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A Fine Day for a Hanging

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A Fine Day for a Hanging

By: Carol Ann Lee
Narrated by: Maggie Ollerenshaw
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Summary

In 1955, former nightclub manageress Ruth Ellis shot dead her lover, David Blakely. Following a trial that lasted less than two days, she was found guilty and sentenced to death. She became the last woman to be hanged in Britain, and her execution is the most notorious of hangman Albert Pierrepoint's 'duties'. Despite Ruth's infamy, the story of her life has never been fully told. Often wilfully misinterpreted, the reality behind the headlines was buried by an avalanche of hearsay. But now, through new interviews and comprehensive research into previously unpublished sources, Carol Ann Lee examines the facts without agenda or sensation.

A portrait of the era and an evocation of 1950s club life in all its seedy glamour, A Fine Day for a Hanging sets Ruth's gripping story firmly in its historical context in order to tell the truth about both her timeless crime and a punishment that was very much of its time.

©2012 Carol Ann Lee (P)2014 Audible, Inc. Social Sciences True Crime Crime Thought-Provoking
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Gave poweful insight into the story underlining a reason for the abolition of hanging

poweful insight.

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I knew of Ruth Ellis of course but this book told me so much more. It’s sad really…she was really used and abused by people that were suppose to love her all her life. Even her defence team let her down.

I personally think class, snobbery and the old boy network closed ranks and this was responsible for her legal murder (hanging)..She came from a poor family, worked as a “good time girl’ and struggled most of her life and was seen as a wicked woman trying to get her claws into a spoiled rich, woman beater, spineless rat of a man. Sad sad sad…

Well written and well read.

Poor Ruth

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Thoroughly researched.
Pulls no punches but makes Ruth and David more than the one dimensional characters of films and other “ murder” based literature.
Murder and sex in 1950s Britain and sexism and the law and the double standard, I laughed and cried and felt for all of those women judged for wanting more than to warm slippers.
I enjoyed the narration unlike others who’ve reviewed this and this is a book I will listen to again soon.

If you choose one book about the state sponsored murder of Ruth Ellis, this is the one.

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i enjoyed this book but found the narrators voice very mono tone which became annoying after a while. A very factual account of what has always been considered a controversial case.

poor choice of narrator

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I remember reading a book about this decades ago and thought I’d listen to a different book…this has shone a whole new light on this sad story. I’m already going to listen to this again…straight away.

Wow

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