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They All Love Jack: Busting the Ripper

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'They All Love Jack: Busting the Ripper' by Bruce Robinson is a detailed and revelatory study that delves into the identity of Jack the Ripper. Robinson presents a new theory on the infamous murderer, suggesting that Michael Maybrick, a prominent musical celebrity, may have been the true culprit. The book explores the societal structures and corruption of Victorian Britain, intertwining themes of Freemasonry, judicial misconduct, and class inequalities. Robinson's writing style is described as fiery and emotional, with a focus on exposing the shadows that concealed not only the Ripper's identity but also broader criminal activities within the establishment.

Writing/Prose:

The style is vivid and engaging, marked by passionate and occasionally sarcastic commentary, balancing academic thoroughness with popular accessibility.

Plot/Storyline:

The narrative centers around the theory that Michael Maybrick is Jack the Ripper, exploring conspiracies and systemic corruption within Victorian society that obscured the truth.

Setting:

The setting captures the stark contrasts of Victorian Britain, focusing on Whitechapel's slums and the broader social context of the time.

Pacing:

The pacing is inconsistent, combining engaging segments with dense, exhaustive details that may challenge reader commitment.
An inflamed, bespectacled authority fights his way to the front. ‘Shut this farce down!’ he demands. ‘You are all duped!’ He struggles to get a pedometer past a pack of egg sandwiches. ‘I’ve measured ...

Notes:

Bruce Robinson claims that Jack the Ripper was actually Michael Maybrick, a well-known composer.
Maybrick was a Freemason, connected to the powerful elite of Victorian Britain, including the Prince of Wales.
The author suggests that Maybrick left Masonic clues for the police, who were also Freemasons, during the murders.
Robinson points out that Maybrick's busy concert schedule coincided with key dates in the Ripper case, providing him opportunities to commit the crimes.
The letters supposedly sent by Jack the Ripper could have been mailed by Maybrick from ships in British ports, then reaching the U.S. with an American postmark.
Maybrick's brother, James, died under mysterious circumstances in 1889, which added to the scandal surrounding their family.
Robinson critiques the corruption of the Victorian judicial system and highlights how it protected the elite from scandal.
He argues that many letters attributed to the Ripper were not hoaxes and that some contained information not released to the public.
Robinson suggests that the Ripper might have committed more murders than the five traditionally accepted victims.
The book is both a historical account and a critical examination of class inequality in Victorian society.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include graphic descriptions of violence and murder, discussions of misogyny, and politically incorrect language.

From The Publisher:

The iconoclastic writer and director of the revered classic Withnail & I-"The funniest British film of all time" (Esquire)-returns to London in a decade-long examination of the most provocative murder investigation in British history, and finally solves the identity of the killer known as "Jack the Ripper."

In a literary high-wire act reminiscent of both Hunter S. Thompson and Errol Morris, Bruce Robinson offers a radical reinterpretation of Jack the Ripper, contending that he was not the madman of common legend, but the vile manifestation of the Victorian Age's moral bankruptcy.

In exploring the case of Jack the Ripper, Robison goes beyond the who that has obsessed countless others and focuses on the why. He asserts that any "gentlemen" that walked above the fetid gutters of London, the nineteenth century's most depraved city, often harbored proclivities both violent and taboo-yearnings that went entirely unpunished, especially if he also bore royal connections. The story of Jack the Ripper hinges on accounts that were printed and distributed throughout history by the same murderous miscreants who frequented the East End of her Majesty's London, wiping the fetid muck from their boots when they once again reached the marble floors of society's finest homes.

Supported by primary sources and illustrated with 75 to 100 black and white photographs, this breathtaking work of cultural history dismisses the theories of previous "Ripperologists." A Robinson persuasively makes clear with his unique brilliance, The Ripper was far from a poor resident of Whitechapel . . . he was a way of life.

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About the Author:

Bruce Robinson is the director and screenwriter of Withnail & I, How to Get Ahead in Advertising, Jennifer 8, and The Rum Diary. He has also written the screenplays for The Killing Fields, Shadow Makers (released in the US as Fat Man and Little Boy), Return to Paradise, and In Dreams. He is the author of The Peculiar Memories of Thomas Penman, Paranoia in the Launderette, and two books for children, The Obvious Elephant and Harold and the Duck, both illustrated by Sophie Windham. He lives in London.

 
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