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Rex v Edith Thompson
- Narrated by: Laura Thompson
- Length: 15 hrs and 47 mins
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Rex v Edith Thompson
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Summary
On the night of 3 October 1922, in the quiet suburb of Ilford, Edith Thompson and her husband, Percy, were walking home after an evening spent at a London theatre, when a man sprang out of the darkness and stabbed Percy to death.
The assailant was Frederick Bywaters, a 20-year-old merchant seaman who had been Edith's lover. When the police learned of his relationship with Edith, she was arrested as his accomplice, despite protesting her innocence. The remarkably intense love letters Edith wrote to Freddy - some of them couched in ambiguous language - were read out at their trial for murder at the Old Bailey. They would seal her fate: Edith and Freddy were hanged for the murder of Percy Thompson in January 1923.
Freddy was demonstrably guilty; but was Edith truly so?
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What listeners say about Rex v Edith Thompson
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 08-10-24
Tragic
This is a tragic story and it says alot about the times people lived in. The author is to be congratulated on her research and narration.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- S Lane
- 27-01-23
Both fascinating and horrifying
I found this book absolutely fascinating and horrifying in equal measure. The misogyny and snobbery that surrounded the case of Edith Thompson were made very clear. Ultimately, this book details the lives of the people involved and contextualises how the judgements of the time affected what happened.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lynne C
- 24-04-23
Detailed and compelling
Carefully and cleverly narrated, this highly detailed history of the developments surrounding the hangings of Thompson and Bywaters covers a lot of ground and includes some interesting and compassionate thoughts of the author that humanise the court proceedings and official memoranda. If you are interested in law and questions of morality (particularly in the case of Edith Thompson, who appears to have been judged heavily on her femininity and 'threatening' power as an emergent modern woman in postmodern, post war Britain), you'll enjoy this book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Boozo
- 25-01-20
Tortuously Gripping
A heart wrenching account, lovingly researched. Loved the narrator (also the author) too, who's emotional investment in the case was all too evident throughout. A thrilling re-examination of one of the 20th centuries most divisive, and (as this book convincingly argues) shameful murder trials.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- S. A.
- 18-03-21
Utterly fascinating
Brilliant account of the Thompson Bywaters case. Riveting and compellingly told. I was completely gripped from start to finish. Haunting, terrifying and tragic. Superb.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- DAVID
- 25-09-19
Yes - intriguing, well written, well read.....BUT
JUST TOO LONG.....When I saw there were still four hours left of micro interpretation and eternal weighing up of motive and volition I just had to stop......
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- krissi
- 15-04-21
Very disturbing
I've read many books over the years on this same subject and thus is one of the best.
The hanging of ede Thompson still manages to appal and shock.
I was reluctant to buy this as the sample and a couple of reviews totally put me off for a while.l
Laura Thompson reads her book far better than the sample chosen and I was hooked. Yes it is a bit long but it does not matter, the subject is too pitiful to ignore.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Pat
- 20-05-23
Just fabulous
A detailed telling of a series of events that are fascinating and of course tragic. What a fabulous book. The narration by the author was perfect. I often feel that books are better when read by the author as they know where they planned the emphasis and intonation whilst writing and this definitely falls into that category. I thoroughly enjoyed it and didn’t want my journey to 1920s Essex to end. Highly recommended
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- RubyShoes
- 29-01-24
Maybe a good book not a good audiobook
The narration is truly awful the speech is low then high low then high I couldn't find a comfortable volume so I couldn't get past chapter 1. Which is annoying I know the basic case and was looking forward to details.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
- janice richardson
- 16-10-19
hang me instead! the narrator needs shot!
after just one and a half chapters of listening to an author reading their own work I was wishing I could change places with Edith Thomson and be put out of my misery. I couldn't bear to listen to anymore of her almost monotone, badly read book.... so I wasted my money on something I thought was going to be interesting. IMO was as boring as watching pain dry... if I could ask audio book for a refund this would be one of those very few times I genuinely would request one!
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7 people found this helpful