Is there a "best" book to read on Lizzie

[W Brayton Cook]

In reading thru the threads I've seen mention of many different books on Lizzie.

As a neophyte to the Lizze case I was wondering if the more expereinced on the forum could recommend which books are the best to read as an introduction to the case.

I would define "best" as most accurate and informative, and if possible, without an axe to grind ( sorry couldn't resist).

Thank you in advance for the advice.

[Allen]

I recommend Len Rebello's Lizzie Borden Past and Present. I think this is the most important 'must have' book on the case. He sticks to just reporting the facts, and uses credible known sources and documentation on the case, which is the best approach in my opinion.[/i]

[Kat]

Though a good portion of Len Rebello's book comes from newspapers, he also has done extensive research on the facts from source documents and does an extremely good job of combining both to illuminate, elucidate, and explain.
It's really a unique book, and eminently readable, cover to cover, with no point of view.

Ordering info at this thread:
viewtopic.php?t=1243

The old LBQ's are good, as is The Hatchet.

[Haulover]

THE HATCHET is the best contemporary source. at this point, i would say there are several articles that may be classics.

the rebello book is IT when all is said and done. the authors' theories are all mixed bags, i guess.

[FairhavenGuy]

Also, we must add that what Len Rebello's book lacks is the actual trial testimony, witness statements, inquest testimony, etc., which can be downloaded free of charge from our "parent" site www.lizzieandrewborden.com in pdf form. Those documents are also must haves, because none of the "authors" use all of the unedited testimony and some are very selective in reproducing the bits of testimony that support their theories.

[mbhenty]

Yes, there is no dispute that Leonard Rebello has written the most comprehensive study on the Borden Crime. If one wished to study the genre he/she must own a copy.

But, first I would suggest a less complicated and easier read, such as Radin, Lincoln, Spiering, and Sullivan. These were all early titles which give a good overall outlook on the crime from begining to end. Each have thier prejudice, but on the whole, they all read just about the same. Of course, as you near the end, you will find the writer begin to guide you down the road they wish you to travel, whether they think Emma, Lizzie or the maid did it, all want you to see their outcome be championed.

I would conclude that Rebello's book is what you want if you plan to do any further reading or extensive study. But Lenord's book can be overwhelming for the beginner.

If you are being introduced to the "Legend" know little about it, or are a young person wanting to know what all the hoop-la is all about, begin with Radin, Sullivan or any of the ones I mentioned above. Once your done reading you will have a host of questions and arrive at a possible conclusions. It is then that you want to pick up Past and Present for all the answers.

[theebmonique]

I know this thread is about books, and there have been some wonderful suggestions on where to start, but I'd like to add that if there is any way possible for a student of this case to be able to actually make a pilgrimage to Fall River, they should jump at the chance.

Besides just being THERE...in THE place...the ambiance...the vibes...all of it, you can get a great 'visual' of many of the 'things' you are 'studying' about. For me, actually seeing Fall River and the surrounding area truly helped put a lot of things in perspective.

I do agree with the choice of at least startubg 'somewhere'...whatever book you choose. Rebello is, as previously stated, a must have. Also, the primary documents, etc. whether you get the gratis copy form LABVML, purchase the bound versions from Lulu.com, or get the CD's, are also a must have. THE HATCHET is another must have. Being a member of this forum goes without saying.


Tracy...

[diana]

I agree that Rebello's book is a must have -- but it's true -- it is a bit overwhelming for someone without an overview of the murders. It's difficult to recommend one author over another -- they all have strong and weak areas.

The first book I read was Victoria Lincoln's and because it hooked me in so thoroughly I have a particular fondness for it -- although it is probably the one most responsible for perpetuating inaccuracies about the case.

In my estimation, the book that doesn't get mentioned enough is William Masterton's Lizzie Didn't Do It!. It has an annoyingly lurid cover which belies the scholarly treatment inside. Masterton has a Ph.D in Physical Chemistry and presents a fairly compelling argument against the forensic conclusions presented at the trial. It's one of my favorites.

[W Brayton Cook]

Thank you all so very much. It looks like I have some reading to do!

I like the advice about a basic read and then diving into Rebello.

There are two copies of Rebello's book for sale on Amazon but they are $197! Is this an acurate and fair market price?

I also like theebemonique's suggestion about going to Fall River. I'm planning a trip there for the early summer. Going to visit the old homesteads as well as Lizzie's house for sure.

