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| Sweeney Todd: The Real Story of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street | 
 enlarge | Author: Peter Haining
Publisher: Anova Books
Category: Book
List Price: $13.95 (€11.02)
Buy New: $8.17 (€6.45)
You Save: $5.78 (€4.57) (41%)
Buy New/Used from $6.97 (€5.51)
Avg. Customer Rating:  (8 reviews)
Sales Rank: 270585
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 191
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.8
ISBN: 1861059892
Dewey Decimal Number: 364.1523092
EAN: 9781861059895
ASIN: 1861059892
Publication Date: December 15, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
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, he is said to have robbed and butchered more than 160 victims in his barber shop in Fleet Street, before taking the remains to nearby Bell Yard where his accomplice, Margery Lovett, cooked their flesh for her meat pies. Despite being as infamous in London's history as Jack the Ripper, Todd's story has been almost completely ignored by historians. In this definitive biography, Peter Haining delves into the grim underworld of London 150 years ago to expose the man behind the myth. Separating fact from fiction, he reveals a gruesome and bizarre story with a unique criminal heart.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
 Sweeney Todd and Margery Lovett- a Nightmare Pair October 9, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
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.
Haining on Sweeney Todd March 2, 2008
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.
 Good read February 14, 2008
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
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!!!!
Be Reasonable Folks !!!! February 13, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
It seems that the previous reviwers who slaged this book and author wanted all this deep insightful detailed facts when in fact the author from the begining stated their were very few hard concrete facts !!! I too wanted all sorts of detailed facts but the author stated early on that after years of research on Mr. Todd amd Ms. Lovett there was very little documented information on Sweeney Todd and Ms. Lovett their arrest,her suicide and his hanging !!!
The Author clearly tells what is fact and what is fiction and what is conjecture and leaves it to reader to decide for themselves what is a reasonable conculsion with the information that is available !!! Again the Author just gives you the information he could dig up and by his own admission there is more stories then facts....but there are some facts...he can not be held reasponsable because the actual facts are very little....and he also explains why there is such little information on these two people.
The author does not hold back anything....he gives you all the stories past and current....stage plays or bedtime....and how some of these stories stem from some of the actual accounts that are known about Sweeney Todd and Ms. Lovett....the exploits of Mr. Todd have been sensationalized for entertainment purposes to be sure...but those stories do not change the fact there was in fact a serial killer barber and a psychopath pie maker....how did they met!? No one knows....how long they do these evil deeds...again no one knows....The author tell you that !! He does not give you something thats just not there !!!
So....just read the book...take it for its worth...its not the bible nor does it claim to be....but I liked it....and found it very informative....its all good !!!!!
 A way to cure insomnia February 6, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
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.
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