[HNT]∎ PDF Gratis Sweeney Todd The Real Story of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street Peter Haining 9781861059895 Books

Sweeney Todd The Real Story of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street Peter Haining 9781861059895 Books

Download As PDF : Sweeney Todd The Real Story of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street Peter Haining 9781861059895 Books

Sweeney Todd The Real Story of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street Peter Haining 9781861059895 Books

Well-written and entertaining (as is most of Haining's work), makes a pretty plausible-sounding argument that Sweeney Todd was a serial killer who actually existed, and was not simply a character inspired by a "penny dreadful." I'm not entirely convinced, because some of the "evidence" is impossible to validate, and some of the arguments Haining presents are a bit of a stretch, albeit well presented. Despite the typographical errors, it's an entertaining and interesting read, even if it doesn't leave you completely convinced of Todd's actual existence.


Tags : Sweeney Todd: The Real Story of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street [Peter Haining] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <div><P style= MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt >Sweeney Todd, the notorious Demon Barber, has been called the greatest mass murderer in English history. With the aid of an ingenious revolving chair and a cut-throat razor,Peter Haining,Sweeney Todd: The Real Story of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street,Anova Books,1861059892,Serial murderers;England;London;Biography.,Serial murders;England;London;History;18th century.,Todd, Sweeney (Legendary character),18th century,Biography,England,Europe - Great Britain - General,History,History Europe Great Britain,London,Murder - Serial Killers,Serial murderers,Serial murders,True Crime,True Crime Espionage,True Crime Murder Serial Killers

Sweeney Todd The Real Story of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street Peter Haining 9781861059895 Books Reviews

This book was a disappointment, not what I was expecting it to be. From the annotation on the back cover I expected it to be a scholarly historical work, with footnotes and such, making the case for Sweeney Todd's existence and chronicling what little is known of his life. Instead, the book provided a few chapters for Todd's life and crimes and his trial, then the second half focused on the impact Todd had on history and all the plays, musicals, etc., done about him. Which is fine if you like that sort of thing, but I had wanted something different. How does the author KNOW all that stuff he wrote about in the biography section actually happened? What are his sources? How do his sources "prove" Sweeney Todd existed? I'm not saying I don't think he existed, but I would like to have seen a lot more evidence and argument provided than what I got.
Sweeney Todd's crimes struck horror into the hearts of eighteenth century Londoners, and continue to chill and fascinate two hundred years later. According to the legend, Todd was a barber with a grimy shop on Fleet Street. When solitary victims settled into his chair for a shave, the `Demon Barber' would pull a lever that opened the floor beneath the chair and pitched them into the dark cellar below. If the fall did not kill them, he would cut their throats, and then help himself to their valuables. Todd disposed of the bodies with help from accomplice Margery Lovett, who baked their flesh into meat pies that she sold in her Bell Yard shop. The nightmare pair claimed over 160 victims before authorities stepped in and brought their spree to a halt.

The unbelievable victim count, the fantastic revolving chair, and the two centuries that have passed since he cut his last victim's throat have led crime historians to question whether or not Sweeney Todd really existed. Even the flesh-into-pie method of concealing his crimes has a Grimms aura of unreality about it. Peter Haining attempted to set the record straight in this book, which was originally published in 1993, and re-released in 2007 in the wake of the popular film starring Johnny Depp. He doesn't fully succeed.

`Sweeney Todd the Real Story of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street' is a well-written account of both the Demon Barber's deeds and the London that he lived in. But the problem is that Haining does not list his sources. In 1993 footnotes were not the norm outside of academic texts, but authors usually compensated by identifying source material in the book itself i.e. "According to the People's Periodical of November 1, 1846..." We're given a lot of intriguing information that cannot be verified. Haining describes Todd's trial and execution in vivid detail, yet neither event appears in the official records. Discriminating readers are left with a sense of hollow enjoyment. We want to trust such an entertaining book, but we can't.

This could have been a five star book, but the sense of uncertainty it leaves me with forces me to accord only three.
Fantastic glad i bought it so very interesting to read. All you people out there especially studying social work and psychology its the book for you to read.
I found some of the facts mentioned in the book interesting. Those that had nothing to do with sweeney todd but, the history of London. It was a very slow and painful read. I wish there was a way to return all the wasted time i spent trying to get through this book.
The author claims to have discovered evidence that Sweeney Todd was real person, yet never once offers any documentation--not even footnotes, in a book purporting to be an investigative work of non-fiction! Todd was "born in 1756"--how do we know this? No idea. We get "we are told" this, and "evidence shows" that, but no cites of sources, leaving us to conclude that the author is pulling this stuff out of his, umm, hat. He quotes 15th-century accounts of the demon barber and his pie-making associate, then claims Todd worked in the 18th century?

The frequent typos ("candies" burning in windows, Dickens writing in the 18th century) are pretty funny, though not enough to nudge this over to the humor shelf.

Haining actually claims to have been a working Fleet Street journalist--the downfall of the newspaper is a little less mysterious now.
Even while you are reading this, you realize, that while Sweeney is PROBABLY based on some actual events or person, he really never existed, certainly not to the degree he is protrayed as. The story is good though. You can tell that the author REALLY wants the Sweeney of legend to exist. There was a good historical geography lesson of old London in here with the author's attempt to authenicate Sweeney, but to no avail. We can be GLAD that he didn't though. That was one MEAN serial killer!!!!
Well-written and entertaining (as is most of Haining's work), makes a pretty plausible-sounding argument that Sweeney Todd was a serial killer who actually existed, and was not simply a character inspired by a "penny dreadful." I'm not entirely convinced, because some of the "evidence" is impossible to validate, and some of the arguments Haining presents are a bit of a stretch, albeit well presented. Despite the typographical errors, it's an entertaining and interesting read, even if it doesn't leave you completely convinced of Todd's actual existence.