[snokkums]

I like the book "Lizzie didn't do it" and the "Lizzie Borden Source book". Both of which can be bought on this website, and the Hatchet is good too.

[RayS]

In reading thru the threads I've seen mention of many different books on Lizzie.

As a neophyte to the Lizze case I was wondering if the more expereinced on the forum could recommend which books are the best to read as an introduction to the case.

I would define "best" as most accurate and informative, and if possible, without an axe to grind ( sorry couldn't resist).

Thank you in advance for the advice.

The 'one best book' is still David Kent's "Forty Whacks". It covers just about everything for the general reader. The fact that the others didn't mention it indicates a failure of judgment to me. It is more likely to be found in your library or county library system. Just as whatever dictionary your library has is the 'one best book' compared to anything else.
Now watch how many will contradict me!

Rebello's book seems to be an encyclopedia of everything he could find. Good for reference, but not as the first, or second, or third book. IMO

[mbhenty]

Yes, Your right on Rays: The only reason I did not recommend Kent's book was not a judgment call but just that I have not read it yet. I have it in my collection, but not got to it as of yet. But I can concur and recommend it just from what I heard about it. And that is that it is a well rounded account. I spoke to Robert Flynn about the book at the time it was being published and he was in contact with Kent and highly recommended it.

Also a couple of friends read it and claimed that it was similar in style to the old writings on the case. So let me at my voice to yours and proclaim it a recommended read from what reviews I have heard.

Pertaining to Mr. Rebello's work, can't say enough about it, but it is mostly a reference book on the Case. I marveled the first time I went thru it. But it is not a book you pick up and read from cover to cover, it's just not that kind of book. But for any one interested with the case I would wait for a 2nd edition which I am sure will be published. So, on that account we are also in agreement.

[snokkums]

I haven't read that one yet. Must get it. I can't recommend I book I have not read.

[nbcatlover]

The best book depends on your perspective.

Rebello is always invaluable as a resource for serious Lizzie study, but it was Arnold Brown's book that got me going on doing my own research. While I don't subscribe to the Bill Borden theory, it was the first book that offered the possibility that "someone else could have done it." So many books treat the murders like a game of chess, with set movements around the board.

I also like Victoria Lincoln, not for her theory, but for the subtle snobbism and prejudices she showed. They seem representative of the so-called 'ruling class' of the time and provide insight as to point-of-view for us today. Certain people count, certain people do not.

[mbhenty]

Yes, mbcatlover: The murders can and are treated like a chess game. That is what makes this case so interesting, we know so much, yet we know so little. It's the perfect crime to build your own crime story around. There are so many variables, possibilities. Just move characters along the board. Move them to where ever you want the story to go. Everyone fits somewhere one way or another. And when you reach what you beleive to be a concrete secnerio, you write a book.....no?

I read Brown's book 15 years ago, afraid to read it again, I'm confused enough....

Yes Kat: One can read Rebello from cover to cover if you like. That can work.......! But, the recommedation I was trying to make above was for someone that has never read anything on the case. Some young people have asked me where they can find a book about Lizzie, I usually give them my copy of Radin. Of course, it always comes back in shambles. Then you discover that they let all their friends read it. I have gone through 3 Radins. Of course, after a while you don't even want the book back. Never let anyone borrow your treasures.

[Kat]

Okay. Geary is a good start.

http://www.lizzieandrewborden.com/Borde ... izzieB.htm

[W Brayton Cook]

Thank you everyone for the recommendations.

Kat - from the time on your last post you were really burning the midnight oil! I'm going to order Geary and a few others today.

[Fargo]

Most of the storybooks out there are written with the Authors opinion of Lizzie's guilt or innocence. A few that let the reader decide on their own are Sullivan's "Goodbye Lizzie Borden" (the Author expresses his belief in Lizzie's guilt but he lets the reader decide.) "The Casebook" by Joyce Williams and "Lizzie didn't do it."(although I am not really sold on the theory that is presented about both murders occurring a few minutes apart)

By storybooks I mean books that tell the story in the regular way. Other books like "Rebello's book", "The Knowlton Papers" and "Yesterday in old Fall River" are Sourcebooks, kind of Reference books.

Although the actual "Lizzie Borden Sourcebook" is written as the sourcebook on the case, it was written before Rebello's book. With no disrespect intended to the sourcebook, as it is a good book, I consider Rebello's book to be the real sourcebook on the case.

