Dracula Meets Jack the Ripper and Other Revisionist Histories

By: Michael B. Druxman

Narrated by: Fred Frees

HISTORY TELLS US:

In 1888, the elusive serial killer, Jack the Ripper, terrorized the Whitechapel District of London. Scotland Yard was baffled.

But, that same year, Jack met his match when he crossed paths with the dreadfully evil ...really awful...Count Dracula.

On July 22, 1934, notorious bank robber John Dillinger was shot "dead" by the FBI in front of Chicago's Biograph Theater.

But, on September 17, 1941, in Miami Beach, Florida, John Dillinger met with former 'King of Chicago', mobster Al Capone, to plan the biggest heist of his career.

In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson completed the Louisiana Purchase with France's Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. The price was four cents per acre.

But, in 2011, Napoleon decided that he wanted his land back.

Master storyteller Michael B. Druxman turns history and literature topsy-turvy in six unforgettable tales. Titles include "The Old Coot", "Dracula Meets Jack the Ripper", "Big Al and Desperate Dan", "Napoleon Brandy", "The Space Ship", and "Bugsy's Boys".

©2011 Michael B. Druxman (P)2012 Michael B. Druxman

6 Entertaining Short Stories

Would you listen to Dracula Meets Jack the Ripper and Other Revisionist Histories again? Why?

Michael Druxman wrote this entertaining audio-book in a lively style, and Fred Frees narrated it with a wide variety of tones and voices. The title may be somewhat misleading because the Dracula/Jack-the-Ripper story is just 1 of the 6 short stories in this sequence. In fact, most listeners may do what I did - only listen to one story at a setting.

What did you like best about this story?

One of my favorite stories in the sequence was "The Old Coot" - which had a Tom Sawyer/Huckleberry Finn type of atmosphere. In this story, a young mischievous boy who idolizes Jesse James ran into an old coot who seemed to know quite a bit about Jesse. You must listen to the story, as the old coot tries to persuade the boy that Jesse's life may not have been as thrilling and desirable as legend portrays.

Another of my favorites was "Napoleon Brandy" - with a science fiction setting. This story involves a brilliant professor who invents a time machine and bringing Napoleon Bonaparte back to modern day America. In an amusing manner, Napoleon causes as much trouble to modern American generals as he did to European generals two centuries ago.

Which scene was your favorite?

My other favorite short-story was "Bugsy's Boys" - a skit that reminded me of the movie "Analyze This" with Robert de Niro playing a mobster and Billy Crystal playing his psychiatrist. However, in Bugsy's Boys, the man who murdered Bugsy Siegel draws an unwilling writer into trouble with some of Bugsy Siegel's old associates.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Mostly, in addition to proceeding at a lively pace, the stories made me chuckle here and there -- as I thought about the various situations the characters put themselves into, and how I might have reacted in the same situation.

Any additional comments?

In all of these stories, an interesting tale along with an assortment of well-played voices from the narrator made me feel like I was right there with these adventuresome characters. You will enjoy listening to this audio-book in your leisure time.