- Peter Haining
Peter Alexander Haining (
April 2 ,1940 –November 19 ,2007 )cite news | title = Deaths: Sidney Coleman, Peter Haining | work = Locus Online | publisher = Locus Publications | date = 2007-11-20 | url = http://www.bloglines.com/preview?siteid=440715&itemid=1646 | accessdate = 2007-11-21] cite news | title = Obituary: Peter Haining - Prolific writer and editor who delighted in horror and crime | author = Hawtree, Christopher | work = Guardian Unlimited (UK) | publisher = Guardian News and Media Limited | date = 2007-12-05 | url = http://books.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,,2221930,00.html | accessdate = 2007-12-27] was a Britishjournalist , author and anthologist who lived and worked inSuffolk . Born inEnfield ,Middlesex , he began his career as a reporter in Essex and then moved to London where he worked on a trade magazine before joining the publishing house ofNew English Library .Haining achieved the position of Editorial Director before becoming a full time writer in the early Seventies. He edited a large number of anthologies, predominantly of horror and fantasy short stories, wrote non-fiction books on a variety of topics from the
Channel Tunnel toSweeney Todd and also used the pen names "Ric Alexander" and "Richard Peyton" on a number of crime story anthologies. In the Seventies he wrote three novels, including "The Hero" (1973), which was optioned for filming.In two controversial books,cite book
last=Haining
first=Peter
title=The Mystery and Horrible Murders of Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
publisher=F. Muller
year=1979
id=ISBN 0-584-10425-1] cite book
last=Haining
first=Peter
title=Sweeney Todd: The real story of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street
publisher=Boxtree
year=1993
id=ISBN 1-85283-442-0] Haining argued that Sweeney Todd was a real historical figure who committed his crimes around 1800, was tried in December 1801, and was hanged in January 1802. However, other researchers who have tried to verify his citations find nothing in these sources to back Haining's claims. [cite press release
title=Man or myth? The making of Sweeney Todd
publisher=BBC Press Office
date=2005-08-12
url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2005/12_december/08/todd_making.shtml
accessdate=2006-11-15] [cite news
last=Duff
first=Oliver
title=Sweeney Todd: fact or fiction?
publisher=The Independent (London)
date=2006-01-03
url=http://news.independent.co.uk/media/article336235.ece
accessdate=2006-11-15 ( [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20060103/ai_n15975963 Full text] )] [cite web
url=http://www.pbs.org/kqed/demonbarber/penny/index.html
title=True or False?
work=Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in Concert
publisher=KQED
year=2001
accessdate=2006-11-15] A check of the websiteOld Bailey at [http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/forms/formMain.jsp] for "Associated Records 1674-1834" for analleged trial in December 1801 and hanging of Sweeney Todd for January 1802 show no reference; in fact the only murder trial for this period is that of a Governor/Lt Col. Joseph Wall who was hanged 28 January 1802 for killing a Benjamin Armstrong 10 July 1782 in "Goree" Africa and the discharge of a Humphrey White in January 1802.He wrote several reference books on "
Doctor Who ", including the 20th anniversary special "Doctor Who: A Celebration Two Decades Through Time and Space" (1983), and also wrote the definitive study ofSherlock Holmes on the screen, "The Television Sherlock Holmes" (1991) and several other television tie-ins featuring famous literary characters, includingMaigret ,Poirot andJames Bond . Peter Haining's most recent project was a series of World War Two stories based on extensive research and personal interviews: "The Jail That Went To Sea" (2003), "The Mystery of Rommel's Gold" (2004), "Where The Eagle Landed" (2004), "The Chianti Raiders" (2005) and "The Banzai Hunters" (2007).
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