Stay away from Spiering's book "Lizzie", unless you want to read fiction, it's supposed to be fact, there are some facts in it, but it's loaded with fiction. Reading it is like reading about the case in the Tabloids.

[RayS]

Spiering's book "Lizzie" (which blames Emma, based on a quote from Lizzie's heir Ann (?) Howe. I'd give it medium to low priority.
It is important for its background information, and pictures.

One thing it does is to argue about Lizzie's alleged confession, then give it a footnote. Looking that up you will find that Radin disprooved this years ago. Do you think that's fair?

That would be like saying Al Gore won the 2000 Presidential Election, and giving a footnote. The footnote said Gore won popular votes, but lost a disputed Electoral College election. Not really false, but misleading.

[mbhenty]

Yes Fargo: I agree. I have always felt that Spiering was a bit of a sensationalist, writing an easy book, for easy profit. It's not a bad read, but once read, you walk away with the feeling that this guy adds nothing new, and borrows much from past authors with a slight twist on who done it, so that it works for him.

Also, from what I remember reading it over 20 years ago, it had several errors, as the claim he makes about Porter's 1893 book. (Claim that only 4 copies were known at that time. All he had to do was contact a couple of Antiqurian book stores and he would have been better informed. The code word here is research, research, and research again; Mr. Rebello shows us how it's done in Past and Present.)

But, Spiering's not a bad read, good introduction for a light read, but for anyone interested in studying the murders on a higher plateau, I would leave it for later reading. Once again I am my own worst critic.

Yes KAT, I have Rick Geary's book. Shame, shame, have not read it. Will need to soon. After all, it was the comics like, Spiderman, The Hulk, Superman, and Batman, that got me reading and interested in books as a child.

[KT72]

I'm glad to see the general opinion on Spiering, as I'm reading his book now and find it riddled with plain old errors.

For just one example, he seems to claim at one point that Abby was practically decapitated, saying something to the effect that her head "lolled off" and was held on by only a scrap of flesh. As far as I know this is untrue; if anyone here can verify please do

I don't have the book with me at the moment; this is the most glaring falsehood I can think of from memory. It's proving very disappionting so far.

I'm afraid people reading Spiering as a first or early exposure to the case will be terribly misinformed and come away with very little true history.

[Allen]

I have never made it all the way through Spiering for just that reason. I can't read it.

[mbhenty]

KT72, thanks for the post, it verifies what I remember reading. You can see how easily lead a new reader could be. Under no circustance was her head "lolled off" as Spiering put it. If I remember she took a good chop to the neck area, but her head never "almost came off," of course as we well know, that came later.

Yes Allen: The confussing and mis-stated discriptions made by Spiering can be a disappointment to anyone fimiliar with the case. To a true enthusiast could be very disgusting . So I agree with you not finishing the book. We are given so many minutes devoted to reading in our stay in this world, and with so many books to read, Well?

An author making an error becasue of erroneous research or bad opinion can be forgiven, but here I think one can read between the lines in the effect that Spiering is trying to convey. All this being said, I still couldn't put it down, it was a Lizzie book, and gave me a chance to throw rocks at the author....Ha ha!!

[Fargo]

Spiering did contact an antiquarian bookseller and was informed about Porters book. In the Proceedings book in the chapter called Lizzie Borden On The Rare Book Market. (page 273)Patterson Smith, the chapters author tells how Spiering did this. The specific details are on pages 287 to 289.

All one has to do is look at the autopsy picture of Abby in the crime library section of the virtual museum and library to tell that her head was not almost removed from her body.

[mbhenty]

Thanks Fargo: I should stop being so lazy and pull the Spiering book off the shelf and look it over it again.

Not sure if they are still in business, but Patterson Smith use to be down in NJ, and they were one of the best known Antiquarian book dealers on books about real crime and such in the country. If anyone should have known, they should have.

Before Spiering wrote his book I knew there were other copies floating around. Perhaps because I'm from Fall River and delt with all the book dealers in the area.

[Fargo]

I just bought an original Fall River Tragedy from Patterson Smith, yes they are still in bussiness.

In the Proceedings book it shows how Spiering contacted Patterson Smith to find out how rare Porter's Fall River Tragedy was. Spiering was informed that the book was not as rare as was believed. However in his book Spiering wrote the exact opposite of what he was informed of.

