A.P. Wolf

[Glenn Lauritz Andersson]

AP:s book is in many parts excellent and in my opinion one of the most groundbreaking and thought provocing books on the subject. It's influence on modern views of the Stride murder should not be underestimated.
In other words, it's a highly important classic in Ripper literature.

And - safe to say - free from much of the strange, bizarre stuff that AP has posted on Casebook the last two years.
The book shows that AP can mean business when he wants to and his writing is not clouded by old brandy.

Personally, I can't recall any attacks or 'insults' on Rumbelow or Begg or other major researchers in the book. His book perhaps challenged their views (which surely was needed at the time) but I believe not in a more controversial manner that any other book. His postings on this forum, however, is another matter.

All the best

[DVV]

I like AP's book, and I find completely purposeless to compare it with Rumbelow, Begg, Sugden, etc. Although AP made and makes excellent research, the approach is radically different, and the aim is not academic. While most of historians want to have the last word, AP's business is elsewhere, teasing, portraying a man. You like it or not, it's a personal speech about the case. Look at the chapter about Stride and its real function in the speech (in relation with AP's version of Eddowes murder). The fact that Cutbush is a good suspect or not doesn't help to judge AP's work, in my opinion. I believe people who would like or dislike AP because of his theory would equally misunderstand him, as I certainly do.

[GRISTLE]

I don't post often but I lurk about these forums daily - whenever I see a thread that AP has posted on I immediately go to it. I haven't read your book AP, but if its half as entertaining and thought provoking as your posts, its a must read for me.

Hi all,

Just for my two cents worth, from what I have read from AP Wolf, here and in his book, Im convinced that he is a very talented writer. He also has a great wit. Cutbush to my mind is within a small feasible group within a minority of the population, those with proper connections, and after all Ive read "chance" and "luck" seem to be less than satisfactory explanations for some questions.

I think some people hate feeling toyed with, and AP is one of the best, but if this guy let his talent out in the right genre, he'd be famous. Not just semi-so.

Best regards all.

[Cap'n Jack]

Monty
I would slaughter cheese rather than pecksniffian at it.

[Monty]

Roy

Some of us bought the orignal book the old fashioned way before AP decided to gracefully allow us mere mortals to view it for free.

A wonderful gesture, though a bit hypocrytical in my opinion.

[Celesta]

Cutbush was nut-job, Robert, and I think it's a good idea to keep him in mind.


I like it that A.P. continues his research and that he sticks to his guns.

[Robert]

Needless to say, I think it's a great book.

Needless to say, Cutbush is my favourite suspect.

Worth bearing in mind that AP's interest in the case is criminological - unmasking Jack is a by-product for him.

In fact, he once tried to tip his own suspect off the end of a pier. Fortunately he relented and Arthur Askey fell in the water instead.

[Celesta]

Elizabeth Peters isn't a redneck either, unless she gets it from the Egyptian sun. To my knowledge, she isn't A.P. Wolf, but that would be okay if she were. She is Dr. Barbara Mertz, a bona fide Egyptologist, whose book on Egyptology, Temples, Tombs, & Hieroglyphs was first released in the 1960's, and again in the 1970's. It has just been updated again and re-released, and has received good reviews. It's one of the clearest, most well-written books on the subject that I've read yet. She is a personal friend of some well-known people in the field and has made numerous trips to Egypt. Her novels are quite interesting, and they treat the Egyptian people with respect. She has a large following, no matter what name she writes under.

Frankly, I wouldn't be too quick to rule out old wacky Tom Cutbush! One just never knows.

[Monty]

AP always takes an alternative view in this case and for that I applaud him.

When he is good he is very very good, but when he is bad he is...

...a bugger to reason with.

[KatBradshaw]

well as God is dog backwards it must be Fido!Well! Well!

Very good Natalie.

[Roy Corduroy]

You can read it right here http://www.casebook.org/ripper_media....fulltext.html

Thank you for the free e-book, Casebook.

AP, I salute you and your posse for the hard research put in. Honestly, my complaint would be about form. Structure. But again, thanks for bringing the story of Cutbush to us.

Roy

[Natalie Severn]

fido

Sorry if I am being dim but which God is this??

well as God is dog backwards it must be Fido!Well! Well!

[KatBradshaw]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh I see!

[The Grave Maurice]

Kat,

The quote comes from a review by the dean of Ripperologists, Richard Whittington-Egan.