Bruce Robinson's Suspect Identified?

[John G]

I put up my dream cast for a potential Wallace Case movie over on a Wallace thread if anyone is interested.

Thanks Stan, I'll take a look.

[Henry Flower]

"What made the director of Withnail And II waste 12 years of his life"

Withnail and II?

Is that a sequel??

[barnflatwyngarde]

My copy of "They All Love Jack" has just arrived.

First impressions are:
1. It is beautifully produced with great quality paper and excellent typeface.
2. It is profusely illustrated with great quality illustrations.
3. Stewart Evans, Paul Begg, Don Rumbelow and Andy and Sue Parlour are
listed in the acknowledgements (a good sign!).
4. Mrs Cox is not listed in the index. (worrying!)

I am looking forward to the first review to appear on these boards.

[EmaEm]

" What made the director of Withnail And II waste 12 years of his life and £500,000 of his own money to prove that Jack the Ripper was really a Victorian Paul McCartney on disguise. " (Craig Brown, Sunday Mail)

It's clearly another masonic conspiracy book. Thus Robinson refers to the removal of coins and buttons from Eddowes and Chapman and concludes, "The removal of metal is axiomatic of masonic ritual". He further opines "nothing could be allowed to threaten masonry. "

How anyone can be taken in my this nonsense I really don't know.

Though I am quite a fan of Bruce Robinson's work, I have not read his book. What I have done though is read every interview I can find and reviews in the press. Unfortunately, I have so far failed to find one journalist who knew enough about the case to challenge Robinson on some of his frankly ridiculous assertions or pick him up where he is factually wrong. Worse of all, I cannot find (so far) from any source, if Robinson has any information regarding Michael Maybrick possessing any medical/anatomical/butchery knowledge or skill. I cannot find one journalist's interview/review that has asked this question or covered it. If Robinson's book cannot provide this, and even more inaccuracies are spotted by members on here then for me the book is a dead duck. It may even be just another 'bee in the bonnet' effort a la Cornwell except this time it's not Sickert but the Freemasons.

[drstrange169]

Hello EmaEm,

For a knowledgeable, considered review, download the latest issue of Ripperologist, it's free.

Paul Begg gives an excellent review of Robinson's opus.

[ChrisGeorge]

Hello EmaEm,

For a knowledgeable, considered review, download the latest issue of Ripperologist, it's free.

Paul Begg gives an excellent review of Robinson's opus.

Hello EmaEm

You may download the pdf of Ripperologist 146 containing Paul's review of Robinson's book at http://www.ripperologist.biz/pdf/ripperologist146.pdf -- it's a big issue of just over 100 pages. To get the issue on kindle, email us at contact@ripperologist.biz and also to get yourself put on our mailing list permanently.

Best regards

Chris

[kookingpot]

Thanks, Chris

Would it be possible to sticky some information like this on the Ripperologist section in the Periodicals subforum? I know I looked around for a couple hours trying to figure out how to access recent back issues of the publication without success (since the website is still under construction). I think it would be worth posting where people can access the stuff.

[ChrisGeorge]

Thanks, Chris

Would it be possible to sticky some information like this on the Ripperologist section in the Periodicals subforum? I know I looked around for a couple hours trying to figure out how to access recent back issues of the publication without success (since the website is still under construction). I think it would be worth posting where people can access the stuff.

Good idea. We will work on that. Meanwhile, if you would, send me your email address. What issues are you particularly looking for if I might ask?

Best regards

Chris

[kookingpot]

I don't have permissions to do PMs and such, but I was looking for the one you had just linked, issue 146, because I wanted to read the review as well. Now that I have that URL, I can change the numbers to access all the issues, so I can get them as needed. I did email and ask to be put on the subscription list yesterday, so I should be all set there.

Thanks though

[EmaEm]

Hello EmaEm

You may download the pdf of Ripperologist 146 containing Paul's review of Robinson's book at http://www.ripperologist.biz/pdf/ripperologist146.pdf -- it's a big issue of just over 100 pages. To get the issue on kindle, email us at contact@ripperologist.biz and also to get yourself put on our mailing list permanently.

Best regards

Chris

Thank you so much: I pounced on your link to read Paul Begg's review. It confirmed my worst suspicions about the book; really Bruce should stick to film scripts. However, I'm still none the wiser as to whether or not Michael Maybrick had medical/anatomical/butchery knowledge. All I have found is that it was not mentioned in an obituary of him.

[drstrange169]

According to Robinson's theory, Mick May need no medical/anatomical/butchery knowledge. He was simply copying supposed Masonic rituals.

The fact that the murder victims mutilations don't match Masonic rituals is a minor detail Robinson avoids dwelling on.

[EmaEm]

At last, an answer! Thank you so much.........:-)

Well, as I can't buy into Robinson's stand on that, the book is a no go for me. I'll just think of Bruce in terms of the wonderful Withnail and I!

[Shaggyrand]

I'll just think of Bruce in terms of the wonderful Withnail and I!

So will everyone else in the world. Though you gotta respect his attempts at other stuff... kinda.

[Blue Coat Boy]

A clip from Paul Begg's review:

"Robinson challenges accepted Ripperological thinking on assorted aspects of the Ripper case, from the writing on
the wall in Goulston Street through the coins left at Chapman’s feet, the grape-stalks found in Dutfield’s Yard, to
the genuineness of the ‘Ripper’ correspondence. In the process Robinson makes clear his contempt for Ripperology
and seizes lots of opportunities to criticise Ripperologists, myself included."

Fingering Maybrick aside, Robinson's arguments regarding long-held assumptions and convictions by Ripperologists is what I found most compelling. Brilliant stuff. At the very least, makes you rethink what you believed to be "settled history." This book is a must for those well-versed in all thing JTR.

[drstrange169]

No matter how bad the book, I usually find something interesting in any ripper book but, that's a long way from saying Robinson's silliness is any good.

It's, what appears to be, his deliberate distortions of the facts that pissed me of most about his book.

Although having seen a documentary on the guy, I quite like his persona and now regard the book as a bit of harmless fun.