[mbhenty]

Thanks Fargo: Very interesting. Great to hear you have an original Porter. I am submitting an article to the Hatchet about my search for Porter's 1893 book, hopefully it will be published and you will get a chance to read it?

I use to browse Patterson Smith's booth at the Boston Book show back in the early 90's and 80's. for Lizzie books.

That is interesting about Spiering, but considering the approach he took in his book on the crime, it does not surprise me.

Thanks greatly Fargo: Very interesting.

[DWilly]

So, far the Rebello book is the one I like best. The only thing I don't like about it is the index. I'll read something in Rebello and then when I want to go back and find it I can't.


What I would like to see is my *Dream Book* published. It would have:

1. All notes from the police.

2. All inquest and trial testimony.

3. All notes from all of the lawyers.

4. All letters from and to Lizzie Borden.

I'd also like to see someone not just throw some theories but really look at them and take them apart.

[RayS]

But WHO is going to pay for it? Will you trust the book if the result is not to your liking?

[mbhenty]

Just to touch base with anyone interested in, or have not heard about, Karen Roggenkamp's book called, "Narrating the News." Karen is a professor of English at Texas A&M. The book is published by: The Kent State University Press. (2005)
It's a short read of 137 pages. (minus another 62 for the index and footnotes.) It's a look at 5 different major stories of the late 1890's, including one in the New York Sun on Lizzie Borden and the reporter's approach to reporting the Borden story in the press.

The book deals with Newspaper embellishments, and the fine line they took in the late 19th century, between gossip and the truth, in their eager attempt to compete with ficitional accounts of murder and mayhem; in an endeavor to prove that truth was more interesting than fiction.

The chapter on Lizzie is about 28 pages long and is called, "A front seat to Lizzie Borden." Interesting.........

[bruceaddison]

Mr. Cook- are you a "Fall River Brayton"? If I recall, Brayton is an old Fall River name- and I think there are Brayton's who married into the Borden family. If my addled memory serves me, there was a wonderful old character who lived outside of Newport, Rhode Island named Alice Brayton. She had a beautiful topiary garden, now open to the public. Her father was a fall River cotton magnate, and she styled herself a "cousin" of Lizzie Borden's.

If I am correct (and I don't mean to pry), you will greatly enjoy Victoria Lincoln's "A Private Disgrace". She was from an old, Fall River family as well, and has interesting insights into the case. It is also a wonderfully written book. It got me 'hooked" on the case.

[Kat]

Rebello mentions Alice Brayton's memoires:
pg. 499
"Brayton Alice, Life on the Stream, vol. 1, Viking Press, Inc., Newport: RI, 1962: 5."

"Usually two people and only two people come up for consideration when historians of
the nineteenth century turn for material to Fall River. They are the skeleton in armor, first presented to an appreciated public by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and the Lady, no skeleton, introduced to the world by Edmund Pearson - you know who she was; Lizzie Borden of course." (Preface)

It's available as a download at The Keeley Library online:

http://www.sailsinc.org/durfee/fulltext.htm


Life on the Stream / by Alice Brayton. -- [s.l. : s.n., 1962?] (Wilkinson Press)
    2 v. : ill., facsims. ; 24 cm.
    All files are searchable
    Contents:

* Volume 1.
* Preface
* The Legend of Holder Borden, 1799-1837
* Ballad of Avery's Knot, 1833
* Letter written by Olive Bowen Howland, 1833
* Letter Books of the Nail Factory, the Iron Works, and the Troy Mill, 1820-1835
* Pay Roll of the Anawan Mill, April, 1835
* Diary of Matthew Chaloner Durfee, 1836-1837
* Business Letter written by Nathaniel B. Borden, 1836
* Experiences of an Itinerant Methodist, 1837
* Letter from Simeon Borden to Philip Tripp, 1839
* Domestic Diary of Benjamin Earl, 1841-1843
* Three Sermons by the Rev. Orin Fowler, 1841

    Complete volume 1 (9,234K)


* Volume 2.
* The Great Fire
* The Night Watch - 1844
* The Fall River Railroad - 1846
* The Militia in 1851
* Letters of the Rev. Samuel Longfellow, Minister to the Unitarian Society in Fall River, 1847-1851
* Art, Excerpt from "Early Paintings of Fall River" by Mrs. Edward B. Lovell
* The Diary of Samuel M. Brown

    Complete volume 2 (7,707K)

[mbhenty]

Hey KAT: Again, and again:

The two books you mention above, "Life on the Stream," (booklets, soft cover) had a 3rd companion printed around the same time by the same publisher, in the same binding, and called "SCRABBLETOWN," by Alice Brayton.

