The Italian Boy

Murder and Grave-Robbery in 1830s London

Sarah Wise

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English

Pimlico
01 July 2005

True crime; History; British & Irish history; Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900; Social & cultural history; Crime & criminology

A fascinating historical investigation that brilliantly illuminates a macabre episode in 1830s London and brings the capital's underclass roaring back to life.

Towards the end of 1831, the authorities unearthed a series of crimes at Number 3, Nova Scotia Gardens in East London that appeared to echo the notorious Burke and Hare killings in Edinburgh three years earlier. After a long investigation, three bodysnatchers were put on trial for supplying the anatomy schools of London with suspiciously fresh bodies for dissection.

They later became known as The London Burkers, and their story was dubbed 'The Italian Boy' case. The furore which led directly to the passing of controversial legislation which marked the beginning of the end of body snatching in Britain.

In The Italian Boy, Sarah Wise not only investigates the case of the London Burkers but also, by making use of an incredibly rich archival store, the lives of ordinary lower-class Londoners. Here is a window on the lives of the poor - a window that is opaque in places, shattered in others but which provides an unprecedented view of low-life London in the 1830s.

By: Sarah Wise
Imprint: Pimlico
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 197mm, Width: 128mm, Spine: 23mm
Weight: 256g
ISBN: 9781844133307
ISBN 10: 1844133303
Pages: 372
Publication Date: 01 July 2005
Recommended Age: From 0 years
Audience: College/higher education , General/trade , Professional and scholarly , Primary , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Sarah Wise is a freelance journalist and a regular contributor to the Guardian, the Independent on Sunday Review, and The Times. She completed an MA in Victorian Studies at Birkbeck College in 1996. This is her first book.

Reviews for The Italian Boy: Murder and Grave-Robbery in 1830s London

Colourful without being sensationalist, the result is compelling -- Andrew Holgate * Sunday Times * Brilliant -- Christopher Hirst * Independent * Excellent...an impressively strong sense of 19th-century poverty seems to ooze from its pages and the details are fascinating -- Toby Clements * Daily Telegraph * Engrossing...Wise exposes an entire resurrection community in London's underworld and shows how The Italian Boy case captured the public imagination -- Ian Pindar * Guardian * A work of great skill and sympathy -- Peter Ackroyd * The Times *