed in taking what he wanted from innocent and unwilling victims. The women, often lured under false pretences to work in his household, he believed he could rape with impunity. His downfall finally came when one brave servant girl stood up for her rights. The trial was a sensation, and the conviction long overdue. Drawing from a wealth of contemporary sources such as newspaper and journal reports, court documents, public records, private letters and memoirs, Stratmann delivers a thoroughly researched account of a man so notorious his contemporaries called him ‘The Rape-Master General’.