Centered around the life of Israel Brayton a trader, who lived in a little village of Scrabbletown in or around Swansea around the early 1800's.

Not sure if an actual place ever existed. Alice calls it a suburb of Swansea, but I can't see any town being smaller than Swansea at the time. Swansea (Swanzey) was just a tiny town then. I never heard of Scrabbletown, and may be just a local nick-name for a certain portion of a town in the area of Swansea and Berkley or Taunton.

Lots on Fall River and Somerset history in it, along with the trading practices of Mr. Israel Brayton. Will try reading it before I die, some day.

[Kat]

I read Scrabbletown! Just this past Fall.
I really liked it. It was really interesting- lots of everyday info in there, and how the store was run- as to inventories and receipts found and how villagers traded and worked and cooperated for their families and for their town's mutual benefit.

[nbcatlover]

. "Re: Andrew's Shoes: A Window To the Sole?"
Posted by Gramma on Mar-30th-04 at 11:30 AM
In response to Message #12.
Interesting window on the sole?????
From "Scrabbletown" by Alice Brayton pg 19

"There was quite a bit of trade with shoemakers; local men. Enoch Babbit who lived in Berkeley was in the habit of sending down a few shoes every once in a while. In 1830, he brought Israel 9 pairs of boots to sell on commission of ten percent. But in 1831 he wrote he was so busy he could not make any more shoes for Israel. He sent down twelve pairs three months earlier. Anthony Morse who lived in Scrabbletown was employed by Israel to mend shoes brought into the stores of Scrabbletown and Egypt. A certain Mr. Chace of Swansea made shoes to order. "If Mr. Chace has no shoes that is raised higher in the instep than is common, he must make a pair of morocco walking shoes. But calfskin shoes made by John S. Russel were more in demand. The calves were born on the farm."

Gramma

(Message last edited Mar-30th-04 11:32 AM.)

***

21. "Re: Andrew's Shoes: A Window To the Sole?"
Posted by Gramma on Mar-30th-04 at 11:28 PM
In response to Message #19.
Kat,
The answer is yes and no. If a clerk is writing it it may turn up any way possible. If the family is the one writing it, some were very particular whether the "c" or the "s" was used. In this case I would say the spelling is probably very flexible.
The point of the post was not the Chace reference, though. It was a good addition, as was the Russel. The point was Anthony Morse, father of Sarah and John V. Morse mending shoes for customers of Israel Brayton! Wonder if those shoes Andrew is wearing were mended by Lizzie's grampa? Or did he get a new pair from Chace or Russel. Do you suppose Alice was related to John S.?
By the way, you won't find Anthony Morse in the index of the book!

Gramma

I have not read Scrabbletown yet, but I found this in the archives. Anthony Morse, Lizzie's grandfather, lived in Scrabbletown.

That was a fact I had not picked up anywhere before.

Thanks!

[nbcatlover]

duplicate posting

[mbhenty]

Yes nbcatlover:
Do you know the exact area that Scrabbletown was located? I have worked in Swansea and know the area well. The cove where I moor my boat is a couple of blocks from the Lizzie Farm and is probably where Lizzie use to go fishing. So, I know the town well, but I guess not well enough. Never heard of any place or village named Scrabbletown?

Also, Alice Brayton mentions Egypt which was considered a suburb of Somerset. Never heard of any area of Somerset known as Egypt. (?) (I'm not as smart as I thought ) This area she describes to be near Slade's Ferry Landing, which is located where the old Slade's Ferry Bridge use to be. So Egypt must have been right across the Taunton from Fall River. As KAT said, that is where the value of old maps come in, sometimes the only source for locating such old information.

At that time the main center of Somerset was well north of Slade's Ferry on Main, High and South streets. Somerset at that time had a large boat building industry. The yards were located along Main street in Somerset at the bottom of South Street.

So the portion closer to Fall River, being the south end of Somerset, must have been known as Egypt???? Don't know?...... interesting and will need to do some homework and locate these villages.

The time frame Alice speaks of is very early 1800's as she mentioned that Fall River was named Troy. Troy was an early name taken before the city was named Fall River.

But Scrabbletown sounds like it was an interesting place to live in, and Alice Brayton never really describes the actual area or any addresses or road names. Will need to research.....

[RayS]

In other towns in other states there were areas known as "-town". As a city expanded it took in what was a semi-rural area populated by the poor.
The expansion of cities goes on today. Did Atlanta expand in the early 1980s? I do know that Detroit expanded in the 1950s. Redrasing boundaries for commercial advantage goes way back to 19th century. Mayber earlier (in the Boston area?).

[Kat]

I loaned the book back to Stefani, so it's not handy to me.
Wish I had it now...

[nbcatlover]

mbhenty--here's a start:

This town, which the Indians called Shewamet, was detached from Swansey, and incorporated, February 20, 1790. Col. Jerathmal Bowers, who laid the foundation of a large fortune by transporting live stock to the West Indies; Benjamin Weaver, who possessed a large tract of land in that part of Somerset known as "Egypt;" and Elisha Slade, who served the town in the several capacities of minister, major, schoolmaster, and postmaster,— were among the notable men of Somerset in the olden time.

pp. 597-598 in Nason and Varney's Massachusetts Gazetteer, 1890

http://capecodhistory.us/Mass1890/Somerset1890.htm

Nothing comes up in a search of http://www.swanseamass.org/history.html

Scrabbletown does seem to be a popular name, though. There was one in Plymouth County, MA, near Scituate. There was another near North Kingston, RI (Newport Coutny). In doing some research the other day, scrabble was also a term associated with a type of coal.

Still searching...

[nbcatlover]

From what I understand, Alice Brayton's book has Scrabbletown placed across the river, west of Fall River.

To my understanding, the Brayton Homestead was on the path of travel when of revolutionary soldiers when they crossed the Taunton River at Slade's Ferry. A geological source says the Taunton River had some small coal deposits, too. This makes Scrabbletown seem more like it is in the Somerset of today, rather than Swansea.

[mbhenty]

Thanks nbcatlover:

Thanks for the web sites, very interesting. I searched a couple of books I have, both on the history of Bristol County. One is almost 7 inches thick. As it explains, Somerset was known as part of Swanzey, or the Swewamet Purchase. At the time there were different ways of spelling Swansea and the popular form of the day in the early 1800's was Swanzey.

Egypt was what part of Somerset was known as at one time, I suppose? Can't find anything on Scrabbletown. Could be a nick name for an area, probably the start to Somerset village??

It gives the discription of Egypt being just north of Pottersville. I know where that is, which would place Egypt right where the Somerset Marina is today. Well north of the now Brightmen Street Bridge. (also north of the power plant which stands there today.)

Mrs. Brayton says that Egypt was closer to Slades Ferry, which would put it between the power plant and South street. And Somerset center, (the village) could have been Scrabbletown, which was North of Egypt. Have a couple of friends that live in Somerset, one down in the village. (He lives in one of those large victorian homes that use to belong to a sea captian in the 1800's )

So I would imagine that as soon as you go across the Brightman Street Bridge, and turn right along the Somerset shore, you would come to the area called Pottersville, then Egypt, then Scrabbletown? (Scrabbletown being the lower part of Somerset by the Taunton River along main Street. It's the oldest part of Somerset and it's historical center)

Brayton was a well know Somerset name as well as an old Fall River name. As a matter of fact, in Somerset there is a Brayton Ave., a Brayton Point, a Brayton Point Road, and the Brayton estate, which was a big house off of 138, County street, that use to belong to a wealthy Brayton family. Last I knew the house had been empty for many years and in litigation.

So maybe, when Mrs. Brayton speaks of it as being part of Swansea, she may mean Somerset before it broke off, which would make you right.

Thanks for the info once again nbcatlover....

[RayS]

I just bought an original Fall River Tragedy from Patterson Smith, yes they are still in bussiness.

In the Proceedings book it shows how Spiering contacted Patterson Smith to find out how rare Porter's Fall River Tragedy was. Spiering was informed that the book was not as rare as was believed. However in his book Spiering wrote the exact opposite of what he was informed of.

Wouldn't claiming a book as "rare" just be a way to raise its price?

[mbhenty]

Good Point RAYS:
In many cases using the word, "rare" is a way of making a book look much more attractive and desirable than it really is.

In book jargon the words "Rare" and "Scarce," are much overused or used incorrectly altogether by book dealers and others to discribe a book.

Let's take a look at these two terms and how they should be used.

If you are talking about a John James Audubon, such as "The Birds of America," which was just sold at auction for the Providence Athenaeum for over 5 million, and again, a Shakespeare Folio which sold for over 300K, we are speaking of "rare" items to the true sense of the word. These are items that may go decades before appearing on the market.

But of course, all these terms are relative, and an item need not cost millions to be rare. A potato chip with the image of a saint is very rare, but how many of us would bid on one?

Now, in describing Lizzie books, we can safely say that Tim Kelly's book (booklet) "Lizzie Borden of Fall River, a drama in three acts" is truly a "scarce item."

A scarce item is an item that may appear only once or twice a year on the market. Such as Tim Kelly's book which just sold this week on ebay. (item # 7012981372) There is only one other on the open market, in England, for sale; where Victoria Lincoln's "A Private Disgrace," which I have seen many times as "scarce," is by no means so. But, makes it sound like One should buy it before it's to late. But, Victoria's "February Hill" in first edition in hardcover is a "rare" find, when one comes up for sale, and have not seen one in 5 years, and when it does, does not sell for much more that 45 or so.

Where a scarce item is one that may appear on the market only once or a couple of times a year, a real "Rare" book may go years at times before you see one for sale. Where "Scarce" may be a word we can all take liberty with, rare is not.

So, is Edwin Porter's book Rare. I would say it is, even though a couple have been on the market in just the past year. But I remember years of not seeing a copy anywhere for sale. In that respect it is a rare book. Again I have seen Flynn's copy described as scarce or rare many times. It that true. No it is not, and can't even be descirbed as scarce.

How about a Porter in Very good to Fine contition? Yes, by all means, a copy in that condition is truly considered a rare find. So, yes, Porter's book is a "Rare" book. If you consider the copy that is on ebay right now, the condition is just not there, but better than most I have seen. In that respect it is very scarce. But a copy in Fine condition is a "Rare Bird" indeed.

[RayS]

In reading thru the threads I've seen mention of many different books on Lizzie.

As a neophyte to the Lizze case I was wondering if the more expereinced on the forum could recommend which books are the best to read as an introduction to the case.

I would define "best" as most accurate and informative, and if possible, without an axe to grind ( sorry couldn't resist).

Thank you in advance for the advice.

THAT book is David Kent's "40 Whacks". It has "new evidence", and provides the best in about 320 pages (the usual size).
It is also likely to be in your county library system.

[mbhenty]

Ok, I know that we have kicked this around. Just want to set the record straight, and make a correction on one of my posts above. I had mentioned the location of the Brayton Estate, but I was wrong. Yes, Brayton was a well worn name in Somerset, but the estate I was talking about, in the post above, off 138, was the Foley Estate on Foley Ave in Somerset, not the Brayton Estate. Now that means I will need to research Alice Brayton and find out where the "Braytons" had lived. Ok, now that that's straightened out. oops:

I spoke to a friend of mine who lives in Somerset, and I guess he inturn called a friend of his who is an historian on Swansea and works at the Swansea Library. And he said that Scrabbletown was the little village of Swansea where the library and town hall is located, along with the high school, and the historical district.

I should really take a ride to the Swansea Library and research it myself. Alice Brayton says in her book that "Scrabbletown" was a suburb of Swansea, but the area that was discribed to me by my friend as Scrabbletown is indeed the center of Swansea Village. So how can it be a suburb?

So the less I say on the matter the better, probably, till I discover for myself. Hope I have not made matters worst.

[Kat]

Any input is welcome. And a positive attitude is especially appreciated.
Finding ones mistakes and clearing them up is a job well done, I say!

[mbhenty]

HEAR YE, HEAR YE: To all you Bibliophiles and avid reader alike. Not sure if it has been mentioned. A new book on Lizzie is being scheduled for puoblication for this June.

"LIZZIE BORDEN NEW ENGLAND REMEMBERS" by Karen E Chaney.

Paperback issue, $12.95

Not in tune with what her angle is, but hope she has something fresh and inviting, though she has some demanding competition from those on the Lizzie Borden Society Forum. Can't wait.

[Harry]

Thanks for the heads up Mike. Looks like it can be ordered from Amazon for $9.97 + S/H. Never heard of the author.

http://tinyurl.com/mqya9

[doug65oh]

hmmm I wonder if that's the same person that joined recently? (We do/did have a person who identified herself as "Karen E. Chaney" join fairly recently.)